Feeding Schedule Concerns

[CascadianExotics]

So, I've always wanted seahorses. However I am concerned about my availability to properly care for them due to their need for frequent feedings being in conflict with my work schedule.

I work Monday through Thursdays, 6 am to 4:30 pm. Which means I'm leaving the house at 5-ish, and not back home until after 5:30 pm. Which is not exactly ideal for being able to both care for AND being able to enjoy the tank.

With my other tanks I can get away with infrequent (as in, whenever I get home) or auto feedings. But, from what I understand, seahorses need to be pipette fed a frozen or live diet 2 to 4 times per day.

My question is, how can I work around this problem and still be able to enjoy them with my current and future tanks?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[TheSheff]

So, I've always wanted seahorses. However I am concerned about my availability to properly care for them due to their need for frequent feedings being in conflict with my work schedule.

I work Monday through Thursdays, 6 am to 4:30 pm. Which means I'm leaving the house at 5-ish, and not back home until after 5:30 pm. Which is not exactly ideal for being able to both care for AND being able to enjoy the tank.

With my other tanks I can get away with infrequent (as in, whenever I get home) or auto feedings. But, from what I understand, seahorses need to be pipette fed a frozen or live diet 2 to 4 times per day.

My question is, how can I work around this problem and still be able to enjoy them with my current and future tanks?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Seahorses are not very likely to east pellet or flake food, so you basically have no other choice than to feed frozen or liquid forms of food. The easiest way I could think of would be to buy something like "reef nutrition mysis feast" this makes it easier to feed than frozen since it is already thawed. Depending on how agressive your seahorses are at feeding you could just squirt some of this in the tank to feed. As long as the pumps are off they should be able to get to it.

 

[CascadianExotics]

Seahorses are not very likely to east pellet or flake food, so you basically have no other choice than to feed frozen or liquid forms of food. The easiest way I could think of would be to buy something like "reef nutrition mysis feast" this makes it easier to feed than frozen since it is already thawed. Depending on how agressive your seahorses are at feeding you could just squirt some of this in the tank to feed. As long as the pumps are off they should be able to get to it.

I've kind of gathered that much info already. My question was more specifically related to how I can best maintain a feeding schedule with my work schedule. Is there a way to feed them while I'm away? Is there a live food I could culture, put in the tank before going to work, and have them eat while I'm gone?

Just looking for solutions, rather than care info.

 

[TheSheff]

I've kind of gathered that much info already. My question was more specifically related to how I can best maintain a feeding schedule with my work schedule. Is there a way to feed them while I'm away? Is there a live food I could culture, put in the tank before going to work, and have them eat while I'm gone?

Just looking for solutions, rather than care info.

I thought the answer was somewhat implied within that response lol. You can't use anything like an auto feeder for frozen or liquid foods. I think your only option is feeding before and after work. As long as you don't have corals you can turn off the lights halfway through the day so you can have more time before and after work for the seahorses to eat the food.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Is there a live food I could culture, put in the tank before going to work, and have them eat while I'm gone?

You could potentially culture mysis shrimp (if you do a Google search for “mysis shrimp culture” then you’ll find a bunch of useful links for culturing them). You can find mysis at Rusalty, MBL Aquaculture, or Mysids.com (Rusalty is legit but expensive; the other two seem legit, but I don’t know of anyone who has ordered through them, so I can’t verify that - so order at your own risk, but they’re substantially cheaper).

It would take a few weeks for you to be able to continuously produce enough larvae to feed the seahorses, but it may be worth a shot for your situation.