HELP!! feeding baby seahorse fry

[LongIslandMike]

Hi, my name is mike. I am new to the forum. I recently posed about my seahorses soon to be having babies. To my surprise the male ORA Kuda released about 130 fry yesterday morning. I have been hatching baby brine but now was told they might not eat them. I have been observing them eating them from what I thought anyway. I am just getting very nervous now. I just purchased some live rotifers from a local fish store with phytoplankton. The water in the rotifers was clear? When I asked them about it, they said its normal and that I should add the phytoplankton. I am just not sure how much to feed the tanks? I am going to be doing 100% water change every other day. I am just lost now that my plan on feeding BB isn't going to work? Does anybody know if the Cuda will eat BB and if not, how do I feed them the rotifers? I just can't see them in the holding tank?
Thank you for your help, Mike

[vlangel]

Mike, my seahorses are erectus and they start on bb. I wish I knew more about kudas. Hopefully someone with experience with that specie can help you.

[LongIslandMike]

Thank you very much vlangel. I have been watching them. They seem to be getting some of the brine for sure. I loaded the tanks pretty good with the BB and they seem to be diminishing so I am guessing they are eating them. I plan on doing a water change tomorrow. I will put some of the rotifers in each tank with the newly hatched BB that will hatch out tomorrow.
Wish us Luck :)

[rayjay]

Kuda's produce small pelagic fry similar to reidi and don't usually take to newly hatched brine nauplii right off, so rotifers are the normal starting food for them plus if you have any similar sized copepods that will add to the nutrient variety.
With reidi, I usually fed rotifers for two weeks, rotifers and enriched brine nauplii for another two weeks, and then on to just enriched brine nauplii until I can get them weaned onto frozen mysis.
I harvest the rotifers using a fine mesh from Brine Shrimp Direct, adding enough to heavily populate the fry vessel so the fry don't have to work at getting food snicked up.
I feed a minimum of 3 times a day but 4 works better when I can do it.
You need to feed the rotifers the phyto at least for any nutrition at all, but best to use an enrichment like Dan's Feed from seahorsesource.com.

[LongIslandMike]

Hi Rayjay, Thank you very much for all the info and help on this. I am picking up more rotifers and phyto from a friend in the reefing hobby tonight. I ordered the dans feed, it should be here in the next day or so. What micron mesh do you use to harvest the rotifers? Can you see them in the mesh?
Thank you again for all your help, Mike

[vlangel]

Hi Rayjay, Thank you very much for all the info and help on this. I am picking up more rotifers and phyto from a friend in the reefing hobby tonight. I ordered the dans feed, it should be here in the next day or so. What micron mesh do you use to harvest the rotifers? Can you see them in the mesh?
Thank you again for all your help, Mike
Mike, when I raised clownfish about 6 years ago I used a coffee filter in a net to harvest rotifer. Then I rinsed the coffee filter in the fry tank. It's awkward but will work in a pinch until you get the appropriate micron mesh. Dawn

[RedAnt78]

I got the 53 micron from them and I'm happy with it.

[LongIslandMike]

Hi Vlangel, thank you very much for that trick. i will be sure to keep that in mind if I should run into a pinch. We had some bad weather tonight here in New York so I wasn't able to make the trip to pick up the rotifers. It was about an hour drive there on a good day. I decided to place an order with reed mariculture. I had it overnighted. It should be here before 10:30 tomorrow morning. I had them put a 40 micron harvest sleeve and some RGcomplete in with the order. I will be sure to keep you all posted

Thank you Redant, I will be sure to try out the 53 micron if the 40 doesn't work out.

Thank you all for your info and Help. I really do appreciate it

[LongIslandMike]

Hi Guys, OK the rotifers arrived first thing yesterday morning. I have two cultures going and the seahorses seem to be eating them. My question is, Should I make sure there is always rotifers in the fry tank or Do I need to try and remove them after a feeding? I am changing 100% of the water every 2 days.
Thank you again,

[rayjay]

I think people do it both ways.
With my H. reidi, I add live phytoplankton for the rotifers to feed on, just enough to colour the water a bit, and leave the rots in until I did the 48hr water change. With a light on as well, the phyto will use up ammonia produced by the fry, not always enough but pretty good. I also added a bit of ClorAm-X to each fry container just in case the phyto doesn't use up all the ammonia.
I still add enriched rots 3 times a day though to maintain reasonable density of food and so they are getting some of the rots already enriched.

[LongIslandMike]

Hi rayjay, thank you for your help and information, I really do appreciate it.
I am feeding RGcomplete to the rotifers daily. I was told that it has ClorAm-X in it and that I wouldn't have to add any more. Should I add enough rotifers so the water in the fry tank is tinted green? Have you ever used the RG complete in your tanks?

[rayjay]

I add enough rotifers so that there are about 5 rots to every ml of water.
I add live phyto to just colour the water.
I would never use RG complete as the cost isn't justified for the amount I would need.
I feed the rotifers and brine on a mixture of spirulina powder and Algamac 3050 powder, blended in a blender.
I enrich with Dan's Feed or a blend of Spirulina and Algamac and astaxanthin plus a few more minor things I can't remember the names of off hand.