Striped Raphael eating issue?

[spyyro]

I bought my Striped Raphael probably 7-8 months ago and I haven't seen him eat.... ever! He doesn't come out when I feed and I've even fed algae wafers after dark and he never even moves out of his hiding spot (which is clung, upside down under my piece of artificial driftwood). What does he eat? He seems to have grown considerably since I bought him. Any ideas? The only time I see him out of his hiding spot is early in the morning sometimes as soon as I get up. He doesn't even stay out long then and returns to his spot pretty soon. Thanks for any info or help?

 

[rich311k]

If you have had him for 7 months and he is growing then he is eating. Just keep doing what you are doing, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

 

[Jarred Darque]

They dont eat algae wafers. He is a predatory fish. he will occasionally snack on small sleeping fish, but more than likely shrimp pellets. that is what mine eat. I see them once every few months

 

[spyyro]

Jarred, do you feed shrimp pellets after lights out in your tank for him to eat? If so, I guess I'll need to start doing that for him. I just wonder because he never moves from that spot. I've been up late before and seen him out (a couple hours after lights out) and I've dropped food in before and it's actually landed right next to him and he doesn't budge. Is there anything else that I could possibly feed him? Something that will make him "move" at feeding time?

 

[Zagz]

I've never seen mine eat but he is FAT!!!! I'm sure sometimes he eats fry the cichlids spit but that isn't a constant thing so obviously they scrounge enough food. Here is my fat cat. And no he isn't sick, he's been this fat for over a year. He's just a pig.

 

[Jarred Darque]

Wow, yours is fat my spotted gets like that sometimes.

I rarely feed the tank after lights out. most of the time I feed in the afternoons, and then algae wafers and pelets right before lights out. They get enough food. If you are up late enough, you can feed a couple hours after lights out (and the lights in the room are out) when all the other fish are asleep, so he will be the only one eating...along with any other cats and bichirs anda few other primariy nocturnal fish.

 

[Taelen]

I've had my striped Raphael since October and he has grown considerably in that time, even though I haven't seen him eat or come out from the cave he shares with my rainbow shark. I'm sure yours is just fine.

It's too bad he likes to hide so much, he really is my favorite. =)