MrsM3197

We finally got our neon tetras and our ghost shrimp in with our cherry barbs. Everybody seems to be getting along fine, and I see the cherry barbs and neons schooling together. I figured that the barbs and the tetras wouldn't fight, but I certainly didn't expect them to hang out together! Is this "normal" behavior? It's really cool to watch. We had a couple of ghost shrimp not make it, but other than that all has been well.
I am wondering about feeding the crew. I have regular flake food, color enhancing food, zuccini <sp?>, blood worms. For both the community tanks I've just been giving them a varied diet of all the above (not all at once of course), with the exception of Michael betta...he gets the finest blood worms served on a silver platter. He won't touch the flake food at all, even the color enhancing formula. I have found out tho', I can't put anybody else in with him as he sees anybody that enters his tank as live bait. For all you all with the sweet tempered bettas I can promise that is not always the case, and I guess I got 1 with an attitude. I gave up on giving him a housekeeper after he ate Loki the Snail. So I guess the question is, will it be ok to continue to feed like we have been with the 2 community tanks, and just give Michael strictly blood worms...maybe supplement with shrimp larvae? Will Michael need another type of food to help him keep his lovely colors?
Also, I think I've given up on giving William the Angelfish a friend. He's growing big and beautiful and has developed a personality that I would have never thought possible with a fish. He greets me at the front of the tank every morning and several times a day. He follows my fingers around the tank and yesturday when I was doing my weekly water change he "nibbled" my hand as I was working. My own husband thinks I'm a nutjob and has started calling me the "fish whisperer". I tell him to hush and eat his dinner. Unless William will be traumatized by being a solo, I think I'll just keep him that way. We'll start a 55, maybe 75 gal in November...I'm thinking a school of angels will be lovely there. Have a great day everybody!

nitz

I guess since cherry barbs are fairly docile and one of the nicer barbs with their tank mates, that seeing the cherries and tetras school together isn't too weird. I'm looking at getting some cherries for myself and to hear that they're mild mannered is definitely good news.

For the betta, I think you should get him some betta pellets. I've heard feeding them 2-3 pellets a couple times a day is good for them along with the bloodworms and peas a couple times a week to relieve any constipation. It might be best to soak the bloodworms before feeding him as they might expand in his belly causing constipation. As for the peas, just defrost a single pea, take the skin off, cut it into bite sized pieces, and gives a few of the pieces to him.

Barbrella

I"ve been keeping neons and Cherry barbs together for many years and they are great tankmates!

Just keep feeding them a good variety of food and they'll be fine! These fish will eat absolutely anything at all.

That sounds about right!

I feed my bettas bloodworms, brineshrimp - of course, I have to pick out the biggest and fattest shrimp for them. - and Hikari BioGold betta pellets. Those are the only kind my bettas will eat, and it took quite a few tries to get them to eat those, especially after a diet of bloodworms.

They do get bloodworms every day as well.

Angelfish are lovely, and do have quite distinct personalities and intelligence as most cichlids do.