Re-training a CB seahorse to frozen

[TamiW]

I have a CB reidi who is probably a year and half old, maybe a tad older. I had her for about a year and a half now, and the past 4 months I had been battling weak snick. After a prolonged hyposalinity treatment, two courses of antibotics, a near miss with what appeared to be internal vibrio (bloating) and weeks of force feeding, she seems to be able to eat normally.

HOWEVER, she won't eat frozen anymore. Live mysis she's fine with. Live brine shrimp, great. But frozen she wants nothing to do with. I've tried offering frozen mysis at the same time as live, and she just stares at it. She'll even eat freshly dead mysis if I scoop them off the bottom of the mysis tank - but not frozen.

I'm currently using hikari mysis, which is what I primarily fed before. Her and her deceased mate (same problem, but I couldn't save him) were vigorous about eating frozen before developing the problem. I just can't figure out how to get her eating it again. And at this point I'm afraid to try to "starve" her into eating, as she's still quite thin.

 

[luvabunny]

I wouldn't try forcing the frozen issue until she is stronger, eating better and much fatter. After all she's been thru, you're very lucky she's accepting anything at all.

I would give her a month or two eating all the live she will take. Mixing a little frozen in with it won't hurt. Maybe she will wean herself back over to it. Then, after she's stronger, if she still won't eat the frozen, you can try to "starve" her back to it.

Altho it's much more expensive, and a big hassle, IMHO live mysis and ghosts are better for the horses. It's actually their "real" food, and if you're worried about the nutritional value, gut load it before you feed your horses. Then your horses is getting the value of frozen without having to actually eat it.

 

[Wink]

You might try frozen adult brine as a step back towards mysis.