trentiusmaximus

My red tailed sharks are not eating. I have 2 in a community tank with 3 tiger barbs, 2 chinese algae eaters and 1 pleco. They have not eaten anything in the 3 days that i have had them. I try to feed tetramin flakes but the barbs whorde the food and they dont seem interested in it anyway. They seem like they had fun chasing each other around the tank and enjoying all the free space because they were kept in a 6 gallon tank with 30 other fish at the pet store that i rescued them from. Now they are all mellow. What should i do?

Drea

What size tank are they in? Did you start the tank up new? It could be alot of things. Do you have a water test kit? filter? heater?
If you read/review the beginner info here at the forum, maybe something you are or aren't doing is the problem. Give us more info when you post with a problem, it will let us try and help you quicker

trentiusmaximus

20 gallon i think, but i am just holding some of the fish for a friend, he will have his tank cycled up in 5 days now. Whisper filter came with this kit along with the tank heater and everything. NO water test kit. temps are 76 degrees. Enough places to hide. I did start the tank up new. anything else?

KittieKat

my red tail doesnt really eat flake... he likes sinking wafers, sinking algae wafers, live black worms (his favorite) and blanched zucchini... give them a try.. im sure they'll love u for it

Drea

Without a test kit, it's hard to help much, because the fish could be in stress from bad water parameters. It could be that whoever had them before you gave them certain types of food that you don't use. They might do better with some lettuce leaf, or cucumber slices, or zucchini, Do you see red gills? bloated bellies? white poo, which can mean internal parasites?

trentiusmaximus

Excuse me, but what the heck is blanched zucchini? I am so stressed with finals and everything and i made the biggest mistake of purchasing fish thinking that they were easy to take care of. Oh well, im willing to work hard to care for them properly. Thanks for your help by the way. It only makes things for me easier.

Drea

OK try to be calm , we will try and help you. blanching is taking a few slices of veggie and boiling it in water for 2-3 minutes.

trentiusmaximus

Oh yeah, i got them from petco. Probably the worst mistake ive made. They kept like 25-30 of them in a 6 or 8 gallon allong with some other fish. Darn petco and their awesome prices for horribly cared for animals. Their leapard ghekos are all dead in their tank and i knew it was a mistake to buy these fish but i just wanted these sharks so bad. I have kept a tank before, about 4-5 years ago and all my fish survived. But i moved and got rid of the fish so i though i could get a new tank and such now. Anyone have any refresher tips? I have never used a water test kit and all my fish always survived.

KittieKat

blanched zucchini is just zucchini (the veggie) that u cut into slices and boil for a minute or two until it looks like its sinking.. take it out and put the slices into ice cold water(yes including ice) to let them cool down.. if they sink then go ahead and toss them into the tank.. if not then just toss them into the hot water again for a minute and repeat the process... fish like it when the slices sink.

only throw a couple pieces in at a time.. after like 2 days if any bits remain TAKE THEM OUT.. its really bad for the tank.. you can feed zucchini all the time but be sure to vary their diet as well..

they love live black worms!! most LFS have their own cultures and sell portions for just a couple bucks... they need protein and veggies in their diet to make sure they get all the nutrients to survive..

trentiusmaximus

Thanks again. I can feel the overwhelming stress become less. Deep breaths. IN AND OUT, In Andd Out, in and out....

KittieKat

im sure you'll be fine.. i love my red tail to death and im positive you'll love yours... although as they grow they might become more aggressive towards one another.. just as an FYI

trentiusmaximus

I will try the zuchinni and try to pick up some black worms tomorrow when i can go to the store. Anyone have any tips on how to get past my barbs? Those things are speedy pigs. Will they try to eat the black worms as i put them in the tank or anything else that should go just to the sharks?

KittieKat

umm well all fish love black worms... its just natural for them but if u feed flake first the barbs might fill up enough to not want too many black worms..

if that doesnt work u could use the "turkey baster" method... u just buy a baster JUST FOR YOUR TANK (that would be a horrible thanksgiving otherwise) and suck up some worms and bring the end of it near ur sharks and squeeze the end.. they will learn pretty quickly that the huge weird thingy in the water gives them food!!...

trentiusmaximus

Yeah, i might try the baster. Just to give you guys a hint about my barbs, i overfed them to try and get flakes down to my sharks. But they ate the falling flakes anyways. So i pinched some flakes and reach in and spread them lower so that the flakes would sink to the bottom. THe barbs still picked off the flakes from the bottom. Even as the hood of my tank was open they were axsiously awaiting their next meal by hovering and circling about the top of the tank. I dont think im going to feed them tomorrow.

trentiusmaximus

WHoot!!! Thanks Kittiekat and Drea for your suggestions. It only took 5 minutes for my sharks to realize that blanched zucchini is food. Now they nip and tackle the barbs that try to get a taste. Now they wont starve on me. THey are active again. I feel they weight lifted off my shoulders. IM going to pick up a water test kit and new thermometer as soon as i can. (I wont need a hygrometer will I? jk) Thanks for all the suggestions. Oh yeah, my little pleco died from injuries received when he was chased into my pumice rock. I have had him for only a week :' ( I replaced the rock with a much smoother one too.

Drea

Sad you lost little pleco too. But...Awesome we're all glad things are working for your sharks. Keep posting for any guidance we're here for ya!

KittieKat

sorry to hear about ur pleco.. truly are cute fishies...

congrats with the zucchini success!! dont forget to get black worms! fishies love to wrestle with them!