Best invert to eat leftover mysis?

pfan151 · 02/29/2016, 10:33 AM

Right now I have a few nassarius snails and a few blue leg hermits. I try to minimize the amount of mysis leftover in the tank after feeding but it seems pretty unavoidable to have some. Will a fighting conch eat the mysis? I am trying to avoid any shrimp because I don't want to have to deal with them stealing the food before the seahorses have a chance.

vlangel · 02/29/2016, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pfan151

Right now I have a few nassarius snails and a few blue leg hermits. I try to minimize the amount of mysis leftover in the tank after feeding but it seems pretty unavoidable to have some. Will a fighting conch eat the mysis? I am trying to avoid any shrimp because I don't want to have to deal with them stealing the food before the seahorses have a chance.

Have you tried a feeding dish? I use a small jelly jar and an acrylic tube. That way I can put the tube in the jelly jar and use a turkey baster to squirt the mysis down the tube into the jelly jar. It did not take my seahorses very long to realize when I put the tube in the aquarium that dinner is forth coming. When the ponies finish eating then I can suck the remaining food out of the tank.

pfan151 · 02/29/2016, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vlangel

Have you tried a feeding dish? I use a small jelly jar and an acrylic tube. That way I can put the tube in the jelly jar and use a turkey baster to squirt the mysis down the tube into the jelly jar. It did not take my seahorses very long to realize when I put the tube in the aquarium that dinner is forth coming. When the ponies finish eating then I can suck the remaining food out of the tank.

Working on trying that. They're not there yet though. I might just have to let them get a little hungry. Right now I've been pretty much spot feeding them wherever they are in the tank. They won't really come to the food at this point. They are eating mysis well but once it hits the sand they seem to lose interest unless they are hitched right at the bottom of the tank.

BlueCat1949 · 03/02/2016, 09:24 AM

The feeding station is the way to go.

What species do you have and are they captive bred?

Most horses are attracted by movement so once they see the food coming down the tube they will head to the dish. Be sure they have good places to hitch around the dish and they will start hanging around there when they know it's chow time.

pfan151 · 03/02/2016, 11:28 AM

They are captive bred Erectus. The goal is to get them used to the feeding station but right now they only will eat if the food passes within a few inches of them. They don't seem willing to leave their hitches to go after food. I'm hoping that will change soon. Maybe I should just let them go without food for a day to get them more motivated to eat the following day? They are probably still adjusting. I've only had them a few weeks.

iluvmyfishes · 03/02/2016, 01:05 PM

They are probably used to feeding in the early morning when they are most active, try watching them to see when they hunt and feed then.

pfan151 · 03/03/2016, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iluvmyfishes

They are probably used to feeding in the early morning when they are most active, try watching them to see when they hunt and feed then.

Unfortunately I'm not home in the mornings. I run the light cycle from 1pm to midnight. I feed a few mysis every hour or so from about 5 pm when I get home until lights out. They seem to eat more aggressively between about 10pm until lights out.

iluvmyfishes · 03/06/2016, 02:09 AM

You don't need to feed them every hour. Try 3 times with the last time around 10.

rayjay · 03/06/2016, 10:37 AM

IMO, feeding every hour though will closer approximate the way the seahorses eat in the wild. As they have no stomach as such, they feed slowly and continually throughout the day.

CritterHeaven · 03/16/2016, 09:20 AM

Often is best for sure. But most people cannot really manage that with work schedules etc. If you can do three times that is pretty decent.

02/29/2016, 10:33 AM	#1
pfan151 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: FL Posts: 1,897	Best invert to eat leftover mysis? Right now I have a few nassarius snails and a few blue leg hermits. I try to minimize the amount of mysis leftover in the tank after feeding but it seems pretty unavoidable to have some. Will a fighting conch eat the mysis? I am trying to avoid any shrimp because I don't want to have to deal with them stealing the food before the seahorses have a chance.

03/06/2016, 10:37 AM	#9
rayjay Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 3,969	IMO, feeding every hour though will closer approximate the way the seahorses eat in the wild. As they have no stomach as such, they feed slowly and continually throughout the day. __________________ Seahorses. Culture nanno, rotifers and brine shrimp. Current Tank Info: Seahorses

03/16/2016, 09:20 AM	#10
CritterHeaven Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 83	Often is best for sure. But most people cannot really manage that with work schedules etc. If you can do three times that is pretty decent. __________________ Kim at CritterHeaven "Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace." -Dr. Albert Schweitzer

03/02/2016, 09:24 AM	#4
BlueCat1949 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 197	The feeding station is the way to go. What species do you have and are they captive bred? Most horses are attracted by movement so once they see the food coming down the tube they will head to the dish. Be sure they have good places to hitch around the dish and they will start hanging around there when they know it's chow time.

03/02/2016, 11:28 AM	#5
pfan151 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: FL Posts: 1,897	They are captive bred Erectus. The goal is to get them used to the feeding station but right now they only will eat if the food passes within a few inches of them. They don't seem willing to leave their hitches to go after food. I'm hoping that will change soon. Maybe I should just let them go without food for a day to get them more motivated to eat the following day? They are probably still adjusting. I've only had them a few weeks.

03/02/2016, 01:05 PM	#6
iluvmyfishes Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Orange County CA Posts: 143	They are probably used to feeding in the early morning when they are most active, try watching them to see when they hunt and feed then.

03/06/2016, 02:09 AM	#8
iluvmyfishes Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Orange County CA Posts: 143	You don't need to feed them every hour. Try 3 times with the last time around 10.