Seahorse spitting food now.

dingus890

dingus890

Member
My seahorse was eating fine today.Now she is starting to take in food and spit it out.I know this is a bad sign for any fish but I don't know what I should do.

She takes some food and keeps it down but know she is spitting out the Live but now dead copepods.
Is it just me but why is it the 4th day the seahorses start having trouble?
 
dingus890

dingus890

Member
It was too old Rykna.It was out since 7 am for the first feeding.She was spitting it out when I was feeding it at 11 or 12 in the afternoon.I didn't realize that it was 4 hours old when I put it in the tank.So I dumped out that food and thawed some more.She is not spitting the food out anymore.
I was thinking that since they don't have stomach's,maybe she was getting to much food at once and it "backed up" on her.After she went to the bathroom she was not spitting food out anymore.

She seems to be doing well.
Man it's like having a newborn with the worry over little things..lol
 
rykna

rykna

Active Member
Glad to hear all is well. Can't wait to see your new horse! What are you water levels? Just thought you might want to do a 5-10% water change just to make sure that the left overs don't muck things up
 
poniegirl

poniegirl

Active Member
Happy to hear things are OK.
Dingus, since you are able to feed so often, you may want to literally count the shrimp that you offer your seahorse. In the wild they won't often have the opportunity to snick down alot at one feeding. Maybe try starting with 3 at a feeding and go from there. If you are positive she gets pod supplements as well.
My fish, seahorses included have spit food back from time to time. I wonder sometimes if the frozen foods don't have a peice or two that are just "shell" or some other that the fish just doesn't want...like getting eggshell in your omelette?
They will also do this to discard any foreign matter they snick with their food; substrate or other yuckies.
 
dingus890

dingus890

Member
In the wild, juvi horses can consume up to 3,000 food items a day.
But I think she starts spitting due to being full.So I am ajusting feeding accordingly
I am not feeding shrimp they are tiny frozen cyclops.They are about the size of copepods.Maybe a little bigger.But I also am not just feeding her the other fish get Cyclops too.But she gets about 11 I would say each feeding or more with live pods in the tank .And I feed 3 times a day.
I did a 10% water change yesterday.
I don't think too many left overs are in the tank as the rest of my fish and shrimp take care of that.And my 2 large Nassarius snails also really help alot with clean up.
My levels are:
Ammonia 0,Nitrites 0 Nitrates 5-10ppm.Ph 8.3 Salt level 1.023
Temperature is stable at 76.8
I do 10 to 15% water changes every week on this tank.
She is doing very well today.Perched on the live rock looking in nook and crannys for live food.
Thanks for all your helpful replies!
 
dingus890

dingus890

Member
I am looking foward to it too.I can't wait to see them interact!

The store also said they may order some TR yellow horses.
I may try one of those but am not sure yet.
 
poniegirl

poniegirl

Active Member
Oooh, sorry, I assumed you were feeding mysis. Diiferent ballgame.
I have some frozen BBS and if cyclopeze (?) is similar, I see that counting wouldn't be only silly but impossible.

The leftovers are a great reason to have good tankmates!
 
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