Seahorse Feeding Qs

grumpygils

grumpygils

Active Member
My wife and daughter decided we could not live with out 2 seahorses. I have had then for ~2 weeks and got them to eat live brine and mainly frozen mysis via forceps. How much do they need to be fed? Seahorse.org does not accept aol accounts so I can't ask there. I have been feeding 2 to 3 times a day for 5 minutes each (about 2-4 mysis each time, each). I have to go on vacation in a few weeks and my tank watcher is only coming over every other day. I know they graze all day, but I do not have many (if any) copepods in my tank for them to eat. Can they go two days with no food? 3 days? Any help from experienced sea horse people would be most appreciated! I have time to maybe teach them some new tricks before vacation. By the way, seahorses are really, really cool!
Mc
 
celacanthr

celacanthr

Active Member
Why were you feeding live brine shrimp?
Anyways, yes they can skip a day (MAYBE 2) of feeding, but I would feed them more food befopre and after. IMO
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Yeah, I would agree. Feed them a lot before you leave and then feed them a lot when you come home. Three times a day is good for seahorses.
It might also be a good idea to buy some copepods for your tank before you go away so that you can dump them in. At least that way they will have stuff to pick at while you are gone. If you need the website to buy some copepods for a good deal, email me. Ry84@MSN.com is my email.
 
corally

corally

Active Member
Can you read the posts on seahorse...org without registering? If you can, go to seahorse keeping, page 2, and check out my post there (I'm corally there as well) about feeding while on vacation. If you can't do this let me know and I will post here what they said.
Hope this helps.
 
grumpygils

grumpygils

Active Member
Originally Posted by CELACANTHr
Why were you feeding live brine shrimp?
Anyways, yes they can skip a day (MAYBE 2) of feeding, but I would feed them more food befopre and after. IMO
I fed them brine because that is all the LFS had fed them in the 6 weeks they had them. They were rather used to it. LFS said that was all they would take. They made little to no effort on other foods, I bet? Celacanth, do you have sea horses? WHat do you feed them? I was wondering if mysis only is ok?
Mc
 
celacanthr

celacanthr

Active Member
nope, pipefish.
So I guess the seahorses were wc?
But, anywho, just mysis is much better than Brine shrimp nutritionally that is. But you may have to do a fasting day for them.
 
aredmon

aredmon

Member
I too was worried about feeding on vacation. I did alot of looking and here is what I can tell you to do.
1) They will be fine for 3 days with no food. I wouldn't over feed them before you leave for this might cause water quality problems. Just feed them as you are walking out the door. In other words feeding the seahorse should be the last thing you do the moment you leave the house.
2) Buy some live shrimp or pods to put in your tank. Turn off the power heads for a little while so they can latch on to the rocks faster and this will give your horses some food for a few days while you are gone. They will be fine either way you choose.
If you choose option 1 be sure to feed them as soon as you walk through the door when you get home!
 
grumpygils

grumpygils

Active Member
Originally Posted by aredmon
I too was worried about feeding on vacation. I did alot of looking and here is what I can tell you to do.
1) They will be fine for 3 days with no food. I wouldn't over feed them before you leave for this might cause water quality problems. Just feed them as you are walking out the door. In other words feeding the seahorse should be the last thing you do the moment you leave the house.
2) Buy some live shrimp or pods to put in your tank. Turn off the power heads for a little while so they can latch on to the rocks faster and this will give your horses some food for a few days while you are gone. They will be fine either way you choose.
If you choose option 1 be sure to feed them as soon as you walk through the door when you get home!

Ya, I think that is what I am stuck with. Where can I get copepods on line cheaply? I have seen a few things but either I am looking at it wong or they are about a buck a peice and then you have to breed them? That doesn't seem right? I have a new ref but it is not populated yet? ANy ideads?
Mc
 
aredmon

aredmon

Member
Pods are kind of expensive but I do know where you can get them. It is worth it for the horses as long as you don't take alot of vacations. Then the cost might get out of hand. You don't have to breed them if you just want to put them in the tank for food. You can take some LR rubble and make a pile out of it and pods breed in there realy good but I can't post web sights on here so e-mail me at jcm4@madisontelco.net
 
nflnutswif

nflnutswif

Member
My seahorses and pipefish eat both live and frozen foods. If you are leaving for a few days, You might try to get a few small ghost shrimp they will hide and the seahorses will feed on them sparatically keeping them at least fed while your gone!
 
grumpygils

grumpygils

Active Member
Originally Posted by aredmon
Pods are kind of expensive but I do know where you can get them. It is worth it for the horses as long as you don't take alot of vacations. Then the cost might get out of hand. You don't have to breed them if you just want to put them in the tank for food. You can take some LR rubble and make a pile out of it and pods breed in there realy good but I can't post web sights on here so e-mail me at jcm4@madisontelco.net

Aredmon, That looked like a work web page e-mail so I didn't send? Pls e-mail me at mcflylab@aol.com
 
darth tang

darth tang

Active Member
To mysis cubes a day. I thaw them and let them soak in selcon for 24 hours in the fridge. My horses are constantly searchin for food however.
 
grumpygils

grumpygils

Active Member
Originally Posted by lion_crazz
Pods are not expensive at all. Grumpygills, did you get my email for the pod site?
Thanks it is cheap! They just don't answer the phone. Since I am in NC I might get a shipping discount but have to speak with them to know.
Thxs,
Mc
 
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