SH eating schedule

[wakeboardgeek]

How often is it recommended to feed SH? We are doing our research before setting up a SH tank and are worried about feeding when we go on vacation. If we were to have someone come and dose and feed our reef tank daily, is once a day going to be OK to feed a SH? is once a day recommended? Can they skip a day once in a while? Thank you for your input.

 

[Octoshark]

Most people feed twice per day. I would assume on occasion it would be ok to feed them once per day if you guys are away and someone else is babysitting.

I know some people feed once per day but they also have amphipod populations in the tank as a natural food source (although seahorses would quickly deplete the population).

 

[TamiW]

Most people feed twice per day. I would assume on occasion it would be ok to feed them once per day if you guys are away and someone else is babysitting.

I know some people feed once per day but they also have amphipod populations in the tank as a natural food source (although seahorses would quickly deplete the population).

I agree, for a short while they'd likely be fine. During the busiest part of work last year, I was feeding once a day (not on purpose) for about two weeks and missed a day here and there. No one was any worse for it. Normally I try to feed 3 times a day, but manage two - morning, after work, right before bed. If I miss one time they're at least getting fed twice a day.

 

[rayjay]

Like Tami, I prefer 3 times a day but sometimes it's not possible and there are no lasting effects.
Very rarely, but it can happen, that they go a day without any food, but again, if spread out enough it's not a problem either.

 

[pledosophy]

I've always fed once a day. Have kept seahorses for 5+ year spans feeding once a day.

I don't think missing a day once and awhile is a big deal, many people prefer to have a fasting day. Personally I don't really like fasting days myself (one look at my belt will tell you that), so I feed everyday if possible.

JME

 

[namxas]

once a day, lots of macro for hunting pods for between meal snax...SH are nice and fat.

 

[sphelps]

Once a day for me as well and I also miss at least one day a week. When I'm out of town on holidays they only get feed every 2 days and if I'm gone for a long weekend they're on their own until I get back.

 

[namxas]

Once a day for me as well and I also miss at least one day a week. When I'm out of town on holidays they only get feed every 2 days and if I'm gone for a long weekend they're on their own until I get back.

i'd just like to note for those who have read the 'flow" thread that this setup is a mature 100 gal, and as such, no doubt has a decent pod population to sustain the SH.

i wouldn't try this feeding schedule with a small setup, which many SH keepers have.

 

[sphelps]

Yes I probably should have noted they do have the ability to feed on pods between feedings. I little more background; the tank is 100 gallons, close to a year old, and also houses a pipefish and mandarin. No doubt has a good pod population and I do have some calurpa growing in the display (all though I wish I did not). The previous setup was a 50 gallon.

The most important thing however, which I really should have noted, is these aren't average seahorses. They are Australian captive bred Hippocampus barbouri species and I think their aggressive feeding style makes them less dependent on multiple feedings.

 

[pledosophy]

IME with barbouri they have all been very lazy feeders. Like the food is floating by, they have to move an inch, so they just won't eat.

All horses are different ya know.

 

[namxas]

IME with barbouri they have all been very lazy feeders. Like the food is floating by, they have to move an inch, so they just won't eat.

All horses are different ya know.

i find my barbs the same way, but the reidi and erectus are a different story...

 

[sphelps]

They haven't been lazy in my experience and all the others from the same place/order are the same way. I think it has to do with how they are raised more than anything. I've had reidi before as well and found them to be very similar in feeding style, again from the same breeders in Australia.

 

[mattkd5]

once a day also and my horses are very healthy

 

[timinnl]

Twice a day for the reidi & comes tanks. One meal of live & one meal of frozen mysis. Weekly top off of gammarus. H. zosterae twice daily. Every forth day a top off of tonsa, tisbe & monia. Live mysis every two weeks or so. Depending on their population.

 

[Brian77]

I feed twice a day as well. When I'm away more then a couple of days I arrange to have someone come by to feed.

I use one of those weekly pill cases that you can get at your local drugstore and fill each day with the correct amount of food. I leave the pill case in the freezer and the person coming over to feed the seahorses makes a nice fresh batch of food for every feeding. It helps to have great neighbors.