How often do you feed?
- Thread starter pottsburg
- Start date
ann83
New member
2x a day, morning and evening. The issue is going to be that its not like other fish where you drop the food in and leave. Seahorses are a little more time consuming with thawing and enriching food, and then the actually feeding. Usually you need to turn down the flow or turn it off while they are eating, and then turn it back on when they are done. With my new horses, it can take them a half hour or more to pick at the food until its gone because they are still hunting my live rock. So, she'd need to thaw, enrich, feed and turn off flow first thing in the morning, and then turn the flow back on before she leaves for work. Its do-able.
we are gone from 8-5 mon-friday but we still feed our horses twice a day... we feed as soon as we get home at 5pm and then again at 12am before we go to bed. we have our lights on timers, they come on at 5 and go off around 1am ish so that way we get to see the tank when we are at home. however our tank is in a room that doesnt get alot of natural light so that schedule works for us.
HTH
HTH
fours2many
Member
I feed my new babies (4-5 months old) 3x a day. They eat more often until they grow more. They were on the thinner side when I got them. Once they are closer to the adult age, I will cut back to 2x day.
Kristin
Kristin
also, we trained ours to eat at a 'feeding station' so when we turn the pumps off and they see the turkey baster (we thaw the food and then add a lil tank water and use the baster to suck up the food and spot feed over the feeding station) they all gather at the feeding station and we feed them... we usually leave the pump off for about 10 or 15 mins and then turn the pump on and what ever left over food there may be is moved around the tank and they hunt the leftovers. we buy frozen food that is already enriched so that saves us some time. we spend around 30 min total on each feeding. that time goes fast though, its always fun to watch them eat plus it gives you time to check them all out and make sure they all look healthy.
I'm typically away 10-11 hrs during the week. My horses get thier 1st feed around 8am and then again around 7 in the evening. The horses feeding station is a tuft of macroalgea so I jsut squirt the mysis into that. The shape makes it stick and it's in a low flow area so I don't even have to turn off the pumps. My ponies eat their fill and I leave the rest for the CUC. It takes me maybe 5 mins tops to thaw the frozen and feed the tank. I don't enrich the frozen but once a week they do get a snack of gut loaded live food (I think of it as thier live vitamin pill). In the evenings I spend a bit more time feeding carefully making sure they'll eating etc. BUt the mornings are pretty much just feed and run.
The horses are fat and happy so I think the feeding is plenty. My tank is heavily planted and crawling with pods so I know the seahorses snack on them a bit during the day. And all the critters make quick work of any leftover food.
The horses are fat and happy so I think the feeding is plenty. My tank is heavily planted and crawling with pods so I know the seahorses snack on them a bit during the day. And all the critters make quick work of any leftover food.
I plan on making an acrylic feeding station for them. What do you mean by enriching the food........you can't just thaw mysis and drop it in with the turkey baster?
Her tank is next to 4 windows so I WISH I could have it on a timer that goes form 4PM-midnight like you said, but it has plenty of light during the day so I'm guessing it would stress them out big time, right?
Her tank is next to 4 windows so I WISH I could have it on a timer that goes form 4PM-midnight like you said, but it has plenty of light during the day so I'm guessing it would stress them out big time, right?
ann83
New member
You can just thaw the mysis and drop it in, but since seahorse digestive tracts are so short and they are so inefficient at getting nutrients from their food, many people enrich the mysis by soaking it in something prior to feeding it out, so that the seahorses get more nutrients from it. There are various enrichments, the most common seem to be Vibrance (from O.R.) and Spirulina.
if the tank is next to the window and light comes in early than you cant do an evening time like we do but its ok to leave the lights on longer than 8 hrs... some people do 10 hrs.
there is some frozen mysis that is already enriched (not sure which brands are but just read the package) and you dont need to enrich twice, its pointless. but, if you purchase food that is Not enriched than its very important to enrich them. you can go to www.seahorsesource.com and they have enrichments along with seahorses, medications and the such. also Dan is very helpful and can answer any question you may have
there is some frozen mysis that is already enriched (not sure which brands are but just read the package) and you dont need to enrich twice, its pointless. but, if you purchase food that is Not enriched than its very important to enrich them. you can go to www.seahorsesource.com and they have enrichments along with seahorses, medications and the such. also Dan is very helpful and can answer any question you may have
pledosophy
Active member
I fed live ghosts once a day, no enrichment. Seahorses were WC and lived for 5+ years in my care, when adults when I got them.
I'm not a fan of enrichments personally except for Beta Glucan in cases of disease or disease exposure.
I never noticed a differece in using them.
JME I could be wrong.
I'm not a fan of enrichments personally except for Beta Glucan in cases of disease or disease exposure.
I never noticed a differece in using them.
JME I could be wrong.
