Feeding & hatchetfish

[kristap]

I have had my 4 hatchets for almost a month now. They have about 13 other tetras & danios for company in my 48G tank and they appear healthy, for the most part, to my untrained eye.

I'm concerned that they might not be getting enough food and am worried that I overfeed in order to keep the danios & tetras busy so that the hatchets can get to some food. I use flake food and frozen bloodworms 1x week.

Outside of putting enough food on the surface to ensure they get some portion, is there any better way to get food to them or give them something the smaller/faster fish wont eat?

 

[Meredith]

I have the same worries about my hatchetfish. If I am feeding frozen bloodworms, which tend to sink, I also feed flake at the same time or freeze dried bloodworms. These float for a longer period of time so I know the hatchets are getting some. Something else I want to try is freeze dried daphnia but I havent gotten around to trying it yet.

 

[jrp1588]

Back when i had hatchets they were rabid feeders. If they are being shy...maybe you could feed in 2 different areas of the tank at the same time. I've tried it before and it worked fairly well. The hyper fish went after the first food put in, then while they are busy w/ that, but in a bit more food on the other side of the tank. Usually the more shy fish will notice and come on over.

 

[talloulou]

Feed them crickets. Hatchetfish love crickets! Buy the tiny crickets at the petstore and toss them in the tank. Crickets are the only food type that my hatchetfish get aggressive over. The live crickets will swim a little on the top of the water and the hatchetfish will go nuts.

 

[BrianNY]

You can also buy live wingless fruit flies and freeze mosquito larvae. Both are ideal foods for any surface feeding species.

 

[kristap]

Crickets? That sounds kinda fun, actually - I'll try that. I'd like to get them excited about eating something!

I have been using jrp1588's plan which is to put food into 2 parts of the tank at the same time or even staggered but ... those danios are quick!

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

Try sinking some of the flakes. This distracts the danios leaving the floating stuff to the hatchets.

 

[Meredith]

Where does one buy wingless fruit flies?