View Full Version : Problem with horses?
Ok, I've been very guilty and shoved a couple of horses in the refugium. They had been feeding well for a while, but I've seen them ignore the brine shrimp for about 3 months now.
I have now moved them into a 14" cube (see the stats below.)
There does not seem to be any visible disease. They show interest in the brine shrimp, but still do not ravenously eat the shrimp.
What can the problem be? Please help!
:thanks:
probably gonna need live brine, or have you tried different brands?
Hey Chris.
No, they were always munching on the frozen stuff without any problems.
But have stopped 3 months ago.
might have got bored with eating the same thing/brand
So what else do you suggest? They have copepods in the tank and mysis.
I didn't think horses would get 'bored' with shrimp?
i dunno m8 i don't know much about sea horses just was trying to help you by suggesting a few things it could be
Ok cheers anyway Chris.
Will wait for Simon or sailfin to come on-line. They would defintely be able to help!!
Ta.
yep sailfin is the queen of keeping seahorses :)
Hya
Viv, the tank doesn't really sound big enough for a couple of seahorses can you give a bit more info on the decor? I'm assuming your tallking Reidi in which case they should be in a minimum of 60 litres - ideally more. A seahorses staple diet should not consist of brineshrimp (even enriched) they should have been weaned onto frozen mysis (if they're TMC bred they will have been) and kept on it. If your saying they haven't eaten brineshrimp for three months what have they been eating? If they have any sense (some say they haven't) they should be ignoring brineshrimp in favour of more nutritious foods. If they have been surviving in the tank for three months on pods and mysis then don't be putting brineshrimp in there!
I would seriously consider moving them to a larger tank - if they get full grown they won't be too happy in a tank that size and if they're a pair you could get all sorts of complications if they try and breed.
hth :)
Brineshrimp is totally useless for seahorses IMO you should enrich their food with liposome spray and feed them frozen PE mysis comes in a slab form.
HTH
Paul
Hey Sailfin.
Well they are in a 14" cube (45 litres), but this is fed by a refugium, all connected to my trigon 350 and sump (see the stats in my signature)
I do feed a combo of mysis and brineshrimp. And this is soaked in vitamins.
However, as I said, they ignore the food :(
I can't recall what the genus is for the horses (need to go back to the lfs and ask) but they are a golden yellow and about 1.5"-2"
As I said before, they look fine, except the reluctance to eat at all. So yes, they must have been surviving on something!
Hya
Viv, the tank doesn't really sound big enough for a couple of seahorses can you give a bit more info on the decor? I'm assuming your tallking Reidi in which case they should be in a minimum of 60 litres - ideally more. A seahorses staple diet should not consist of brineshrimp (even enriched) they should have been weaned onto frozen mysis (if they're TMC bred they will have been) and kept on it. If your saying they haven't eaten brineshrimp for three months what have they been eating? If they have any sense (some say they haven't) they should be ignoring brineshrimp in favour of more nutritious foods. If they have been surviving in the tank for three months on pods and mysis then don't be putting brineshrimp in there!
I would seriously consider moving them to a larger tank - if they get full grown they won't be too happy in a tank that size and if they're a pair you could get all sorts of complications if they try and breed.
hth :)
try putting a bit garlic essence in wiv it befor you feed it to them
try putting a bit garlic essence in wiv it befor you feed it to them
Are you taking the pea?:mad:
Thanks for the tip, but did you know that garlic is highly toxic to all marine life??
So do you feed your horses or any of your livestock with garlic? If so, then stop now, as you are killing them!
Hya Viv
1.5" - 2" - they're tiny! (I retract what I said about tank size (for now) if they're that small!) Thats the same size as my two and a half month old baby comes! I wonder if they're the Kuda hybrids? If you haven't seen them feeding on what you've been putting in are they actually looking skinny? (Pinched at the thorax). They must have been finding something in there if they're not feeding on introduced food but still going after three months.
(Ditch the brineshrimp)
Thanks fin.
Yes, they're small. They must be feeding on the copepods? But why did they suddenly started ignoring the mysis?
Look a bit like this:
http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/fish/Hippocampus_kuda/GES008920.html
Hi Noisey
Have a search on here for various garlic threads. It is sometimes mentioned that the food should be mixed with this as its meant to be an appetite stimulant but you'll find various negative effects on livestock if you do this long term. In desperate times you could use it as a last resort but it should be avoided. I would personally try everything else first. In this case we need to establish whether there is actually a problem because although the seahorses have not been seen feeding they have been going for three months.
Hi Viv
tbh I don't know why they would suddenly ignore the mysis, my guess would be that if they're finding nice live, nutritious munchies in enough quantity then instinct would drive them to pursue those. I would keep a very close eye on their weight and continue to offer mysis say every few days just to check that they are getting enough to eat. If they originally ate mysis I would imagine that if they got really hungry they would take it again - just keep a really close watch on their weight.
Very cute seahorses btw I like Kuda.
oh and only stop feeding mysis if your absolutely sure they're not taking it. A few of mine will wait for ages then go off after it later. Are you sure they're not finding it half an hour later when your not looking?
oh and only stop feeding mysis if your absolutely sure they're not taking it. A few of mine will wait for ages then go off after it later. Are you sure they're not finding it half an hour later when your not looking?
Hmmm, yes, you could be right.
Though before, when I squirted mysis, they were frantically chasing around the tank for the stuff!
try a feeding bowl i use a wine glass(white) and put the food in it see how they cope you may have to sort of usher them over to it
Ta cyber. I'll give that a go too.
Must be juvenile being so small, any idea of their age?
As stated they have to be eating and I would hazard a guess its as soon as you look away.....
I'd go with a feeding trough as mentioned, that way you can monitor the amount of food you put in it and see if any has been eaten,
Which product are you using to enrich the frozen? Maybe worth trying just mysis without any additive's just to see if it makes any difference?
Keep us posted.....
Si
Not sure of age at all Simon.
I use the seachem multi-vitamins on the mysis/krill/brine shrimp mix (yes the latter being useless I know!)
I see that you're not far away from me Simon, perhaps if I can persuade you with a cup of tea and biccies, you can lend your expert eye for me?:worship:
I see that you're not far away from me Simon, perhaps if I can persuade you with a cup of tea and biccies, you can lend your expert eye for me?:worship:
How did you know I'm a tea drinker :)
Pm me your number and i'll bell you before the weekend,
Forgot to ask - have you noticed if the ponys are having normal bowl movements? Colour and texture is often a good indicator of what their consuming.
Si
I haven't really noticed any poo if that's what you mean!
Any chance you could post a pic of their tank?
Urrrr....
I'll get the wife to do it! Need to get my tank pics up on this site anyway!
:cough: tank thread :cough: :cough: whole system
please :)
:cough: tank thread :cough: :cough: whole system
please :)
EH?
:confused:
pictures take the whole system i would love to conect tanks together and would love to see how you did it
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