SeaHorse Feeding Stations

[nanafish]

I just got a pair of sea horses H. Erecti. I am reading alot about 'feeding stations'. What exactly are these? How would I construct Them if needed? Would I be using something like a small covered/hooded bird feeder? I am kind of lost with feeding stations. I need help.....

 

[buffalobunch]

I use an upside down clam shell. At feeding time they all congregate around the clam shell.

 

[JennyL]

A feeding station can be anything from a glass bowl to a pretty shell. I have always preferred a pretty shell for a more natural look in the tanks.

A feeding station is really a good idea and the horses learn very quickly where the food is.

To place the food into the feeding station, just get a regid piece of clear tubing that is long enough to go down into the dish and after rinsing the mysis, just pour it into the tubing and it will slide directly into the feeding dish. Very simple.

 

[pledosophy]

I use a mussel shell my wife and I found on my birthday trip. I did bleach it of course.

I glued it with super glue gel to a Mag float and suspend it off the back of the tank.

I use a turkey baster to put the food in the shell myself.

The seahorse just knows where the food is and recognizes the turkey baster and swims over.

I like to train to the feeding dish in QT and IMO transferring the same dish over helps with keeping them on food after the move to the display.

IME it really makes my life and the seahorses life easier.

My fish are slow eaters so I give it an hour or so before I suck out the uneaten food.

I need all the nitrate I can get in my planted tank so I don't rinse the food first as I like the algae and want it to grow.

JME
HTH

 

[nanafish]

so to get the correct mental picture here- I will be adhering a concave abject to the tank wall and then putting the sea horse food into the 'bubble' part of the object??? I tried feeding them last night with a syringe and boy were they mad. They snorted away what I gave them!

 

[JennyL]

Nanafish,
If you are feeding your horses Mysis try just dropping the shrimp into the tank and allow them to go after it.

The feeding dish doesn't have to be complicated. It's up to you whether you want to attach it to something. It works very well to simply set the dish/shell or whatever you use on the floor of the tank or on a rock and simply place the mysis inside it.

 

[edshern]

doesn't the water flow (however slow it is) disperse the mysids out of the shells? I have found I need a high walled plastic dish.

 

[pledosophy]

I was kinda surprised that the food stayed in my honestly. The flow in my seahorse tank is a stupid amount (47x an hour) but the food chills there. The blenny is really good at knocking it out with her tail, but otherwise it sits there until it is eaten or taken out.

If the flow is blowing it out of the shell you can redirect the flow or move the shell. Sometimes turning off a powerhead for feeding time might be the best choice.

HTH
Here's a pic of mine. It's just glued on to a Mag float. You can see one of the rocks on the left came off but I never fixed it. I like to keep it up on the back wall so bristleworms can't get to it to climb in.