dmcmares24
New member
Can I get some opinions on skipping a day once a week in the feeding of the H.Erectus sea horse. Thanks
Sea Horse Feeding-Skipping a Day
- Thread starter dmcmares24
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dmcmares24
New member
Just something that I read on the internet. This is part of the article:
So take a moment to enjoy the show when feeding your seahorses. Make sure they're all eating well, and use this opportunity to look them over closely for wounds, injuries, or signs of disease. Seahorses are natural-born gluttons. Ordinarily, these galloping gourmets are ALWAYS hungry, so when a seahorse is off its feed, that's often an excellent early indicator that something's wrong (Giwojna 1990). Early detection of a potential problem can be the key to curing it, so it's a good idea for the alert aquarist to observe his prize ponies while they put on the ol' feed bag. Make sure they all show up for mess call, are acting normally, and have a well-rounded abdomen when they're done eating.
Once your Seahorses are eating frozen Mysis from their feeding station, your only real dietary concern will be the mandatory fast day. Enriched Mysis relicta is such a nutritious, fat-rich diet (Piscine Energetics. 2003), it's very important to observe a once-a-week fast day, during which your Seahorses are not fed at all. Fasting helps prevent any potential problems with hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) and keeps your Seahorses feeding aggressively rather than losing interest in frozen foods. The problem is that although fasting is very healthy for Seahorses on a staple diet of enriched Mysis, it can be very hard on the hobbyist. Here's how I described this dilemma in a recent aquarium magazine article (Giwojna, Jun. 2002):
"The only thing I don't like about this extremely nutritious diet is the obligatory fast day. The problem with fasting is that my Mustangs don't seem to realize it's good for them -- that it's absolutely in their own best interests, essential for their long-term health. Whenever I make an appearance on fast day, they insist on parading back and forth in front of the glass in their greeting colors, begging for a handout. Before my butt hits the upholstery, both of them will be dancing at the feeding station, impatiently awaiting their gourmet shrimp dinner. When it doesn't materialize, they forlornly abandon their post at the lunch counter, and come up to stare at me through the front glass. When I still don't take the hint, the female paces back and forth at the front, looking her brightest and most conspicuous, as though trying to attract my attention, while the male reverts to his drab everyday attire and dejectedly resumes his futile vigil at the feeding station. If not for their well-rounded cross-sections, one would think they were dying of hunger, making it difficult to resist their puppy-dog antics. Just sitting there ignoring them makes me feel like a first-class heel. Sheesh -- talk about your guilt trips"¦Dang! I hate fast days."
Happy trails!
References
Gilchrist, Ann. Watch Mookie eat frozen Mysis from a baster! 2002 (accessed 12 Dec. 2003). http://www.syngnathid.org/media/mookie.mov
So take a moment to enjoy the show when feeding your seahorses. Make sure they're all eating well, and use this opportunity to look them over closely for wounds, injuries, or signs of disease. Seahorses are natural-born gluttons. Ordinarily, these galloping gourmets are ALWAYS hungry, so when a seahorse is off its feed, that's often an excellent early indicator that something's wrong (Giwojna 1990). Early detection of a potential problem can be the key to curing it, so it's a good idea for the alert aquarist to observe his prize ponies while they put on the ol' feed bag. Make sure they all show up for mess call, are acting normally, and have a well-rounded abdomen when they're done eating.
Once your Seahorses are eating frozen Mysis from their feeding station, your only real dietary concern will be the mandatory fast day. Enriched Mysis relicta is such a nutritious, fat-rich diet (Piscine Energetics. 2003), it's very important to observe a once-a-week fast day, during which your Seahorses are not fed at all. Fasting helps prevent any potential problems with hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) and keeps your Seahorses feeding aggressively rather than losing interest in frozen foods. The problem is that although fasting is very healthy for Seahorses on a staple diet of enriched Mysis, it can be very hard on the hobbyist. Here's how I described this dilemma in a recent aquarium magazine article (Giwojna, Jun. 2002):
"The only thing I don't like about this extremely nutritious diet is the obligatory fast day. The problem with fasting is that my Mustangs don't seem to realize it's good for them -- that it's absolutely in their own best interests, essential for their long-term health. Whenever I make an appearance on fast day, they insist on parading back and forth in front of the glass in their greeting colors, begging for a handout. Before my butt hits the upholstery, both of them will be dancing at the feeding station, impatiently awaiting their gourmet shrimp dinner. When it doesn't materialize, they forlornly abandon their post at the lunch counter, and come up to stare at me through the front glass. When I still don't take the hint, the female paces back and forth at the front, looking her brightest and most conspicuous, as though trying to attract my attention, while the male reverts to his drab everyday attire and dejectedly resumes his futile vigil at the feeding station. If not for their well-rounded cross-sections, one would think they were dying of hunger, making it difficult to resist their puppy-dog antics. Just sitting there ignoring them makes me feel like a first-class heel. Sheesh -- talk about your guilt trips"¦Dang! I hate fast days."
Happy trails!
References
Gilchrist, Ann. Watch Mookie eat frozen Mysis from a baster! 2002 (accessed 12 Dec. 2003). http://www.syngnathid.org/media/mookie.mov
DanU
New member
Pete is a great guy, one of whom I have great respect for. He is very knowledgeable and I normally agree with him. This is one item I don't agree with. I don't see where one day of fasting fixes an improper diet. To me it is like having a diabetic skip meals on one day to fix the diabetes or someone with high cholesterol fasts one day a week. In both cases, a correction in diet is necessary.
In 12 years, I have yet to see any issues with fatty liver disease. The oldest seahorses I have had lived beyond 10 years. These were brought into captivity as adults and lived over 10 ten years. We feed our seahorses everyday. Because we are breeders and looking to grow them fast, we feed up to 7 times a day.
Mysis relicta is a freshwater mysid. It is sold by a couple of different companies. A very good product. Still, it is not a sole product I would feed my seahorses. If you look in the predator forums you will find discussions of feeding freshwater organisms exclusively to marine fish leading to fatty liver disease. I have also had researchers who breed other species of fish warm me of feeding this exclusively because of fatty liver disease. I am also not a fan of putting enrichments on frozen foods as most of it washes off in the water column. Also most enrichments are designed to be gut loaded in the prey.
Dan
In 12 years, I have yet to see any issues with fatty liver disease. The oldest seahorses I have had lived beyond 10 years. These were brought into captivity as adults and lived over 10 ten years. We feed our seahorses everyday. Because we are breeders and looking to grow them fast, we feed up to 7 times a day.
Mysis relicta is a freshwater mysid. It is sold by a couple of different companies. A very good product. Still, it is not a sole product I would feed my seahorses. If you look in the predator forums you will find discussions of feeding freshwater organisms exclusively to marine fish leading to fatty liver disease. I have also had researchers who breed other species of fish warm me of feeding this exclusively because of fatty liver disease. I am also not a fan of putting enrichments on frozen foods as most of it washes off in the water column. Also most enrichments are designed to be gut loaded in the prey.
Dan
vlangel
Premium Member
Hi Dan,
I had also read Pete's inforation when I was setting up to get seahorses. However a conversation with you and reading other keepers posts I decided against trying to enrich frozen mysis. I am now enriching live brine shrimp but am unsure of how many feedings of enriched live food to give. Right now I give about 4 feedings a week of their 14 feedings...is that enough? Also can Dan's feed be used to enrich feeder shrimp as well?
DanU
New member
No one truly knows how many live feedings are optimal. Part of it is because this can be highly variable in what live foods and how the live foods are fed and enriched. I usually encourage some live feedings. For some this is occasional, while other such as you are describe incorporate into a regular regime. 4 live feedings a week is much more than the average seahorse keeper.
I wouldn't use Dans' feed to enrich the feeder shrimp directly. The particles are too small. You can however, feed them the enriched artemia and enriched them indirectly. This is commonly done.
Dan
I wouldn't use Dans' feed to enrich the feeder shrimp directly. The particles are too small. You can however, feed them the enriched artemia and enriched them indirectly. This is commonly done.
Dan
vlangel
Premium Member
Thank you, that is helpful. I think I will continue with the 4 feedings a week. Can feeder shrimp be fed any other foods besides live enriched artemia, like cyclopese or frozen rotifer? The reason I ask is because live feeder shrimp is part of my vacation strategy. My fish sitter will feed my seahorses once a day, frozen mysis at first and when they are done I will have them throw in live feeder shrimp for the seahorses to hunt at their leisure. That way I just need a fish sitter to come once a day. I don't want to make feeding the feeder shrimp too complicated though but I want the feeder shrimp to have some nutritional value. I realize some of that will be lost as the shrimp won't be eaten right away. Is there a better but still easy way to address this?
vlangel
Premium Member
Thank you!
