feeding amounts

[Keoki18]

I currently maintain a large system with several smaller displays. in total, I have 5 banded pipefish, 2 hybrid pipes, and two H. comes. Each DT gets two feedings of mysis shrimp in the AM and PM. All fish are healthy and in great body condition.

My question is, how much/ often are you feeding your sygnanthids? obviously larger sygnanthids will eat more, so I'm looking for aquarists who are caring for similar sized species.

I would like to reduce the feeding to better water quality.

Thoughts?

 

[vlangel]

I feed my erectus and pipefish twice a day. One feeding in the morning and one in the afternoon. I feed enriched live food for the 2nd feeding as often as possible. Although seahorses are messy no matter what they eat I feel the live food is not as messy as frozen mysis.

 

[DanU]

Our rule with feeding is to feed as much as they will eat. Growing juveniles will sometimes eat more than adults. As a breeder growing them out, we feed up to 7 times a day. Most folks feed 2 to 3 times a day. Keep in mind, they have evolved to where they are opportunistic feeders and feed throughout the day.

Dan

 

[Keoki18]

Whoa 7 times huh. Well then I will keep them on their usual feeds.

Thanks

 

[vlangel]

Maybe I should add another feeding as well.

 

[Roccus]

I feed twice a day as well.. alternating frozen Mysis and newly hatched brine shrimp.. I feed only what they will eat... at some point they no longer "attack" the turkey baster and start "playing with" their food.. at that point the rest goes to the reef tank... that being said... they can be seen almost any time of day hunting the bottom or macro's for escaped brine shrimp or pods..

 

[rayjay]

Problem with feeding newly hatched brine shrimp is that they lack the DHA component needed even though they have high EPA levels soon after hatching.
If the seahorses are adult, they would not get enough of brine to amount to any significant portion of the nutrition they need, even if they were to eat them.
It would be something like me trying to feed on individual grains of rice.
I have no adults that would eat newly hatched brine.
Also, newly hatched brine are not as digestible as Instar II stage and later.
I stop feeding enriched days old brine by the time the fry are two or three weeks old at the latest, moving them on to juvenile and adults and then as soon as I can, on to frozen mysis. By 3 to 4 months old I stop feeding brine other than feeding enriched adults to them about once a week. (enriched with Dan's Feed from seahorsesource.com)
I normally feed them 3 times a day with Hikari mysis.

 

[66nag]

How much do you feed each horse per feed?
1 cube frozen per (adult) horse per feed? (someone had suggested this amount on one forum I asked).
As much as they will eat in "x" amount of time?
"x" amount of (frozen) mysid shrimp pieces per adult horse per feed?
How much is too much/too little?

 

[rayjay]

I don't think you can say exactly how much for a seahorse because there can be too many variables.
Some decor and rockwork will capture more of the added food than others, and not all seahorses will consume the same amounts.
For me, I feed 1/32 (.5 ounce) of a pound of mysis three times a day for the 45 seahorses I currently have. I cut a one pound flat pack into the 32 pieces that are relatively equal in size, using a home made template.
A pack lasts me 11 to 12 days depending on how many times I miss a feeding.

 

[DanU]

I would start with about 1/2 to 1 cube of mysis per pair of seahorses per feeding and then adjust up or down depending on how well they consume it. Sometimes it is a moving target as their feeding amounts can change over time. You may need to experiment by adding food until they have had enough. I don't worry about over feeding the seahorse but do worry about over feeding the tank!

Dan

 

[66nag]

Thanks all for your input. (even happily converted to metric to get what you normally feed, Rayjay! :lol2
It was suggested/advised (elsewhere a while ago) to feed one cube per horse per feed, which for me with 8 - 9 (?barbs/?angustus) seahorses, meant upto 8/9 cubes per feed (ie, 1 cube per horse twice a day = 18 cubes per day... YIKES!!!!) !:sad2:
Hence why I had to ask!
Halving that to one cube per pair still meant 8 cubes per day...(500L+ ,sumped & skimmed tank)
Not sure if there is a difference in the amount of mysids per cube depending on the brand.. (Hikari etc).
I think I could quite happily halve that, as suggested, so will give that a go, as I think I'm only really feeding the tank...:uhoh3:
I could prob even cut that further as per Danu, as when I feed, I love to add just enough until they've eaten it all then add a little more.....then a little more....(yes, I like to take my time feeding them rather than just dumping all the food at one time into the tank....some people go to the gym to de-stress after work; I love to take my time to feed my seahorses... needless to say I could prob perhaps benefit going to the gym instead, because feeding the seahorses involves a glass of wine when feeding them... :facespalm

 

[DanU]

1 cube per seahorse is a lot. Probably more than what they will eat. I generally recommend between 1/2 to 1 cube per pair of seahorses. Barbs & Angustus do not have big appetites. I would figure on the lower end for them.

Taking your time feeding them is a good thing!

Dan