Sunday 21 April 2013

Questions that I get asked

Through this blog, Facebook and various other forums that I belong to, here are some common questions that arise:

Q: What is a feeding station

A:  A feeding station is a device that is placed inside the tank where the seahorses eat their food from.  A feeding station can be anything from an upturned shell, to a specifically designed seahorse feeding station which attached to the glass of the tank.  Seahorses can be easily trained to eat from a specific location.  The benefits of using a feeding station is that you can check that all seahorses are eating well; if you have other fish in the tank, they will feed separately so you know they aren't being out-competed for food.  Another benefit is that it adds less waste to the tank as you are able to remove any uneaten food from the station.

Q: How can I remove algae from seahorses

A: Its quite normal for seahorses to grow algae on them in tanks that have problem or nuisance algae (this is quite common in new tanks).  Although the algae won't actually harm the seahorse, if you would prefer to remove it, you can do this using a soft baby toothbrush.

Q: How many times a day should I feed my seahorses

A:  Seahorses have a rudimentary digestive system which lacks a true stomach.  This means that there body does not hold onto reserves in the same way that other animals do.  You should ideally feed your seahorses 3 times a day and certainly no less than twice a day.  Each feeding should be placed equally apart so that you are not feeding too close together or too far apart.

Q: What do seahorses eat

A: You should feed your seahorses on a variety of food including; mysis, krill, brineshrimp (brineshrimp should be fed as a treat and not a staple).  If you are lucky enough to have access to live food, you can add live mysis, or river shrimp - be sure to feed your feeder shrimp with a suitable diet.

Q: Why is my seahorse so small

A: Depending on what species of seahorse you have will very much dictate the size that your seahorse will grow, for example H.fuscus are significantly smaller than H.reidi.  However, just like humans you can get smaller seahorses in a brood.  Make sure that you are feeding your seahorse a suitably enriched diet and a suitable aquarium to live in.  As long as your seahorse is healthy, try not to worry too much.  If you have something that is worrying you its always worth asking for advice on a specialised forum such as FusedJaw.com or Seahorse.org

Q:  I have seen a tiny seahorse at my local fish shop and am very tempted.  Should I buy it?

A: Tami Weiss has recently written an article about what to look for when purchasing seahorses.  This is a must read article for all those embarking on their journey with keeping seahorses.  The size and shape of a seahorse is especially important, as Tami demonstrates in this illustration.

With kind permission of Tami Weiss, http://www.fusedjaw.com/
The full article can be read here - FusedJaw

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If there are any other questions that you would like answered, or general advice on keeping seahorses, why do you join my Facebook group: Seahorse Adventures

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