To Fast or Not To Fast? Seahorse feeding myth?

[I'm a natural blue]

When I set up my first seahorse tank almost 2 years ago I read some information from a reputable source that indicated fasting seahorses one day a week was healthy for them. Is this out dated information? Do any of our stallion keepers do this? Why or why not? I'm curious.

 

[Critterheaven]

I do not. I think it is a myth. I believe they need to eat small amounts often. Every day.

 

[Annette Garcia]

That has to be outdated information, cuz in fact seahorses must eat at least 3 times a day. On my days off my horses will eat 4 or 5 times a day.

 

[I'm a natural blue]

You know, I had Dan from Seahorse Source on the phone today. I should have asked him! I felt like it was outdated info too. I just went back to where I read it and it is still there. There are other posts on the same website in the forum though, that speak against it. It's conflicting.

 

[Annette Garcia]

I just look at it this way..........in the ocean did the seahorses fast once a week no. So why would we make them fast just because they are in our tank. IMO

 

[I'm a natural blue]

I just look at it this way..........in the ocean did the seahorses fast once a week no. So why would we make them fast just because they are in our tank. IMO

That is what I thought too. I'm curious as to why it is/was advised at some point. Is there merit to it? Maybe for a specific circumstance? I don't know.

 

[Annette Garcia]

That is what I thought too. I'm curious as to why it is/was advised at some point. Is there merit to it? Maybe for a specific circumstance? I don't know.

I don't know I've never heard of seahorse fasting before but I'm curious so I'm going to do some research.

 

[Annette Garcia]

overfeeding your seahorses on a lipid-rich diet of fortified frozen Mysis can indeed be harmful to their long-term health. It\'s entirely possible to kill these amazing animals with kindness by feeding them too much of a good thing.

Because of their lazy lifestyle, our pampered pets are susceptible to a debilitating affliction commonly known as \"fatty liver disease\" or hepatic lipidosis when they are given a diet that\'s excessively rich in HUFA (highly unsaturated fatty acids) and other lipids. Mature seahorses that are no longer breeding are at greatest risk from hepatic lipidosis. Young seahorses need a high-fat diet to sustain their rapid growth and development, and breeding pairs that are churning out brood after brood of fry likewise need all the energy they can get. But once they reach sexual maturity, their growth rate slows markedly, and nonbreeding adults that receive a high-fat diet will begin to store excess fat in specialized cells called adipose tissue (Tamaru, Sep. 2001). Eventually these fatty deposits will begin to infiltrate the liver cells, hence the name fatty liver disease (Tamaru, Sep. 2001). In severe cases, adipose tissue can become so thick that it can literally hides the internal organs, cloaking them within a cocoon of fat, and distending the abdomen (Tamaru, Sep. 2001). When the seahorse\'s liver or hepatopancreas becomes badly infiltrated with fatty deposits, it interferes with the organ\'s ability to perform its vital role in digestion, food absorption, and detoxification of the blood, which has dire consequences for the affected seahorse.

Hepatic lipidosis normally does not kill its victims quickly. Ironically, due to the impairment of digestion and food absorption it causes, fatty liver disease is typically associated with chronic wasting and emaciation. Most often, the affected seahorses literally wastes away and eventually succumbs to some opportunistic disease in their weakened state.

Unfortunately, hepatic lipidosis is far more common than most seahorse keepers suspect. Of the necropsies Dr. Martin Belli has performed on hobbyist\'s seahorses, fully 38% of them had fatty livers (Belli, per. com.).

Avoiding overfeeding, fasting adults once a week and using relatively low-fat enrichment products such as Vibrance II for mature seahorses that are no longer breeding are simple ways to prevent fatty liver disease.

If, like me, you find that fasting your seahorses is stressful on the aquarist, there is another alternative that both you and your seahorses may find more palatable. Fasting day always made me feel like a heartless heel, as I described in my new book on seahorses:

\"The only thing I don\'t like about this extremely nutritious diet is the obligatory fast day. The problem with fasting is that my Mustangs don\'t seem to realize it\'s good for them -- that it\'s absolutely in their own best interests, essential for their long-term health. Whenever I make an appearance on fast day, they insist on parading back and forth in front of the glass in their greeting colors, begging for a handout. Before my butt hits the upholstery, both of them will be dancing at the feeding station, impatiently awaiting their gourmet shrimp dinner. When it doesn\'t materialize, they forlornly abandon their post at the lunch counter, and come up to stare at me through the front glass. When I still don\'t take the hint, the female paces back and forth at the front, looking her brightest and most conspicuous, as though trying to attract my attention, while the male reverts to his drab everyday attire and dejectedly resumes his futile vigil at the feeding station. If not for their well-rounded cross-sections, one would think they were dying of hunger, making it difficult to resist their puppy-dog antics. Just sitting there ignoring them makes me feel like a first-class heel. Sheesh--talk about your guilt trips…Dang! I hate fast days.\" (Giwojna, Jun. 2002)

Lately, however, I\'ve found a way out of that dilemma. It\'s a fun alternative to fast days that I feel is far easier on the hobbyist and his pampered pets alike. Nowadays, rather than fasting my seahorses, I offer them a meal with a nutritional value that\'s virtually nil instead: unenriched, unfed adult brine shrimp. As you can imagine, brine shrimp in this condition have very little fat content and should be considered nutritionally barren for all intents and purposes.

So once a week, instead of depriving my seahorses, I now serve them up a generous portion of unenriched adult brine shrimp. They get the thrill of hunting and eating live food and I get the fun of watching them chase after it. Instead of going hungry, my seahorses get to fill up on empty calories, while I get to avoid a guilty conscience. It\'s a win-win situation. Everybody\'s happy.

It\'s a neat way of \"fasting with a full belly,\" which I feel is healthy for the seahorses in more ways than one. Not only does it help guard against hepatic lipidosis from a high-fat diet, it also provides a little extra excitement for the seahorses and helps improve their quality of life in captivity.

 

[Annette Garcia]

After reading this I can understand why they say to fast a seahorse once a week. I'm glad that for the past 2yrs my horses eat about 21 times a week about 11 of those times are frozen mysis shrimp and the other 10 times they eat unenriched adult brine shrimp. I also feed about 30 live shrimp a week.

 

[I'm a natural blue]

After reading this I can understand why they say to fast a seahorse once a week. I'm glad that for the past 2yrs my horses eat about 21 times a week about 11 of those times are frozen mysis shrimp and the other 10 times they eat unenriched adult brine shrimp. I also feed about 30 live shrimp a week.

I read this also. OR website.

 

[Lucie]

I don t fast.
Main diet for mines is live wild shrimps from many different species, live copepods and live mysis
They stay alive in the tank, clean it, and are available nearly 24/24
some will eat inferior algaes, some will clean ,acros, some will consume remaining of other shrimps (my horses lke to behead big shrimps, eating only the body)...
I believe it s the best diet for them, close to a life in the wild. It s also great to see them hunt all day long.
I make my own frozen food for lazy days.
I do give also frozen mysis i buy, but they clearly prefer live food
In the wild, they may only not eat in case of very extraordinary conditions, like hurricane, huge freshwater discharge, cyanobacterias bloom, heavy pollution...

 

[I'm a natural blue]

I don t fast.
Main diet for mines is live wild shrimps from many different species, live copepods and live mysis
They stay alive in the tank, clean it, and are available nearly 24/24
some will eat inferior algaes, some will clean ,acros, some will consume remaining of other shrimps (my horses lke to behead big shrimps, eating only the body)...
I believe it s the best diet for them, close to a life in the wild. It s also great to see them hunt all day long.
I make my own frozen food for lazy days.
I do give also frozen mysis i buy, but they clearly prefer live food
In the wild, they may only not eat in case of very extraordinary conditions, like hurricane, huge freshwater discharge, cyanobacterias bloom, heavy pollution...

Lucie, where do you get your variety live food from? Do you breed it in separate tanks?

 

[Lucie]

Lucie, where do you get your variety live food from? Do you breed it in separate tanks?

I collect them myself, daily...

 

[I'm a natural blue]

I collect them myself, daily...

Ahhh, I see. That is not an option for me. Did you say you collected your horses too? Was that you?

 

[Lucie]

Ahhh, I see. That is not an option for me. Did you say you collected your horses too? Was that you?

yes