Live baby brine shrimp instead of phytoplankton?

[Mikeman]

In my horse tank I'm going to have to feed it 2X a day with live baby brine shrimp, do you think nonphotosintheses gorganions and large feather duster would be able to survive off these? They are very small, and I would say yes, but I need some more expertese opinions

[srgtkoons]

I cant say anything for the large feather dusters but the non photosyn gorgs like the yellow finger gorgs would love that. I feed my gorgs frozen brine all the time. I take a cube of it and shave it with a cheese grader into a cup, add a little selcon and they love it. Your average hitchhiker feather dusters will eat that as well. I have no exp with the large feather dusters though.

[Randy V]

Whether they eat it or not there is a fundamental difference between animal-based zooplankton like artemia naupili and plant-based phytoplankton. Nutritionally they are at different ends of the protein/carb scale. I would continue to feed phyto in addition to the zoo that the seahorses require. Not everything does best on the same food. It's not reasonable to expect them to do so.

If cost is the concern and you have been using live phyto you might consider brineshrimpdirect's cryopaste product instant algae. Much cheaper to use IME and very effective in my tanks. They are also a great source of brine cysts.

[tlc]

in addition you may want to decapsulate your brine shrimp before hatching. many are reporting hydroid outbrakes when not decapsulating first. there is a great article over at www.seahorse.org about decapsulating and prevention of hydroids..

[Mikeman]

don't worry I have read all the articles at seahorse.org


thanks for your advice