Pj seahorse feeder for dwarf seehorse

[BigRed78]

Hello everyone! I’ve wanted to try my hand at dwarf seahorses but never pulled the trigger because I knew I couldn’t handle the feeding requirements. That was until I discovered this feeder. https://www.pjreefs.com/products/pj-reefs-magnetic-feeder I was wondering if anyone had any long term success with this device. I was wondering if I could keep a few fed using only this device. Thank you, John

 

[rayjay]

I most certainly wouldn't recommend it. First, I wouldn't use ANY method that allowed for contact of tank water with hatch water. If the nauplii can get from the hatch water to the tank water so can the nasty bacteria.
Second, the nauplii on hatching are in the Instar I stage where they don't have a completed digestive tract and can't be enriched, but also, the carapace of Instar I is tougher than later stages and not easily digested so all in all you have a food that is harder to digest in seahorse rudimentary digestive tracts, AND has NO DHA that seahorses cannot manufacture for themselves but have need of.

 

[BigRed78]

I most certainly wouldn't recommend it. First, I wouldn't use ANY method that allowed for contact of tank water with hatch water. If the nauplii can get from the hatch water to the tank water so can the nasty bacteria.
Second, the nauplii on hatching are in the Instar I stage where they don't have a completed digestive tract and can't be enriched, but also, the carapace of Instar I is tougher than later stages and not easily digested so all in all you have a food that is harder to digest in seahorse rudimentary digestive tracts, AND has NO DHA that seahorses cannot manufacture for themselves but have need of.

Thank you you make some excellent points. I still think I am going to try and build a similar device to use on my reef tank. Do you foresee any bacteria issues with a normal reef tank?

 

[rayjay]

I don't really know if bacteria might be a problem in reef tanks. I only fed adult brine shrimp to my reef tanks and fish only tanks, and after enriching them first I would do a peroxide dip first.
Many of my fish would never bother with artemia nauplii as they were smaller than their normal food. Also, nauplii are an insignificant source of nutrition if not in large enough quantity.
Some people order from livebrineshrimp.com, but for me here in Canada, I've been growing them for decades using various containers but mostly 26g Rubbermaids.
www.angelfire.com/ab/rayjay/brineshrimp.html

 

[Daniel@R2R]

I'll tag a couple of seahorse experts that might have thoughts to share

@SeahorseKeeper @vlangel

 

[vlangel]

I'll tag a couple of seahorse experts that might have thoughts to share

@SeahorseKeeper @vlangel

I have a PJ's brine hatchery but would not use it in a dwarf seahorse tank. I would be afraid of pathogenic bacteria. I bought mine to feed the coral in my reef tank when I go on vacation.

 

[Katie M]

I have a PJ's brine hatchery but would not use it in a dwarf seahorse tank. I would be afraid of pathogenic bacteria. I bought mine to feed the coral in my reef tank when I go on vacation.

I agree, additionally it doesn't provide enough food for them on a regular basis...