Feeding zebra loaches

I have had zebra loaches in quarantine for a week now. They all look great still I’m surprised how much darker they have gotten in color in a week. Anyway, my question is…..what do you feed your loaches? These guys only seem to go for frozen blood worms, BBS, daphnia, the small ramshorn snails and I can sometimes get them to eat spiraluna flakes. I’m looking for a sinking pellet to hopefully get them to eat before I put them in the big tank. I have tried algae wafers and hikari carnivore sinking pellets, bug bites but they seem to skip right over them. I can’t seem to find repashy anywhere around me. I’m willing to order or try anything because it will get eaten by other fish If not. I’m trying to avoid flakes because my QT tank is having ammonia/nitrite issues and I’m doing daily water changes. A201 Any advice?

 

I feed all my fish New life Spectrum Thera +A & Omega One small grain Cichlid sinking pellets.
The Thera +A are tiny pellets, heavily laced with garlic, which is anti parasitic & an appetite stimulant.
If your QT tank is having parameter problems, maybe it would be better to transfer the Loaches to the display tank. Most Loaches are hardy long lived fish, but they require very stable water parameters. Weakened Botias are Ich magnets.

 

If your QT tank is having parameter problems, maybe it would be better to transfer the Loaches to the display tank. Most Loaches are hardy long lived fish, but they require very stable water parameters. Weakened Botias are Ich magnets.

Was very much considering doing that today. Was worried because they have only been in quarantine for a week, but they are very lively and look great. I think I’ll just move them. Thanks!!! I’ll order some of that food.

 

IMO, Unless a QT tank is permanently set up & maintained, the plop and drop method of acclimation is probably a better option.
An uncycled, bare QT tank, requiring daily water changes, can be very stressful to new arrivals & cause more harm than good.
Be sure to post pics once the Loaches get settled in.

 

IMO, Unless a QT tank is permanently set up & maintained, the plop and drop method of acclimation is probably a better option.
An uncycled, bare QT tank, requiring daily water changes, can be very stressful to new arrivals & cause more harm than good.
Be sure to post pics once the Loaches get settled in.

I have had that QT tank running since spring, but I moved all of the fish and plants out a month ago and I think I crashed the cycle and thought it was fine. I moved them to the display tank a few hours ago and everyone is still swimming! Hope I didn’t stress them out.

 

They look very healthy w/ good color.

 

They look very healthy w/ good color.

Oh they are spunky and healthy alright…..had to move my nerites to another tank. They were immediately picking at them.

 

I love these fish. When I had them, they were eating anything I put in the tank and they were not shy about it.
Agree, yours look nice and healthy.

 

New piece of wood in the tank they have been inspecting it for an hour.
A201 btw thanks for that food suggestion they all love it especially my plecos!