CWO4GUNNER

I had a fry population explosion in my new cycling 120 tank and have been trying to get them to eat with marginal results a peck here and look here. I never seen any of the fry really pig out on anything I tried so far. After my usual bowl of "Old Fashion cooked Quaker Oats" I had some left untainted from milk or sugar and decided to drop in a clump into my community tank first. At first they ignored it but after the first bite it became a feeding frenzy with white puffs of clumpy oatmeal stuck to there faces which looked so comical I wish I had taken some picture of the adults.

So after an hour finished consuming and the community looking just fine I decide to give it to the fry in my 120 tank. Again no immediate response but after I looked again 20 minutes later I couldn't believe that the fry were so tightly congregated to eat this stuff photos below.




Realize of course that this is not a diet and might just offer it on rare occasion as a variety food. Any comments or concerns welcome?

Butterfly

I don't see that it would hurt them occasionally but watch the tank parameters as that will foul the water quickly.
Usually finely crushed flakes will suffice. since a fishes stomach is approx the size of one eye it wouldn't take much to fill them up
Carol

Shawnie

many people raise alot of the microworms and gut feed earthworms, among others, on oatmeal...so im sure its fine...other than the waste factor....but a good fry food that ive not seen a fry not take yet is the "DECAPSULATED brine shrimp EGGS" found here at Ken's(3rd one down ) and a 1/2lb for $8.00 will last you a lifetime in many fry situations http://www.kensfish.com/kensspecialtyfood.html

CWO4GUNNER

Oh I agree that this would just be an occasional treat. But here is the funny thing. None of the adult molly's or Platy's would eat it, not even the pleco. But the Fry, Barb's, Tetra's, and especially the Silver Dollars were crazy about this stuff. I really expected it to cloud the water and brake up after a few moments but just like cooked oatmeal that stays stuck to the bowl even under water in the sink, the oatmeal never clouded or broke up unless bitten off.. Thinking I would have to retrieve what was left of the teaspoon size portions, surprisingly they finished off every bit no floating left overs. Truth is stranger then fiction sometimes I guess lol.

Butterfly

You are so hooked Shawnie
I had forgotten about those they would encourage a good growth spurt too.
carol

CWO4GUNNER

Yeah I got some fresh frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp I have been feeding to the community every other day which spurred a surprising amount of good health and color, but dident want the fry to get caught up in the food fight and get mistaken for food by their two mom's in the tank as it already happened once. A fray was chasing a brine and so was dad and both went down dad's gullet, the males since removed. I have one last red platy that is about to give berth and were all done with breeding. I guess having a hundred in the span of a week makes up for a lifetime of breeding for me anyway. After they are big enough to net they go to the local mom & pop LFS for free. And get a discount on an Angel and Blood Parrot for the 120 tank, and back to normal problems.

Any suggestions on easy catching methods? I was thinking oatmeal in a water bottle trap LOL.