Guppy Fries
- Thread starter Majinoo
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cocoaandme
New member
Why aren't they a good food source? Are they too fatty?
cocoaandme
New member
Yeah like soaking brine in plankton and vitamins.
You seem pretty sure about these guppy fry being the wrong type of food source. What about black molly fry? Any difference with them? They have an advantage of being able to do just fine in saltwater too. Wouldn't the whole thing kinda depend on what you feed both them and the mother?
ReefNutPA
New member
Freshwater/brackishwater/saltwater fry are not a natural food source for seahorses and they do not supply the proper nutrition. (Nor are goldfish a natural foodsource for Oscars - but that doesn't stop people from using them and the Oscars suffering the consequences long-term).
Seahorses have no stomach as other fish do. They digest food as it travels through their digestive track and then poop it out. With that said, it is wise to feed them the correct foods so they get the proper nutrition out of every morsel of food they eat. That is imperative.
Most captive bred seahorses are 1st, 2nd or at the most 3rd generation. Their food/nutrition requirements are the same as their wild caught cousins and their anatomy/organs are the same. Their diets consist of small shrimps, pods, etc.(not fish fry) which gives them the proper nutrition to thrive and lead a lifespan far surpassing those in the wild.
Ann, and myself, speak from many years of keeping/raising/breeding seahorses. Our experiences are not unique if you contact any of the major breeders or successful hobbyists.
Tom
Seahorses have no stomach as other fish do. They digest food as it travels through their digestive track and then poop it out. With that said, it is wise to feed them the correct foods so they get the proper nutrition out of every morsel of food they eat. That is imperative.
Most captive bred seahorses are 1st, 2nd or at the most 3rd generation. Their food/nutrition requirements are the same as their wild caught cousins and their anatomy/organs are the same. Their diets consist of small shrimps, pods, etc.(not fish fry) which gives them the proper nutrition to thrive and lead a lifespan far surpassing those in the wild.
Ann, and myself, speak from many years of keeping/raising/breeding seahorses. Our experiences are not unique if you contact any of the major breeders or successful hobbyists.
Tom
You guys seem to have done your home work on these guys and their nutritional requirements. What about Dwarf Seahorses and baby brine shrimp as a staple food? I was giving some thought to getting a few dwarf sea horses in a small tank. I already raise clownfish so I'm used to hatching out baby brine shrimp all the time. Will they need m ore than just baby brine shrimp to thrive?
Paul
Paul
ReefNutPA
New member
While both fry and adult dwarfs can be sustained on bbs, it is somewhat nutritionally void and is best fed as day old enriched with various supplements of your choice.
Copepods are a great food source, however, it is very difficult to sustain a culture large enough to be a sole food source.
I vary my dwarfs diet of bbs. Some days I feed newly hatched (6 to 8 hours old), other days I feed 1 or 2 day old bbs enriched with either Selcon, Nanno paste, DT's, vitamins, etc. That seems to be enough to keep them thriving and doing well.
Most of my remaining dwarfs I've had for about 16 months. My oldest dwarfs, a bit over two years in my care, died awhile ago. Unfortunately, as is relatively common, I haven't had any fry since last summer. Breeding is common the first 4-6 months, but seems to taper off after that.
After discussing it with other dwarf keepers and those breeding seahorses, we've come to the conclusion the lack of fry is most likely a nutritional issue with the adults. While they are active and doing very well, 'something' is missing either in their diet or their environment.
Tom
Copepods are a great food source, however, it is very difficult to sustain a culture large enough to be a sole food source.
I vary my dwarfs diet of bbs. Some days I feed newly hatched (6 to 8 hours old), other days I feed 1 or 2 day old bbs enriched with either Selcon, Nanno paste, DT's, vitamins, etc. That seems to be enough to keep them thriving and doing well.
Most of my remaining dwarfs I've had for about 16 months. My oldest dwarfs, a bit over two years in my care, died awhile ago. Unfortunately, as is relatively common, I haven't had any fry since last summer. Breeding is common the first 4-6 months, but seems to taper off after that.
After discussing it with other dwarf keepers and those breeding seahorses, we've come to the conclusion the lack of fry is most likely a nutritional issue with the adults. While they are active and doing very well, 'something' is missing either in their diet or their environment.
Tom
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