Feeding slower fish

[Da Squid]

I picked up 6 albino glowlight tetra's to get a bit more color in my tank.

The LFS guy also somehow convinced me to buy two zebra loaches as well, but so far I'm really loving them. The one hides in a vertical fissure in my driftwood all day. At first I was nervous because it seems strange he could stay vertical that long, but at night when the algae wafers come out he really comes alive and goes clicking all over the place.

Back to my question though, the glowlight's seem healthy, but they arent schooling. They stay spread out in my 55 and near the middle/bottom of the tank and barely move. They just swim in place. My other fish are very aggresive eaters (particularly my fat pregnant black mollies) and I'm worried the glowlights will never get any food. Any advice? They don't seem to go for the algae waffers like the rest of my fish do. I'll try some freeze dried blood worms tonight maybe.

 

[joy13]

My tetras never come to the top to eat. I have sinking pellets to feed them you might have to break them up a little more for the glowlight tetras.

 

[Da Squid]

Ok thanks. It's only been a few days so maybe they are still taking everything in. I think I'll try buying some of those frozen foods everyone on here is always raving about as well.

 

[Da Squid]

Hmm. Still no luck. They're not going for the flake food, sinking pellets, or freeze dried blood worms. I got up early this morning to start a twice a day feeding regiment thinking that could help, but the only one benifiting from it are my piggish mollies.

I bought some frozen brine shrimp yesterday and I hear fish find that pretty irresistable. Is it best to rinse the frozen cube under tap water then toss it in? Or should I let it sit in a cup of tank water for a few minutes first?

 

[joy13]

I usually thaw the frozen food and take a paper towel to absorb the liquid since that can cause a spike in your phosphates and nitrates. Some people let it soak tank water then drain them and still others just shave some off and throw it in the tank. There really isn't any right way or wrong way.

 

[Da Squid]

Gotcha. Thanks again Joy!

 

[dkpate]

I stick the cube in a kitten feeder (looks like a syringe) and suck up some tank water, run the feeder under the hot water until it won't give my fish brain freeze anymore (lol) and actually just kind of shoot it into the tank. That way I can dose as much or as little as I want. I do have fish that don't like the shrimp, but man do they ALL love frozen bloodworms. Like a bunch of little vampires in there, they go bananas!

 

[Da Squid]

Hmm. Perhaps I'll try that next. I went with the flakes and algae pellets today and the glow lights STILL didnt eat. I put them in sunday so thats a good three days now without food. You'd think they'd be acting ravenous.

 

[dkpate]

My Harlequins won't eat if the gourami is anywhere near where I drop the food. So I try to wait until he is busy pestering someone else to put in the mico pellets I got for them. They really, really like those too. I got them off drsfostersmith.com. Made by Hikari. And they are little bitty so they have a chance to float all around the tank and everyone is usually able to get some of them.