How much should Seahorses eat?

OK, Here's the Bangai culture manual. The guppy stuff is on page 11.

http://www.raingarden.us/banggaimanual.pdf

Here is what they said about the fatty acid profile of guppies:

"Overall, the fatty acid profile of the guppy appears to be appropriate with respect to its fatty acid profile for marine fish in general. This is not surprising as guppies are thought to have evolved in a brackish water environment."

This suggests, but does not explicitly state that guppies have a higher EPA and DHA content than fresh water fish.

Note that PE brand frozen mysis are a fresh water mysis, but have elevated EPA and DHA as well.

Fred
 
Thank You. I am thinking about breeding marine Killifish for the same purpose. They are easy and a true marine food.
 
I had not heard of a true marine kille. I am aware of several brackish water species. This is a killie that spends its entire life in full strength seawater?

Fred
 
I routinely pull up killifish, some of them strangely called rainwater killies I believe, that live very happily in 28ppt lagoon water and are present nearly year round. I havent been here long enough to be sure they are here for the full course of a year yet. :)

Still think that grass shrimp larvae are the way to go.. deworm the parent shrimp to protect against some of those parasites.

As for the fatty acid debate, it is very much alive. I dont typically read the aquaculture manuals on nutrition, but I have read papers that talk back and forth about the suitability of estuarine vs. marine vs. freshwater food stuffs for estuarine, marine or freshwater fishes.

I do remember, however, that the freshwater crowd advocated feeding marine food items over freshwater to avoid vectoring in diseases. That was in the days of blackworms, Tubifex worms and mosquito larvae.

Can't we do just the opposite? Or is that the whole idea behind the freshwater ghost shrimp? :)

>Sarah
 
did I open a can or worms???? LOL

sorry to hijack your tread SINNERMF

you were asking about quantity of food not quality

even if realted, and very much so, my answer to you is simple, if your mom's horse is healthy, she and you are doing the wright thing

good luck with your horses

Jose
 
There are killies that live in full marine water all over long Island who do not have access to fresh water at all. There are a few different species.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8404006#post8404006 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by seamonkey2
Sarah and Fred, since we are in the reading portion of this post :)I read somewhere that feeding fresh water food such as guppies and FW ghost shrimp did not give SW fish the nutrients they need, something to the fact that FW lack the same amount of fats that SW fish have..blah blah blah

your thoughts please

thanks

Jose
Click to expand...

NOt accurate IME. Fed a WC Reidi fresh water ghosts only for 5.5 years. Kept other reidi 4 years plus on the same diet.

Never used enrichments, never gut loaded the shrimp.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8409780#post8409780 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Samala


I do remember, however, that the freshwater crowd advocated feeding marine food items over freshwater to avoid vectoring in diseases. That was in the days of blackworms, Tubifex worms and mosquito larvae.

Can't we do just the opposite? Or is that the whole idea behind the freshwater ghost shrimp? :)

>Sarah
Click to expand...


That is the idea behind feeding fresh water ghosts.

They do not carry the same pathogens or the same parasites that SW ghosts do. They are a safer food in the long run. SW ghosts can be treated for parasites and made safer on that realm, but certain bacterias they carry can not be removed without killing the shrimp.

Feeding a CB or WC seahorse marine ghosts that have not been treating for parasites is going to give your seahorses parasites over time. it is not something they can have prior resistance to and be immune. Parasites don't work like that.

If you have a CB seahorse I see no reason why anyone would endanger the horse by exposing it to parasites. If you have a WC horse that has not been treated for parasites, then you need to treat the horse to give it the longest and healthiest life possible and then feed it only food that is safe IMO.
 
Very cool acroboy. Do you have any species names for us? I'm sure there are others interested as well.

Hey Sarah. Do you have the titles of any of those papers. I would really love to see how the nutritional profile of marine vs esturine looks; particularly with respect to HUFAs.

Seamonkey. No worms in the can. Just fish, and crustacians. mmmmm! tasty. :D

Actually, I think that amphipods are the easiest thing to raise as a supplement for your horses. Everybody has em in their tank. They are a natural food of seahorses. What more could you ask for? Unfortunately they take up a lot of space to culture, unlike guppies.

Fred
 
sorry I sat out of the conversation so long. So I've been seeing people talk about SW feeder foods. where can I get these?? I asked a couple of my LFS stores and they said there are no saltwater ghost shrimp. He said my best bet would be to start breeding and raising Mysis, or he told me to try to breed Peppermint Shrimp and use the young as food. I really don't want to order live foods online since the weather here is pretty cold now.
 
The problem is no one realy ships marine ghost shrimp. Those I do catch I sell localy until November to my local fish shops. Who can not keep them in stock because of demand. The ones I don't keep live I spread over wax paper dry and put them in my box frezer. after they are frozen i shake them off into a zip lock bag as individual shrimp. No snapping and busting. The other thing you will never see are amphipods as large as the ones we have here. They are like sand fleas. They spawn in june and form clouds that are 8 feet by 8 feet that are everywhere. You grab your pool skimmer and have a ball. They hold on Ice with a zip lock bag and no water for hars. Some may be kept alive and others frozen. One of the greatest foods ever. Live baby marine bait fish are so great as well. I Believe in wild foods in a closed environment. Good water conditions help keep seahorses in good shape. There is a risk like always. and these live foods can be fresh water rinsed. It's just not economical for the commericial end of the hobby. There is so much out there that people near oceans, like us on the north east, get to enjoy.
Here are shrimp pics now tell the shop owner they exist!!!!and live ones in overflow box

showphoto.php



showphoto.php
 
Last edited:
Do you need a refugium to have a constant supply of amphipods and the like or can your main tank do the same thing? Do you want them in your main tank?
 
Its always surprising how and where pods will survive, but if you want a decent population to supplement your seahorses diet, I would add a refugium.

Fred
 
How soon should I add the refugium? I am 2 weeks into cycling the main tank now (w/ uncooked prawns). ph 8.4, ammonia 0.0-0.25, SG 1.028, nitrites 0.0, and nitrates 20.
 
Add the refugium now so that it matures along with the rest of the tank. that way it will be producing pods when you add your seahorses.

Fred
 
What size do I need? What goes in it? Is that where the sea grasses should go?

I was advised to start a 10 gal QT tank. I am going to find one that won't break the budget since I have to do a 'fuge too. Do you have any suggestions?

The 'fuge would feed the corals and other stuff too, right?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

H
25 year old yellow tang dying :(
Replies
10
Views
761
sallypur
S
NancyT3
Appropriate light for anenomes and sea star
Replies
7
Views
744
NancyT3
NancyT3
H
High ammonia in 24 year old tank
Replies
15
Views
1K
brandon429
brandon429
L
How much should i feed my fish?
Replies
2
Views
494
JCOLE
JCOLE
Molly's
Dwarf Zebra Lionfish Not Eating, Looking Ill
Replies
10
Views
1K
asmodeus
asmodeus
Back
Top