Seahorse feeding

[krystalstarr]

Hello. I have 2 adult eructus seahorses. Captive bred in 32 gallon

I am feeding frozen mysis shrimp which they have been raised on.
They are eating but they are such slow eaters I don’t think they are getting nearly enough before food falls into sand.
I have a few questions

1. Wondering if I should attempt to bring In Cocopods or amphipods?

2. I was told cocopodes are too small for them?

3 is it even worth trying since they are already in the tank will the cocopodes/amphipods have a chance to populate tank?

4. Is there anything else I can try that will populate tank for them to eat ?

 

[krystalstarr]

Hello. I have 2 adult eructus seahorses. Captive bred in 32 gallon

I am feeding frozen mysis shrimp which they have been raised on.
They are eating but they are such slow eaters I don’t think they are getting nearly enough before food falls into sand.
I have a few questions

1. Wondering if I should attempt to bring In Cocopods or amphipods?

2. I was told cocopodes are too small for them?

3 is it even worth trying since they are already in the tank will the cocopodes/amphipods have a chance to populate tank?

4. Is there anything else I can try that will populate tank for them to eat ?

Another question. Is it normal for them to be THIS slow? They won’t even leave their hitching post to grab a piece of food? They stay hitched all day

 

[AydenLincoln]

Seahorses are naturally extremely slow eaters and poor swimmers so it’s normal and one of the reasons they do best in a species only tank with low flow. Pods can’t hurt and you could also try live mysis or brine so they have something to hunt if they want to.

 

[RSNJReef]

How long have you had your seahorses? Even if they are captive bred, seahorses are one of the “smarter” species in the fish world so they will have their own personality if you spend time with them. If they are new then they are probably getting used to their environment, and, over time when they settle in, they will become more active as long as they stay healthy.

If you are new to seahorses, a few points:

seahorses will typically take 10-20 minutes to consume their meal. They are slow, deliberate eaters, more so than mandarin dragonets.

they are also more stubborn than fish, so it takes a lot of time and patience to get them to convert to any new food.

a healthy seahorse will always have their sides either flat or bowing out with a full belly. No need to stress if their sides are a little sunken in, but it’s time to increase the feeding frequency or allowance on feeding duration.

seahorses are smart and natural hunters, but they are stubborn. They will make you think they are starving and can’t eat anything that’s not in the water column, but if they get hungry enough, they’ll eventually go after it when you’re not watching, and the smarter ones know when they are being watched.

a healthy. Previously well fed seahorse can go for 7 days without food before more immediate actions need to be taken.

the older train of thought was that seahorses hate flow, but they actually enjoy a bit of flow when they get used to it. Ideal flow in a tank is enough to keep the food off the ground but still weak enough that the seahorse can swim against it. And, even if it’s slightly strong for them, they will build the swimming strength to manage against the flow.

Good luck with the new ponies. Keep the group posted on how they do!!!

 

[krystalstarr]

How long have you had your seahorses? Even if they are captive bred, seahorses are one of the “smarter” species in the fish world so they will have their own personality if you spend time with them. If they are new then they are probably getting used to their environment, and, over time when they settle in, they will become more active as long as they stay healthy.

If you are new to seahorses, a few points:

seahorses will typically take 10-20 minutes to consume their meal. They are slow, deliberate eaters, more so than mandarin dragonets.

they are also more stubborn than fish, so it takes a lot of time and patience to get them to convert to any new food.

a healthy seahorse will always have their sides either flat or bowing out with a full belly. No need to stress if their sides are a little sunken in, but it’s time to increase the feeding frequency or allowance on feeding duration.

seahorses are smart and natural hunters, but they are stubborn. They will make you think they are starving and can’t eat anything that’s not in the water column, but if they get hungry enough, they’ll eventually go after it when you’re not watching, and the smarter ones know when they are being watched.

a healthy. Previously well fed seahorse can go for 7 days without food before more immediate actions need to be taken.

the older train of thought was that seahorses hate flow, but they actually enjoy a bit of flow when they get used to it. Ideal flow in a tank is enough to keep the food off the ground but still weak enough that the seahorse can swim against it. And, even if it’s slightly strong for them, they will build the swimming strength to manage against the flow.

Good luck with the new ponies. Keep the group posted on how they do!!!

Thanks for your reply! Yes they are very new my husband gave them to me as an Easter present so just a few weeks. They are exactly like you described very smart and very stubborn. Eating, but VERY slowly and analyzing each shrimp before choosing to eat or not. Takes patience I guess. The seem to be slowly getting used to me but so much slower then my regular fish. Just can’t figure out how they want me to feed them! Thanks again for this info very helpful!