Seahorse feeding stations and training

[I'm a natural blue]

Wow using the net for a feeding station is perfect! Such a simple solution. Direct it into the current.

It is. Simple. Multipurpose (catching if need be, as well as feeding).Yep it sure would have to be downstream!

 

[I'm a natural blue]

Seahorsesource is the best place I know!

I spoke to Dan on the phone today. What a nice man! I had placed an order and he called to confirm it. I ended up bending his ear for a good 30 or more minutes. I learned quite a bit in just that short call. Especially info on GBD and causes, treatments, first aid kits, he and his wifes facility. Sanitation of equiptment......and more. Anyway, he mentioned a few reputable breeders in the US. 2 other than Seahorse Souce and they were Ocean Rider and Alyssa's Seahorse Savvy.

 

[Tahoe61]

I have no Seahorse, but this is an awesome thread.

 

[gypsysea]

Nice set up! how big is it? I'm seeing quite a few new people popping up recently that have dwarfs.
No need for a feeding station with those little guys!!! I love the dwarfs...so adorable. Maybe one day I will try them. Not for a long time though! The idea of hatching brine daily is a lot of dedication!

Its a 16 gal nano set up I really like it. the brine we make daily to keep them in a good supply. I sift it to make sure they are getting clean brine I feed in the morning and late evening

 

[gypsysea]

Yesterday I did a partial water change and got the plastic plants blown off looks a lot better now

 

[I'm a natural blue]

I have no Seahorse, but this is an awesome thread.

It's been informative and exciting to see everyones setup! What do you have in your tank?

 

[I'm a natural blue]

Yesterday I did a partial water change and got the plastic plants blown off looks a lot better now

I'm doing maintanance today myself! Hubs made me a feeding station yesterday! As soon as the tank clears up I'll get some pics up! Clyde came to it today with some coaxing but didn't eat as much as usual. He is such a booger sometimes!

 

[Tahoe61]

It's been informative and exciting to see everyones setup! What do you have in your tank?

Just your typical reef tank, Clams, Maxi-mini Anemones corals LPS, Sps, Gorgonian, Clowns, Coral beauty and Damsel in a 45.
In the 28 soft corals with a pair of clowns, Lighting Maroon and White Strip Maroon.

Playing with idea of a Seahorse tank, two things are giving me pause. I do not want a chiller and the feeding requirements. This thread gives me hope that I may be able to get the feedings part down.

 

[Afleming]

I like to use these (see attached files)! The cone part usually floats so I put a marble in the bottom to hold it down in the ring. I use salt water to rinse the mysis and a turkey baster to slowly add the food to the cone. The key is to slowly put the mysis in so it doesn't shoot everywhere! Most of them get the hang of it

 

[Hans Solo]

I sometimes feed in a big spider conch shell. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CY1E3B0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yes.. I bought a shell off Amazon. It works alright but looks cool. (just a small bowl I filled halfway with epoxy so the shrimp don't go down the shell)

What is that plastic cone afleming?

 

[Afleming]

I sometimes feed in a big spider conch shell. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CY1E3B0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yes.. I bought a shell off Amazon. It works alright but looks cool. (just a small bowl I filled halfway with epoxy so the shrimp don't go down the shell)

What is that plastic cone afleming?

I believe it's called a 4-way cone worm feeder

 

[I'm a natural blue]

Just your typical reef tank.

Playing with idea of a Seahorse tank, two things are giving me pause. I do not want a chiller and the feeding requirements. This thread gives me hope that I may be able to get the feedings part down.

No reef tank is "typical" imo! Fair warning: SEAHORSES ARE ADDICTIVE. oK, now that we got that out of the way, I just aquired a used chiller from my lfs at a good price. One of their maintainence customers gave up the hobby. I have two fans on my tank now and they work at keeping the tank 73-74 but if the power goes out for a significant period of time and the air went down? It's a time bomb even with a generator. The generator will run our tanks but not the ac. Really is a necessity living in the south and AZ too, I'm sure. Feeding does take extra time but to see them swimming and watching their personalities makes it all worth it!

 

[I'm a natural blue]

I like to use these (see attached files)! The cone part usually floats so I put a marble in the bottom to hold it down in the ring. I use salt water to rinse the mysis and a turkey baster to slowly add the food to the cone. The key is to slowly put the mysis in so it doesn't shoot everywhere! Most of them get the hang of it

That is ingenious! I love how different some of these methods are. DIY at its finest! Posting my new one shortly!

 

[I'm a natural blue]

I sometimes feed in a big spider conch shell.

I have used a clam shell! I love that natural look too, but I didn't want my hands in the tank so often.

 

[Bonfish]

I had hippocampus Reidi for years and I used ocean rider for research. I placed a 24" extension on my turkey baster. Worked really well. I enriched the mysis with vibrance 2 and shot the mysis into a ball of chaeto. My sea horses would use a perch and my dragonet would feast off of the chaeto as well. I purchased a clear acrylic feeder, long tube with a tray but never liked how it looked. Good luck great thread.

 

[I'm a natural blue]

I had hippocampus Reidi for years and I used ocean rider for research. I placed a 24" extension on my turkey baster. Worked really well. I enriched the mysis with vibrance 2 and shot the mysis into a ball of chaeto. My sea horses would use a perch and my dragonet would feast off of the chaeto as well. I purchased a clear acrylic feeder, long tube with a tray but never liked how it looked. Good luck great thread.

You are the second person I've heard using macro..thats an intersesting method! Your arcylic one sounds like my new one. Thank you! So......Bonefish., are you considering getting back in? Perusing seahorses threads ?

 

[Lucie]

Brilliant, Lucie!!! Have any ever gotten tangled up though? That is a concern that crossed my mind.

no, it s very fine mesh

 

[Lucie]

Is it possible to train Dwarf seahorses to eat frozen Mysis?

Dwarfs won t take frozen mysis. It s way too big. They will feast on newly hatched live mysis (i keep adults in one of my dwarf tank for that purpose + cleaning)
Your fry will be eaten as soon as born by tankmates. Housing dwarfs with the fishs you mentionned is a very bad idea.
H.zosterae is VERY prolific. I started with 6 on may 25th , add 3 more 2 weeks later and now i have more than a hundred....
An extra care must be taken with dwarfs and set up. No live rocks (start with dry rocks!) and clean macro (previous fenbendazole bath), decapsuled bbs... to avoid hydroids that can be deadly to them. There are many different types of hydroids, they are harmless and common in reef tanks but with dwarfs it s a disaster.
Bbs alone are not enough, especially for juveniles and adults. They should be gutloaded after a few days. Copepods is a good food also.

 

[Bonfish]

Not at this point, I sure did love it when I had these amazing creatures. I breed two pairs for about 2 years and had live cultures of rotifers, tiger pods, and brine shrimp at all times. I was going through one large bottle of phytofeast per week. It was a great learning experience that I would happy to share, but for right now I will be living vicariously through you - I am a natural blue!

 

[I'm a natural blue]

Not at this point, I sure did love it when I had these amazing creatures. I breed two pairs for about 2 years and had live cultures of rotifers, tiger pods, and brine shrimp at all times. I was going through one large bottle of phytofeast per week. It was a great learning experience that I would happy to share, but for right now I will be living vicariously through you - I am a natural blue!

They really are amazing! Should I venture into g
breeding/harvesting live I'll be sure to reach out. I am considering it at some point. Thank you for offering to share your knowledge! Live on, Bonefish, live on!