Dear Brad:
Okay, if the enriched Mysis sinks when you just dump them in the tank but won’t sink when you place them in the feeding tube, then the problem is not with the Mysis themselves or the way that you are thawing and enriching them. In that case, I suspect the problem is some sort of surface effects happening within the confines of the feeding tube. The frozen Mysis may be getting trapped at the meniscus line where the water "clings" to the inside of the feeding tube, or the surface tension may be stronger within the tube or an oily film may be forming at the surface of the water inside the tube, or the frozen Mysis may simply be adhering to the walls of the tube itself. A feeding tube that’s 1/2" in diameter is fairly small; if you try a larger feeding tube with a diameter of 1-2 inches, that may work better.
In the meantime, you could try getting a wooden dowel to insert into the feeding tube as a sort of a ramrod. Use the dowel to push the floating Mysis beneath the surface of the water and get it started on its downward journey. Once you overcome those surface affects with the help of the dowel rod, gravity should take over and the submerged Mysis should sink nicely.
Best of luck training your seahorses to eat from your feeding station, Brad!
Happy Trails!
Pete Giwojna
Ocean Rider, Inc. is an Organic Hawaiian-Based Seahorse Aqua-Farm & Aquarium that Follows Strict Good Farming Practices in Raising Seahorses and Other Aquatic Life.
