Any seahorse experts out there?

[badasstang]

I bought a pair of seahorses from another member, which were originally from Ocean Rider. They seemed to be healthy, and still do...but I have not witnessed them eat yet. She was feeding them Mysis shrimp, but they are not even budging from their posts when I feed them. I was thinking they may be eating it from the bottom when I am not around, but there is still some down there, so I don't think this is the case. Also, is it normal for them to be hanging around, and it looks like they are falling over...or should the be upright at all times? They seem to swim good when they are doing so, but usually just hanging onto something. Is there any tricks to getting them to eat?
I have researched seahorses for over a year now, just waiting to get the money to buy from ocean rider, so I thought I have known all I needed to, but obviously there are things that come up when you actually have them.

 

[loopy]

I am not an expert.....lol, not even close, but I have been reading a lot about sea horses as I love them. They, according to what I read, should be upright....how long have to had them? Transfer shock maybe? I am going to try and find my sea horse book and see what it says. Wishing you much luck, you are living my dream, and I probably won't get to...so Can I experience this through you???? lol!!!!! Would really love to see pics!!!

 

[veganman]

I am not an expert.
With that said, it sounds like your seahorses are doing what seahorses do. They are hunters and love "staking out" pods or what mysis are on the bottom.
They are acrobatic and hang every which way upside down, sideways, etc. I think mine are upright 20% of the time.
As far as swimming, they aren't really active, as say a clownfish is. I think it depends on the fish. I have several Reidi and some are swimmers and some prefer to hang out. When I had Kuda, it seemed like they would never stop swimming.
How long has it been since they have eaten? If they are appearing thin or concave in their abdomens, it's time to take action. Offer live food if available (mysis or adult brine), enriched first. Once they reach a certain point of anorexia, there's no going back.
IME seahorses prefer live over frozen every time.
Is there a pod population in your tank? (I received a seahorse last week that wouldn't eat mysis for 3 days, but was eating every single pod in sight. It decimated my quarantine tank population, but it did save her life until she was comfortable enough to start eating the frozen again.)
The best trick I know of for getting them to eat is keeping the mysis in the water column as long as possible. It gets their attention and fools them into thinking the mysis are alive.
Once you do get them back on frozen, I recommend a feeding station. By training them to expect food in 1 specific area, as soon as they see activity they come galloping over.
HTH

 

[loopy]

"they come galloping over'' too cute!!!!!!!!
Keep us updated and good luck!!!!!!!

 

[badasstang]

Thanks for everyones input, I got them on Saturday, have not witnessed them eating yet. I was reading on the feeding station, and today got myself a "dipping bowl" which is pretty shallow. I wedged it between a couple rocks, and put some caulerpa around it, and as this article said need to physically put them on that around the bowl as I put the mysis in with a turkey baster.
The only live shrimp that the LFS within 40 miles has is ghost shrimp (fw, but will supposingly stay alive for a day). They are not looking concave, but do seem to be slightly less fat as when I got them. I was hoping it was transfer shock, but OceanRIder and the person I got them from said they should eat within 24 hours. I am just hoping by me trying to get them to eat it isn't stressing them out more. Anyways, tonight I am going to start the training for the feeding station, I will keep you guys posted, and if anyone else has any tricks or tips feel free to enlighten me.
And Loopy...may not want to experience it with me, until I get it right...then I am game!

 

[badasstang]

I feel like Michael Jackson at an elementary school recess...I didn't have any luck with the feeding station, as expected for the first trial. So I used a turkey baster to put it in front of the noses of the SHs. The smaller of the two ate one, which I thought was way too big for it, but it just took a couple snorts to get it down. Then I focused on the larger one that I suspect is male, and he is stubborn as all get out. He would always looks away when I did it. Then I turned the filter back on a couple minutes later, and it stirred some more food around he become more active. He went behind a rock and I saw him take a few sudden jolts with his head, but I could only see his head, nothing else. He then moved and a large mysis went right by him and he snorted, but missed it, and it went down and he tried to get it again, but once again I couldn't see his snout. So the one is eating, will just keep using the baster method for the time being, the other will still take some work.
As for the pod questions, I am not sure if there are any, and not sure if they are eating them. I know they stay low on the caulerpa and many times have their snouts towards the coral, but I don't know what a pod looks like, so not sure if I even have any. Of course this tank has been set up for about 18 months, but I have taken the crushed coral out at one point, because I was going to put live sand in it, but went against that, so I may have disrupted some.

 

[sparkles2]

Since you've only had them for about two weeks they might still need time to adjust to new surroundings. All of mine took a few days to be comfortable enough to eat. If you think they are eating but aren't sure try giving them a generous amout of live brine shrimp.

 

[badasstang]

The larger of the two is a PIG, the smaller I have only seen eat the once...but still looks like it is full when I watch him/she.

 

[zyrus]

Wow sorry to hear you’re having issues with your horses.
2 weeks is a long time for any creature to refuse food.
I myself have sea horses too. (Expert-no ) but knowledge- Yes. One factor you need to look at is the water conditions and
the water flow. If the horse doesn’t see the bait moving it will not go for it. Also it helps if it’s close to them.
(For my horse at first was a little lazy didn’t want to move for it.)
Now he's the king of the tank moving about and showing off, he even knows when it’s feeding time and comes to the glass .
He loves frozen mysis shrimp, but I hold on to the cube and shake it a part, as the little bits float in the waves he devours them. Also I turned off the fluval and leave the power head on so the mysis wouldn’t get swept around too quickly since they are slow eaters.
(BUT DONT FORGET AFTER FEEDING TO TURN IT BACK ON!)
I do this at ever feeding. He also loves vitamin-enriched adult brine live. (He gets that every other day.) I also think that you stated that they were pre-owned if so the last owner could had different methods of feeding them and the horses may only feed in the old fashion. But if they were tank breed they should feed off of the 2 methods that I use(shake frozen and live). But be warned: Seahorses have very small digestion systems and quick, A large adult seahorse can eat up to 20-30 adult brine shrimp a day. So I hope this will help you and your pair cause Seahorses can be strong creatures but only as strong as there food and water sources.

Good luck. Keep us posted

 

[loopy]

WOW, great bunch of info here!!! I'm getting educated! You people that say your not pro's.........ha....don't be so humble....you gave more info in your posts than I have found in a huge number of articles and books. I am IMPRESSED!!! Looking very forward to the day I get sea horses...
I am anxious to hear how those horses are doing btw!!! Update!!! Please!!!

 

[adam&eve]

i have had 2 of my horses for 2 years, i feed them small ghost shrimp and they live in a tank with live sand. i had a younger one once that would only eat live brine.today i got 2 more horses and they pigged out on live ghost shrimp and brine also tomorrow i will probably offer some frozen mysis. i'm going to be a grandma soon cause the one horse i bought today is going to have babies any day...i need help with that!!!!?????

 

[syres1]

yeah yeah yeah rub it in eve, can't wait to see the baby's. I just recently started with 2 seahorses. Mine love ghost shrimp. but only live small or medium ones. The won't go after big ones. They also don't like brine shrimp. I guess theyre to fast for them. I don't know. Try a small ghost shrimp and hold it with 2 fingers, don't kill it, the shrimp should still move his legs and hold it right in front of the horses face for a while. If the horse is staring the shrimp down it will, most likely get it. But beware, they go after the shrimp really fast. that might scare you and you'll mess up your tank, like i did the first time. lol
oh yeah eve, I'm expecting one of your baby's, I'll come and pick one up from you. hehehehehehe they're so cute

 

[jeff33436]

I have had seahorses off and on over the years. Feeding is always the # 1 problem Whether wild caught or captive raised, feeding always seems to an issue and it takes a lot of time, patience, and sometimes $$ to figure it out.
For more useful info on seahorses try www.seahorse.org
Good luck. Horses are one of the most beautiful and interesting fishes!

 

[adam&eve]

yes,my horses only are given the little ghost shrimp. I give the big ones to spot my marine betta and watch my eels try to find them first before spot eats them..I buy about 10-15 doz a week. No babys yet : ( the owner at the fish store (friend) said that he was going to have babys any day.........NOT......but thats ok i really wasn't ready yet. i have needed to get more info on breeding them due to it will be my first time. i had a catastrophy this weekend. i bought live rotifers and moved some into a new 10 gal tank with 3 gal of freshly made saltwater and hooked up a clamp light......i came home and the new 10 gal tank and the rotifers were on the floor???? the light was broken and the tank and i lost all that i moved in there. don't know how it happened..I think the tank was cheap but still don't know how it moved from counter to floor????i am a member of seahorse.org jeff and yes i got great info on breeding in there library. where are you from in florida and do you still have seahorses?; have you ever had a sucessfull mating and raiseing experience??

 

[walleye]

i have had sea horses for 2 years now. mine are wild and they only eat live ghost shrimp. i buy 500 every 2 weeks. mine when they see the net go into the water they come up and grab the net and go inside and eat. they have not breed yet but one is real big. so iam wacthing it.

 

[houndhome1]

Can I put seahorses in an established tank that has Damsels, Hippo and Naso Tang and invertebrates? Anyone have a good source for seahorses?

 

[walleye]

you can only have seshorses and pipe fish together. because they are slow eaters. the rest of those fish would starve your seahorses or stress them out til it killed them. it is best to have them in a small tank so they can cacth there food easy.

 

[adam&eve]

houndhome:seahorses like quite and peacefull surroundings.no agressive fish should be kept with them, yes they shouldn't have to fight for their food but also a fish like a damsel could possiblly harm them. i have put a manderin goby in with mine and they seem to be just fine probably been living together for over a year now (seahorses were there first) i also just till recently had a maroon clown in with them (but he stayed up on the top of 1 corner) i added 2 more seahorses to the group and so i moved bozo to another tank because i feed him different food and didn't want to pollute the seahorses tank with unwanted food..still have hippie the manderin in there though.if you are going to add fish with the seahorses i think it would have to be a slow moveing shy kind.