Need Help Getting Seahorse To Eat, and Random Venting

[Angeline]

Ok, so my seahorse that I was expecting the other day came, and he's beautiful, but he's not eating. I have tried to entice him to eat, offered small ghost shrimp, baby guppies, mysis shrimp. I'm hoping to get some live brine shrimp today. He hasn't touched food since I got him, two days ago, and he was fasted 24 hours before I got him. He did eat one dead baby guppy as it floated by, but that's all he ate. I know he's probably stressed from the shipping and being the only seahorse in the tank, but my order from Draco Marine came today, so maybe if I can get these horses to eat, he'll follow suit.

And then here comes my vent about Draco, after everything everyone said and knowing people who received wonderful orders from them I placed my order with them in complete confidence. Today when I opened my package, I did not got what I requested, or even what I paid for. I'm waiting to see how they are going to remedy this situation, but I am very disappointed. I know mistakes happen and what not, but still, it's just disappointing.

Anyway, any advice on getting this horse to eat if he doesn't follow suit after the other horses? Should I do a freshwater dip or blue bath?

 

[Fredfish]

We need more info. What is the original source of this horse? Is it captive bred, wild...?

The foods you offered, are they live? It sounds like they are.

Does it show any interest at all in the foods offered or does it completely ignore them?

How does the horse look and act overall? Does it look well nourished? Are the eyes clear? Is it active or just hitched in one place?

Fred

 

[Angeline]

Captive bred.

I have offered frozen mysis, live ghost shrimp, and live baby guppies, and the horse ate one of the baby guppies after it had died.

He is now showing interest in the food, he watches it float by and sometimes moves forward from where he's hitched to go for it, but he doesn't snick it in. He was ignoring them at first.

He looks and is acting well, he's still getting used to his surroundings and doesn't really venture out to the other side of the tank, but he moves around the macro algae and what not.

He was fasted for 12 hours before I got him, on Wednesday, so at this point he's not looking too nourished, his eyes are clear, and he doesn't appear to be under any kind of distress.

 

[ReefNutPA]

I would suggest contacting the source where you got the first CB horse and find out what they were feeding it. Most CB horses are trained onto frozen mysis. However, some will only eat the mysis brand they are familiar with. Example...some will only eat Hikari and refuse PE Mysis. Some eating PE Mysis will refuse Hikari. The only two brands I'd recommend are those two I just mentioned. I've found other brands not to be whole shrimp or are very mushy.

It's normal for a seahorse to not be real interested in food for a day or two after being added to a new tank. I'm assuming all these seahorses are in a QT tank and not in the main tank just in case their IS a problem.

Tom

 

[Samala]

Is it possible he is trained to a feeding dish and doesn't realize that moving/floating foods are also what he can eat? I would think they'd be more intelligent than that, but animals can be hard to break from habits. Especially when they are under other stressors.

Tom's suggestion on the brand is key, also see if they breeder had any special feeding practices you can copy for now.

>Sarah

 

[Angeline]

He was eating frozen where I got him from. I've been in contact with the person who I bought him from, and we've been trying to get him to eat, he is more interested in food today so I think things are looking up.

And no, Tom, he's not in QT, my tank cracked.