Feeding question
- Thread starter Ahwagirl
- Start date
namxas
Things With Stings R Us!
our SH tanx are fed once a day, but they are aquascaped with lots of macroalgae so the SH can hunt at their leisure (and they certainly do). it's really fun to watch them being "patient" when they see a pod that they REALLY want but just can't quite reach.
by all means, do invest in a heater guard and drop the temp a couple of degrees. i've seen too many burned SH in the ER on the SH site.
by all means, do invest in a heater guard and drop the temp a couple of degrees. i've seen too many burned SH in the ER on the SH site.
namxas
Things With Stings R Us!
with the exception of zots, a 5 mo old SH should no longer be on BBS. however, fry tanx should be fed at least twice a day and any leftover BBS removed prior to the next day's first feeding as their nutritional value declines rapidly.
namxas
Things With Stings R Us!
[soapbox]
i think that folks need to realize that non-enriched Artemia is almost devoid of nutritional value, and even then, it's not a very good staple food for syngnathids (i won't go into keeping SH in reefs or with tankmates that will outcompete them for food).
SH are special needs fish, and if those needs are met, are not hard to keep. there's no "magic bullet" or "lazy way" that is a substitute for proper care.
all that being said, it's a good way to offer ADDITIONAL food to SH...i just don't want people to think that ABS is a substitute for mysis or live larger pods.
[/soapbox]
i think that folks need to realize that non-enriched Artemia is almost devoid of nutritional value, and even then, it's not a very good staple food for syngnathids (i won't go into keeping SH in reefs or with tankmates that will outcompete them for food).
SH are special needs fish, and if those needs are met, are not hard to keep. there's no "magic bullet" or "lazy way" that is a substitute for proper care.
all that being said, it's a good way to offer ADDITIONAL food to SH...i just don't want people to think that ABS is a substitute for mysis or live larger pods.
[/soapbox]
While I'm a believer in multiple foods for all my fish, my seahorses are more limited in menu.
In fact, I have a pile of reidi's that won't eat anything but Salley's San Francisco Bay Brand frozen brine shrimp.
That being said, I also do not believe the hype that says brine shrimp are devoid of nutrition.
From the "Manual for the Production of Live Food for Aquaculture" comes the following information for brine shrimp grown from Great Salt Lake cysts before gut loading.
Protein levels of cultured juveniles and adults, 49.7 to 62.5%
By gut loading, you can increase this level for protein or you can add fatty acids or vitamins.
In fact, I have a pile of reidi's that won't eat anything but Salley's San Francisco Bay Brand frozen brine shrimp.
That being said, I also do not believe the hype that says brine shrimp are devoid of nutrition.
From the "Manual for the Production of Live Food for Aquaculture" comes the following information for brine shrimp grown from Great Salt Lake cysts before gut loading.
Protein levels of cultured juveniles and adults, 49.7 to 62.5%
By gut loading, you can increase this level for protein or you can add fatty acids or vitamins.
namxas
Things With Stings R Us!
that's indeed a good book.
it's the HUFA's and vitamins that are missing, which is why i said "non-enriched"...protein is only one part of the equation. additionally, i've actually had SH that had no idea what to do with Artemia.
that being said, you're one of the few folks i know who has consistently raised reidi with good results, so whatever you're doing is obviously working for you. personally, my fry raising days are over, it's way too much trouble (and i only raised erectus!).
i think one of the reasons i get a chill when i see "autofeeders" is that new keepers will think they can hook one up and be good to go and their SH will basically care for themselves. then they wonder why their SH don't make it since they knew no better. i'd hate to see them disappointed for lack of understanding the dynamics of keeping SH.
it's the HUFA's and vitamins that are missing, which is why i said "non-enriched"...protein is only one part of the equation. additionally, i've actually had SH that had no idea what to do with Artemia.
that being said, you're one of the few folks i know who has consistently raised reidi with good results, so whatever you're doing is obviously working for you. personally, my fry raising days are over, it's way too much trouble (and i only raised erectus!).
i think one of the reasons i get a chill when i see "autofeeders" is that new keepers will think they can hook one up and be good to go and their SH will basically care for themselves. then they wonder why their SH don't make it since they knew no better. i'd hate to see them disappointed for lack of understanding the dynamics of keeping SH.
I too would be upset with those using a seahorse feeder.
Adding live bs to the tank is one thing, as they can be eaten in short order, but to put them in a holder that they feed on over time is pointless as they become devoid of food in their digestive tract in about 1 1/2 hours if juvenile or adult.
As for the huffa, or fatty acid content, I personally feel that later juveniles and adults don't need as much as many hobbyists feed them. (as in steady diet of PE mysis)
As I feed my live brine juveniles and adults spirulina or Algamac Protein plus, I don't feel that the seahorses have needs beyond what those products give to the brine food.
As for seahorses not having anything to do with artemia, the parent reidi's of the reidi's that I grow out, won't touch frozen brine, only mysis, but these offspring won't touch anything but the SF frozen brine as I mentioned.
Go figure!!
Adding live bs to the tank is one thing, as they can be eaten in short order, but to put them in a holder that they feed on over time is pointless as they become devoid of food in their digestive tract in about 1 1/2 hours if juvenile or adult.
As for the huffa, or fatty acid content, I personally feel that later juveniles and adults don't need as much as many hobbyists feed them. (as in steady diet of PE mysis)
As I feed my live brine juveniles and adults spirulina or Algamac Protein plus, I don't feel that the seahorses have needs beyond what those products give to the brine food.
As for seahorses not having anything to do with artemia, the parent reidi's of the reidi's that I grow out, won't touch frozen brine, only mysis, but these offspring won't touch anything but the SF frozen brine as I mentioned.
Go figure!!
Paul B
Premium Member
TodayI would not feed seahorses on a diet of brine but it can be done. This pair which I collected can be seen transfering the eggs to the male. The babies were raised to adulthood on a diet of just brine shrimp. Not gut loaded, just plain brine but lost of them. Mysis is much better for them and babf fish is even better as that is what I see them eat in the sea where I collect them.
namxas
Things With Stings R Us!
IMHO, soaking the FBS in anything doesn't actually get it INTO the BS, but ON it, and then it's prone to simply washing off when it hits the water, or is rinsed off when you rinse prior to feeding out. if you don't rinse prior to feeding, the Selcon rinses off when it hits the water, and now you have a tankful of Selcon that will fuel nuisance algae and will trash your water quality, and SH are already hard on water qual.
we experimented with all sorts of things a few years ago, and even with thawed mysis, which is more "porous" than BS, the enrichment just didn't seem to stay on, so we abandoned the practice.
conversely, you can FEED live Artemia the Selcon and it WILL get inside the SH when they eat it. so, as long as the enrichment is small enuff to fit into their mouths, you can turn live Artemia into a living "vitamin capsule" for the fish. in fact, beta glucan is a great enrichment that boosts the immune system.
we experimented with all sorts of things a few years ago, and even with thawed mysis, which is more "porous" than BS, the enrichment just didn't seem to stay on, so we abandoned the practice.
conversely, you can FEED live Artemia the Selcon and it WILL get inside the SH when they eat it. so, as long as the enrichment is small enuff to fit into their mouths, you can turn live Artemia into a living "vitamin capsule" for the fish. in fact, beta glucan is a great enrichment that boosts the immune system.
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AD87
Active member
Not changeling your question but I would like to know why guppies would not be a good food source, also I didn't make it clear but the live baby fish would be used for additional nutritional value not the main food source.
Saltwater mollies wouldnt be that much trouble to raise.
Paul B
Premium Member
They would be fine as an additional food source. Fresh water fish have very differet oils in them than salt water fish and in time, if this were their only diet your fish would suffer from a dietary deficiency which affects their liver. But as long as you feed them other things the guppies would be fine and it would also supply them with calcium.
Fantastic info, everyone. Yep, I've read the books, forums, etc. about not having a true tummy, etc. That was the main reason for my original ? How often, how much? Sounds like smaller, but more frequent feedings is best.
They are currently eating the mini-mysis since they are 5 months old and seem to handle the smaller mysis better. I also put some copepods in the tank before the erectus settled in.
With that, what other supplements, treats, etc. should I offer them? My LFS carries something called "Reef Stew" that a local breeder cultivates. I don't know the exact content, though.
Anywho, what else should i be offering the SH's to keep their diet varied to the extent that is appropriate?
:celeb2:
They are currently eating the mini-mysis since they are 5 months old and seem to handle the smaller mysis better. I also put some copepods in the tank before the erectus settled in.
With that, what other supplements, treats, etc. should I offer them? My LFS carries something called "Reef Stew" that a local breeder cultivates. I don't know the exact content, though.
Anywho, what else should i be offering the SH's to keep their diet varied to the extent that is appropriate?
:celeb2:
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