Feeding troubles?

I just got back fr4om my LFS an hour or so ago. I finished acclimating the fish half an hour ago, which were eight Diamond Tetras. I thought I would try something new with food, so I bought a small tub of King British Tropical Fish Pellets and a small tub of King British Tubifex Worms. It said to stick a cube of tubifex worms to the side of the glass, and put in a few pellets. Well, the pellets are about the same size as the eyes of my Diamonds and Neons, so too big for them. And the tubifex wouldn't stick to the glass, it floated to the top, and none of the fish gave it a passing glance. How can I get my fish to eat the tubifex worms? And, since these pellets are too big for the tetras and I've run out of flake food, how can I feed them? I don't have money for flake food until next week.

 

Most animals eyes are smaller than their mouths. Have you tried feeding them the pellets??

 

I have tried feeding them, they tried to eat them but they were too big to fit in. The only fish that ate them were the rams, gourami and plec. The Diamond's ignored them. And everyone ignored the tubifex worms.

 

You could try putting some of the pellets in a bag and use a rolling pin on them to break them up. If rolling with pressure doesn't work to break them up, a couple of smacks with the rolling pin should do it. I don't like to feed my fish tubifex worms. They are raised in sewer conditions and can carry nasties. I prefer bloodworm or brine shrimp. But that's just me.

 

I too don't feed tubifex worms.

 

I fed bloodworm once earlier this week, my fish ignored it. They actually never went near it, avoiding the area. Thanks for the info on pellets, Tootsie.

 

Strange, I thought everybody liked bloodworm! LOL Maybe you just have some really picky eaters. Do you have any spirulina discs you could powder up a bit? The powder should float on the surface, maybe they would go for something like that. Tempting them into at least eating something would be a bonus.

 

I'd give it some time. I've had some fish that didn't eat for day or more after being transitioned to a new tank.

 

They eat Aquarian Flake Food, and the bigger fish will eat King British Pellets. Spirunlina discs, no I don't, but after checking what Spirunlina is, I might have to get them. Diamond Tetras and Neon Tetras will eat them?

EDIT: Jetajockey, my neons, some of whom have been in the tank for over six months, aren't eating the tubifex either.

 

A lot of fish enjoy spirulina flakes. If you can get some of them you wouldn't need to powder discs and there'd be less chance of messing up the tank. I'm not sure it should be their staple food though, you might want to check into that. I like to feed Aqueon Tropical Flakes. It uses natural colour enhancers such as salmon and they include garlic to strengthen the fish's immune system as my staple food. It did take a while for my Cardinal Tetra's to take to it, but they eventually did. I use these other foods to offer variety.

 

Thanks, Tootsie. I've just checked eBay, and if we have it here, it will be on eBay. It's not. It's a shame we don't have Aqueon, NLS, or OmegaOne over here. I think staple will be King British Flakes (small fish) and Pellets (big fish), Spirinula discs, and Algae wafers.

 

my fish don't eat dried shrimp. I've never attempted tubifex.

 

Well, if you get the discs and powder them, I'd be willing to bet your tetra's would enjoy it, but I would just use it to add variety because I'm not sure it includes all the goodies they need in a staple food. It's nice to offer variety though, because they respond in such different ways to different foods. Unfortunately, we all have to work with what is available to us, but be on the look out, you never know when these other products will become available to you. At one time all I could get here was Tetra Min

Fish are kind of funny though, sometimes (as with my Cardinals...notoriously picky eaters) you have to offer the same food over and over before they will take to it. It's like they don't really recognize it as a good food source, until it has been offered a few times. So if you want them to eat the pellets, you may have to offer it and only it for a few days before they eat it. They won't starve or be harmed in any way if they don't eat for a few days, but if it seems to go on too long for your liking, try something else to see if they don't go after it, and then try the pellets again in a few more days. It's been my experience that tetra's need a little convincing at times.

I really would stay away from the tubifex. Google it. There is a lot of information and even video's on how and where these things are raise, and some of the consequences of feeding this particular worm.

 

Okay, thanks. Is Tetra Min a good food to use as staple pellet/flake? And do they do colour enhancing food?

 

I agree with Toosie, tubifex worms can in some cases be harmful... I never had that problem but the couple of times I tried using the dried ones my fish never ate them anyway. If you are looking for a variety of food then you need to have a primary staple flake food as mentioned, and then go with frozen brine shrimp for a treat. Note frozen not freeze dried, and if you use it go sparingly as it will get messy otherwise. I tend to steer away from freeze dried anything, fish don't seem to go for it much.

(brine shrimp will help with coloration, as will some high quality flake foods)

 

Unfortunately, No. IMO Tetra Min is junk food. The fish eat it willingly enough, just like children eat candy but when it was all I had, I used it. I think if you google it, it is probably rated as a low quality food.

 

Unfortunately, No. IMO Tetra Min is junk food. The fish eat it willingly enough, just like children eat candy but when it was all I had, I used it. I think if you google it, it is probably rated as a low quality food.

I agree. There are several "what food is good" threads.

 

Just Googled it, people say the Colour Enhancing Flakes (TetraColor Flake) are okay, as long as you don't feed them that 100%. I've read a few things about TetraColor Flake being fed every other day, and Spirinula discs and frozen bloodworm/brine shrimp fed the days TetraColor wasn't. If you say it's low quality, I'll find something else.

Was just checking on my LFS' website, checking what food I have available to me. What do you all think about Nutrafin Max flakes?

 

Well, DJ it's kinda like I said before. You do have to work with what is available to you. Maybe if you check an E-bay site or similar from in the states or maybe even canada, you might find somebody who ships these other Higher Quality foods to individuals in the UK. Have to pay import fees mind you, but sometimes you can find deals on that too.
I don't know,... just a thought.

 

Was just checking on my LFS' website, checking what food I have available to me. What do you all think about Nutrafin Max flakes?

Some better, but still not great. Maybe I'm just prejudice though.

 

Just Googled it, people say the Colour Enhancing Flakes (TetraColor Flake) are okay, as long as you don't feed them that 100%. I've read a few things about TetraColor Flake being fed every other day, and Spirinula discs and frozen bloodworm/brine shrimp fed the days TetraColor wasn't. If you say it's low quality, I'll find something else.

I generally only use bloodworms with larger fish, not that smaller fish won't eat them, but they don't digest well and can cause digestive problems in small fish. I use brine shrimp for most fish smaller than an oscar, every fish I've had has loved brine shrimp from day one and it does help with color.

 

I was looking on eBay for the US, and the shipping fees are so high. It's £20 shipping, for that I could get a 200 gallon tub of Aquarian flakes. I'll take another look at the website, and I'll post the brands I have available.

The brands I have available: King British (bloodworm, tubifex, Fish Treats, catfish pellet, algae wafer)
Aquarian (flake, pellet)
TetraMin (just about everything they make)
Nutrafin Max (flake)
And the low quality flake food that my LFS make themselves

They also sell frozen: Bloodworm, Brine Shrimp

What would you suggest I feed?

 

Look up in the posts, I already mentioned brine shrimp =)

 

I know you mentioned Brine Shrimp, I was going to use that. Sorry, I should have said. I meant as staple.

 

No problem lol, I usually just pick whatever flake food is the best that's available at the LFS near me, I don't really have a preference other than not buying generic / low quality.

 

I think I'm just going to buy some of everything (except the LFS' own brand) and see what enhances the colours and health of my fish the most.

 

I'm not going to knock brine shrimp, I like it as one of my variety foods. However, unless a fish is a carnivore (and maybe not even then), it doesn't supply the veggies/vitamins/minerals other fish require in a staple food, so it's not a well balanced diet by itself.

But.... I've been trying to google the ingredients for Aquarian Tropical flakes, and while they claim it's an all natural food, I can't find an ingredients list. LOL Out of all of the other manufactured foods you have listed, Nutrafin Max would be my choice, unless somebody can determine what is in the Aquarian?

If you do decide to feed Brine shrimp as part of a balanced diet, you'd have to make sure you offer spirulina and plankton for vegetable sources, and soak the brine shrimp in garlic juice for added immune strengthening benefits, but I would still be concerned that they would be missing out on valuable vitamines and minerals that are not included in these food sources.

I think I'm just going to buy some of everything (except the LFS' own brand) and see what enhances the colours and health of my fish the most.

LOL, maybe that's the best way to go! LOL

 

I've got the empty tub of Aquarian here. The ingredients are: Fish and Fish Derivatives, cereals, derivatives of vegetable origin, oils and fats, algae, vegetables, minerals, molluscs and crustaceans, eggs and egg derivatives, yeasts.

 

LOL,... I don't know what to make of this derivative's stuff. Oils and fats, but it doesn't state the source. I'd probably leave it on the shelf.

Anybody else care to comment?? I'd love to hear opinions on this one.

 

I've got the empty tub of Aquarian here. The ingredients are: Fish and Fish Derivatives, cereals, derivatives of vegetable origin, oils and fats, algae, vegetables, minerals, molluscs and crustaceans, eggs and egg derivatives, yeasts.

Sounds horrible. Very low quality. Cereals? As the second ingredient? Fish do not process carbs well.

 

These are the King British Pellet ingredients: Fish and Fish Derivatives, cereals, vegetable protein extracts, minerals & vitamins, Astaxanthin 25mg/kg.

 

sounds just as bad. When looking at ingredients, the more specific the better.

look up the ingredient list for NLS. That is a high quality food.

 

Aquarian is worse than Tetra- always has been. I fed Tetra for years and my fish were fine. I would go with that if NLS is too expensive to import into the UK.

Discus keepers still feed Tetra as a staple and those are expensive fish- it can't be all bad.

 

Okay, thanks guys. When I'm down at my LFS next, I'll write down the ingredients of each food, and I'll buy some TetraColor.