Better seahorse

Splendid · 09-23-2006, 12:01 AM

We have 2 seahorses. We got them yesterday and the don't seem to be eating? Why not!!??

(They're in their own cycled nano tank.)

aquaman3680 · 09-23-2006, 12:50 AM

What are you trying to feed them? Also are they wild caught or captive bred? Wild caughts have very little chance of survival.

Just my 2 cents

Matt

lcstorc · 09-23-2006, 01:12 AM

I agree with the above totally. Mine are captive bred Kudas and have eaten frozen mysis from the beginning. In fact the store fed them while I watched so I could be sure they would accept frozen food. Occasionally, I give them some salt water ghost shrimp which they also gobble up. Also, seahorses eat slowly so you want low flow while you are feeding and feed several times a day. You can also go to seahorse.org for lots of good information specific to seahorses.

Gina · 09-23-2006, 08:01 AM

Did you ask the employees at the store to feed the horses for you before you purchased them? What did they say about how they were eating?
Follow Lynn's advice from above post and if things don't change for you, I would take them back and make sure you get horses that are captive bred and already eating frozen food.

Splendid · 09-23-2006, 01:09 PM

They are tank raised and we are feeding them mysis shrimp. We have a reidi and a yellow seahorse. We did not ask them tofeed them cause we come to there store 1 a week and usualy they are reliable!?!

lcstorc · 09-24-2006, 08:20 AM

Are they eating yet? If not you may want to try some live brine just to be sure they are getting something. Then you can slowly move them over to frozen over time.

Splendid · 09-24-2006, 10:11 AM

Well we returned them and they are eating now in the store.

We cot 2 baby black seahorses and we are getting 3 more on thurs. THANKS FOR HELPING!!!

Frankie · 09-26-2006, 08:45 AM

Im having trouble with my lionfish eating. I haven't seen him eat yet and it's over a week. I read an article that they hunt at night and at dusk. So im going to feed the tank this morning before the lights come on. I do see he's more active with the lights off then on.
I voted 4 or more.

mempho reefer · 09-26-2006, 10:05 AM

This sounds like a question for Woodstock

semigodd154 · 10-04-2006, 11:34 AM

part of the problem could have been the fact that they were in a 12g nano they need vertical swim room the babies will be okay for a little bit but they grow quick and will need a larger tank. HTH Also def. need to be captive bred.

Cartman89 · 10-04-2006, 07:57 PM

Splendid,

Seahorses don't really take frozen foods. Your going to need to get LIVE brine or mysis shrimp to get them to eat. Sometimes it will depend on your gph and filtration. Tank size also plays a factor.

FFrankie,

What lion is it? What is your tanksize, filtration, temp and water parameters? Is the lion a new addition to the tank? When I got my Volitan lion he was a pain to get to eat. He went about 12 days without eating. He then ate a ghost shrimp. I then started to wean him on to frozen foods, all I remember is the LONG process. To this day my lion is a picky eater, his favorite which is squid. Volitans aren't hard to wean like the others are from what I've heard so I guess I have an unusual lion? But I wouldn't worry if your lion goes 5 days without eating.
Edit: I just read you said over a week, try getting ghost shrimp and toss them into the lions den. MAKE SURE THE LION NOTICES.

lcstorc · 10-05-2006, 10:20 AM

I have to disagree Cartman.
I have captive bred seahorses that eat frozen mysis daily with no problem. Where you run into problems is with wild caught seahorses. It is very difficult (though sometimes possible) to convert them to frozen food. Since my seahorses are captive bred and have always eaten frozen food, they accept it quite well.

Cartman89 · 10-05-2006, 06:43 PM

Yeah I meant wild caught.

Frankie · 10-06-2006, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cartman89

Splendid,

FFrankie,

What lion is it? What is your tanksize, filtration, temp and water parameters? Is the lion a new addition to the tank? When I got my Volitan lion he was a pain to get to eat. He went about 12 days without eating. He then ate a ghost shrimp. I then started to wean him on to frozen foods, all I remember is the LONG process. To this day my lion is a picky eater, his favorite which is squid. Volitans aren't hard to wean like the others are from what I've heard so I guess I have an unusual lion? But I wouldn't worry if your lion goes 5 days without eating.
Edit: I just read you said over a week, try getting ghost shrimp and toss them into the lions den. MAKE SURE THE LION NOTICES.

Thanks for the reply, No, i still havent seen him eat yet and its beed over two weeks now. I do see him hunting at night and he's looking very good. Im asuming he's eating pods and snail eggs at night. Thanks for the info though i'll give your idea a try.

mps9506 · 10-06-2006, 11:30 AM

Something else you can try frankie is to use a heavy duty peice of monofilament fishing line (something like 30lb test or higher, needs to be somewhat stiff, so the cheap line works well). Thread the shrimp onto the monofilament line, then go fishing

We did this to try and entice wild captured finicky eating fish at the aquarium. Eventually they would associate food and us walking up to the aquarium and be ready to eat when we opend the lids.

View Poll Results: How long should i give them to start eating
1 day	4	22.22%
2 days	8	44.44%
3 days	4	22.22%
4 or more (tell how long)	2	11.11%
Voters: 18. You may not vote on this poll

09-23-2006, 12:01 AM	#1 (permalink)
Splendid Midas Blenny Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 109 View Gallery Karma Komment	Better seahorse We have 2 seahorses. We got them yesterday and the don't seem to be eating? Why not!!?? (They're in their own cycled nano tank.) __________________ 110g reef tank 95g pred. 12g seahorse thanks, lula

09-23-2006, 12:50 AM	#2 (permalink)
aquaman3680 Golden Moray Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Overland Park, KS Posts: 2,215 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Better seahorse What are you trying to feed them? Also are they wild caught or captive bred? Wild caughts have very little chance of survival. Just my 2 cents Matt __________________ Check it out! The 90 gallon Road Trip The Bio-Cube Adventure

09-23-2006, 01:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 26,433 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Better seahorse I agree with the above totally. Mine are captive bred Kudas and have eaten frozen mysis from the beginning. In fact the store fed them while I watched so I could be sure they would accept frozen food. Occasionally, I give them some salt water ghost shrimp which they also gobble up. Also, seahorses eat slowly so you want low flow while you are feeding and feed several times a day. You can also go to seahorse.org for lots of good information specific to seahorses. __________________ Peace LYNN Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Lynn's frag tank experiment A reef tank is like a race car. The faster you go the harder you crash.

09-23-2006, 08:01 AM	#4 (permalink)
Gina Moderator Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Indiana Posts: 8,842 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Better seahorse Did you ask the employees at the store to feed the horses for you before you purchased them? What did they say about how they were eating? Follow Lynn's advice from above post and if things don't change for you, I would take them back and make sure you get horses that are captive bred and already eating frozen food. __________________ Gina and Mark's 75 Visit Our Sponsors Gina's Cube Gina

09-23-2006, 01:09 PM	#5 (permalink)
Splendid Midas Blenny Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 109 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Better seahorse They are tank raised and we are feeding them mysis shrimp. We have a reidi and a yellow seahorse. We did not ask them tofeed them cause we come to there store 1 a week and usualy they are reliable!?! __________________ 110g reef tank 95g pred. 12g seahorse thanks, lula

09-24-2006, 08:20 AM	#6 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 26,433 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Better seahorse Are they eating yet? If not you may want to try some live brine just to be sure they are getting something. Then you can slowly move them over to frozen over time. __________________ Peace LYNN Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Lynn's frag tank experiment A reef tank is like a race car. The faster you go the harder you crash.

09-24-2006, 10:11 AM	#7 (permalink)
Splendid Midas Blenny Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 109 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Better seahorse Well we returned them and they are eating now in the store. We cot 2 baby black seahorses and we are getting 3 more on thurs. THANKS FOR HELPING!!! __________________ 110g reef tank 95g pred. 12g seahorse thanks, lula

09-26-2006, 08:45 AM	#8 (permalink)
Frankie Fuzzy Sticks Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: AStrangerInAStrangeLand Posts: 11,220 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Better seahorse Im having trouble with my lionfish eating. I haven't seen him eat yet and it's over a week. I read an article that they hunt at night and at dusk. So im going to feed the tank this morning before the lights come on. I do see he's more active with the lights off then on. I voted 4 or more.

09-26-2006, 10:05 AM	#9 (permalink)
mempho reefer Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Memphis Posts: 281 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Better seahorse This sounds like a question for Woodstock

10-04-2006, 11:34 AM	#10 (permalink)
semigodd154 Scopas Tang Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: mayfield ny Posts: 408 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Better seahorse part of the problem could have been the fact that they were in a 12g nano they need vertical swim room the babies will be okay for a little bit but they grow quick and will need a larger tank. HTH Also def. need to be captive bred. __________________ 44 gal cubish BB 24x18x24 with lots of flow 2xkorillia 4's and 2xkorillia 1's approx. 70x turnover sumpless no livestock yet still deciding on lights (love you jake 9-03 to 12-03) Shaun

10-04-2006, 07:57 PM	#11 (permalink)
Cartman89 Neon dottyback Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Melbourne, FL Posts: 663 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Better seahorse Splendid, Seahorses don't really take frozen foods. Your going to need to get LIVE brine or mysis shrimp to get them to eat. Sometimes it will depend on your gph and filtration. Tank size also plays a factor. FFrankie, What lion is it? What is your tanksize, filtration, temp and water parameters? Is the lion a new addition to the tank? When I got my Volitan lion he was a pain to get to eat. He went about 12 days without eating. He then ate a ghost shrimp. I then started to wean him on to frozen foods, all I remember is the LONG process. To this day my lion is a picky eater, his favorite which is squid. Volitans aren't hard to wean like the others are from what I've heard so I guess I have an unusual lion? But I wouldn't worry if your lion goes 5 days without eating. Edit: I just read you said over a week, try getting ghost shrimp and toss them into the lions den. MAKE SURE THE LION NOTICES. __________________ I'am the Shark Police, if you want a shark your going to have to go through me. In Loving Memory http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...n101/aq015.jpg

10-05-2006, 10:20 AM	#12 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 26,433 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Better seahorse I have to disagree Cartman. I have captive bred seahorses that eat frozen mysis daily with no problem. Where you run into problems is with wild caught seahorses. It is very difficult (though sometimes possible) to convert them to frozen food. Since my seahorses are captive bred and have always eaten frozen food, they accept it quite well. __________________ Peace LYNN Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Lynn's frag tank experiment A reef tank is like a race car. The faster you go the harder you crash.

10-05-2006, 06:43 PM	#13 (permalink)
Cartman89 Neon dottyback Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Melbourne, FL Posts: 663 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Better seahorse Yeah I meant wild caught. __________________ I'am the Shark Police, if you want a shark your going to have to go through me. In Loving Memory http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...n101/aq015.jpg

10-06-2006, 11:30 AM	#15 (permalink)
mps9506 Totally back Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 8,525 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Better seahorse Something else you can try frankie is to use a heavy duty peice of monofilament fishing line (something like 30lb test or higher, needs to be somewhat stiff, so the cheap line works well). Thread the shrimp onto the monofilament line, then go fishing We did this to try and entice wild captured finicky eating fish at the aquarium. Eventually they would associate food and us walking up to the aquarium and be ready to eat when we opend the lids. __________________ Mike Reefkeeping Since '99 Help Build Reefpedia Premium Memberships Available! Support Reef Sanctuary Sponsors

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