Alternative food source for seahorses?

[schmunkel98]

Hey everyone,

I am looking into getting some seahorses for a new tank I'm planning. However, I want to make sure I have a good food source in mind first. I already have some small critters in my main tank that I think my do the job. According to Dr. Ron's site, they are called Ostracodes( http://www.rshimek.com/images/ROstracode.jpg ). Anyway, they have multiplied like crazy in my main 135 gallon tank. Would these guys be a good food source for seahorses? If not, would something like amphipods be a good food source? I am not looking forward to dealing with brine shrimp, and was hoping to find an alternative food source.

Thanks,

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

[dwarfatize]

Hey Mike,

I have been keeping seahorses for a few months and my friend has had them for almost a year. I would recomend that you get some captive bred seahorses from FFexpress.com or oceanrider.com These seahorses are trained to eat frozen priscine energetics mysis shrimp. Mysis shrimp contains the nutients they need to survive and they only need to be fed mysis once a day. I would also recomend that you puchase a seperate tank(A 30 gallon tall is nice) that will house only seahorses. The seahorses need a tank that is at least 3x their adult height. I would recomend you go to seahorse.org and go into the community disscusion forum and ask if you have any more question. Every person on seahorse.org should be able to help you out. one of the members is even the breeder that supplie ffexpress with their captive bred seahorses. Hope this helps and good luck.

Dane

[schmunkel98]

I've ordered stuff from Flying Fish Express before. I have read up at www.seahorse.org already, and I was just wondering if I can feed something other than mysis. Something that grows in the tank itself would be nice. The creatures I mentioned could grow in my 135 gallon and whichever new tank I get.

Thanks,

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

[dwarfatize]

Hi
You could let your seahorses eat them but I don't think they have enough nutrients to keep them alive and healthy for long.

[Airel]

Hi Dane,

Thanks for the HUGE compliments on Seahorse.org!!! I am also a moderator at org. Tracy (the breeder you mention) is also a member here at RC and answers questions here occasionally in her free time.

Mike,

The Ostracodes you mention would be a nice snack for your horses as also would ampipods. But they would not provide a nice steady diet. Brine shrimp is nutritionally void and most horses turn up their noses at brine shrimp. There are a few that LOVE brine but for the most part, will not eat them.

I would encourage you to shop at www.oceanrider.com or www.ffexpress.com and purchase CB horses. They are healthy, hearty, pathagen free and trained to eat frozen foods.

Your 135gal tank is fine if you can commit to target feeding your horses. Most of the horses shipped are pretty small, in the 3" range. They will be lost in your 135gal if you don't target feed them.

HTH,
DeAnne:D