Jacko

I have always found after feeding any of my fish just a small pinch full that they swell up and sometimes die. It is supposed to be because of them expanding in their stomachs though I soaked mine before hand too.

Chief_waterchanger

I hope my post didn't sound like I was saying what you said isn't a proper observance of your experiences.

I understand tiny tidbits that don't even register as pertinent can influence things such as how my fish respond to certain foods versus someone else's fish. Their situations are different, therefore their responses verywell may be also. We feed small pinches and usually the fish we feed them to only get probably 3-4 a piece before they are all gone, if that many. A tank with 10 adult guppies getting a small pinch for example.

Jacko

Okay then, you use it as a treat for your fish right?

cuteusagi

Thank you all so much for all your wonderful help!!! To my absolute amazement this morning, I checked on our Bolivian, and he was fine!! Fins were no longer clamped, he was swimming around, and looked active and healthy (still thin, but healthy!). I have no idea what happened between a few days ago and today to cause all the physical symptoms to go away, but I know he's still not getting the proper nutrition he needs and we're still going to separate him into his own private tank tonight to get him eating some brine shrimp and wean him into eating the other foods.

When I was at my lfs today, I told them what was going on, and they said that he should still be going to the surface for food, and if that's not happening, then there is something he is not happy with or is too intimidated to go to the surface for food. They believed that it wasn't the actual food so much as the environment. They also suggested moving him and using the brine shrimp for a while. Any thoughts on this possibility?

Jacko

Good to hear that!!

Also, good that your lfs can back up our advice here. Even if it is for another reason. Like once while I was in there they told me the only thing to feed my danios was their most expensive frozen food! Meh, heres to a swift recovery!!!

cuteusagi

I think he'll be ok...I'm going to start him on some frozen brine shrimp tomorrow, and today he did eat some of the small cichlid pellets from the surface of the water!!! He ate all 3!!!! I was so happy, and now I'm wondering if there is some kind of intimidation going on in the tank that stops him from going to the surface. The only thing I can think is that it is the danio activity or the angelfish (although the angel usually eats separately from the danios). Could this keep him from wanting to go to the surface for food? If so, will we ever be able to put him back in the big tank??

Jacko

The danios could possibly intimidate him from the surface but that wouldn't explain why he didn't eat the pellets you dropped in to the water for him.

cuteusagi

Quick Update: I've been feeding the Bolivian frozen brine shrimp, and he has taken to them very well!!! His tummy is full every time after I feed him, and he is doing very well!!! I'm going to keep this up for a while, and then start re-introducing him to the flake and pellets. Hopefully he'll take to them!!

Jacko

GOOD!!! Glad to hear he is doing better! I know my GBR's loved shrimp pellets, just didn't know about bolivians. Never fed them any.

cuteusagi

Well, I've tried reintroducing him to the cichlid pellets and the flakes, and he is still spitting them out consistently!!! I really want to get him to the point that I can put him back in the bigger tank, but I'm worried because of how he's eating. If I put the brine shrimp in the big tank, the zebra danios and the angelfish usually devour it in a matter of seconds, and I want to make sure he gets some too if put back in the big tank.

Any ideas on how to get him to not spit out the other food types?