Feeding Seahorses

[Jordan55]

I started out trying to feed them ocean plankton, and only the female took to it. After a few days, I realized it wasn't as nutrious and plus, the male wasn't eating.

I ran out and got some mysis (some San Fransisco brand thing) and they started chowing on it. It has lasted me up untill a couple days ago.

Then I relaized my boos was using PE mysis for his fish at the store. I picked some up on Saturday and have been feeding the horses this way for about 3 days. They LOVE it. PE mysis is sooo much better. Bigger, looks better, and it seems like it should last a good while.

BTW- I feed my horses anywhere from 1-2 times a day.


PS- I was just thinking. In the wild, wouldn't there be days where sea horses don't get much food, and others whne they get a lot of food. I was wondering how it would work if you fed your horses a regular amont maybe 5 days a week (1-2 times). Then one day, you don't feed at all. Then another day like 3-4 times (if possible).

I know some people like fasting their sea horses.... but this just crossed my mind the other day. Anyone ever try it?

 

[chrisbenavides]

anyone fast horses?

 

[pledosophy]

Yeah my horse was going to run the derby, but there was a splinkler malufunction.

I do a fasting day. Fasting is a very common practice and is rumored to be effective in preventing fatty liver disease. It works for me. Usually about once a week, sometimes an extra day a week is added if I don't realize I'm out of ghost shrimp.

Daily feeding for me is fresh water live ghosts. It takes the seahorse about 4 hours to catch them all. It used to take minutes but he is getting old and I believe is starting to go blind. He also moves a bit slower than he used to. I think there being no competition for food let's him hunt at his leisure as well. The tank is also much larger then when he was new, there is more liverock, and macro for the shrimp to hide in.

Jordan the feeding habits of seahorses varies in the wild by region. Some eat hundreds of small crusteceans daily, some pray on small fish, some in SPS reefs, some in grasslands.

It is not really possible for a seahorse to eat to much, unless the supply of food is so constant that the seahorse does not give it's digestive system enough time to break down any of the food, before it passes it. Some have reported this to be more common with fry, saying they have seen fry poop out live brine shrimp.

I tossed in 50 salt water feeder shrimp last week to help with an algae problem and was shocked that they were all gone in 2 days. The reidi is the only thing in the tank capable of eating them. He normally goes through about 6 shrimp a day.

JME

 

[chrisbenavides]

How often should a fast occur for Kuda? Anyone know? And when do you know for sure that you SH is fat, or skinny?

Is their a guide/chart that shows proper proportions....like the American Kennel Club does for dogs.