Feeding or not feeding Mbunas

[WendiDell]

I had to leave for a few days and my daughter fed the fish for me. She fed them WAAAAAY to much and 3 days later I came home to not bloated but fat fish. It's a good thing I wasn't gone longer.
I've been trying for two weeks to thin them down and it's slow going. I only feed every 2 days and not much. I wouldn't even do that but some of my fish are still small and need food.
But my real problem is my very young Green Dragon BN Plecos. They are very small and need to be feed more than every 2 days. The problem has been that my Mbunas absolutely love the NLS wafers. They steal them every time I feed my GDBN, even if they've just been feed themselves. They steal them from the BN's then from each other. I've tried hiding the wafers under things that only the BN can get to, but the Mbunas just dig them up.
My question is, how do I feed my GDBN and not let the Mbunas get at it?

 

[joel618]

Lol same question. My mbuna will barely let my synodontis eat.

 

[WendiDell]

Lol same question. My mbuna will barely let my synodontis eat.

They love those dang wafer's don't they? It's like watching a socker game as they take the wafer away from one another.

 

[cebo]

Well, if you still have this problem, IMHO, I'd separate underfed from overfed and carry on until your goal is achieved. But since this is August 2011 and you posted in January, you probably have it all worked out by now.

 

[WendiDell]

Well, if you still have this problem, IMHO, I'd separate underfed from overfed and carry on until your goal is achieved. But since this is August 2011 and you posted in January, you probably have it all worked out by now.

HUH???
I joined in January but I posted 2 days ago. But either way separation isn't an option, since the Mbunas steal the wafers everyday and get fat eating the Pleco food. My daughter over feeding for those few days made it worse but this has been a struggle for a while now.
I, and now we, need to know how to keep the Mbunas away from the food for other fish. I can't take the Plecos out every time I want to feed them, the stress alone would kill them.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Dont feed the plecos... I dont... never have. And, I wouldn't have anybody feed fish if you're only gone for 3 days, mine go 3 days without food regularly.

 

[mattrox]

Don't feed for a couple days. IF your plecos need food, feed at night after all the lights have been out for hours and the rest of the fish are asleep.

 

[WendiDell]

Don't feed for a couple days. IF your plecos need food, feed at night after all the lights have been out for hours and the rest of the fish are asleep.

That's a good idea. I don't worry to much about my adult BN, but I have 2 still very small Green Dragon Plecos. I want to be sure they get great nutrition while they mature. Nutrition is so important for the young.
But with Plecos being on the nocturnal side, feeding late at night while the Mbunas are sleeping makes a lot of sense. Plus I keep vampire hours myself so feeding at 2-3 am won't be a problem for me.
Thank you, I'll give that a try and let you know if it works.

 

[Flossie]

That's a good idea. I don't worry to much about my adult BN, but I have 2 still very small Green Dragon Plecos. I want to be sure they get great nutrition while they mature. Nutrition is so important for the young.
But with Plecos being on the nocturnal side, feeding late at night while the Mbunas are sleeping makes a lot of sense. Plus I keep vampire hours myself so feeding at 2-3 am won't be a problem for me.
Thank you, I'll give that a try and let you know if it works.

Ok so like I sorta had the same problem. I try and feed algae wafers to my pleco every other night.. I have a turn out the light, drop it behind the rock, kind of technique... My cichlids are crazy
About them and probably still find them so
I just started adding 2 algae wafers lol. I try and do it at night! However... I ( being chubby and all ) don't like for something to be hungry. Haha I know I over feed...

I think I would worry about my plecos not eating as well.

Have u tried zucchini?? I'm
Sure u have...

Oh and also peas seem to help slim them down IME ( but u know I'm a newbie and all )

 

[WendiDell]

Ok so like I sorta had the same problem. I try and feed algae wafers to my pleco every other night.. I have a turn out the light, drop it behind the rock, kind of technique... My cichlids are crazy
About them and probably still find them so
I just started adding 2 algae wafers lol. I try and do it at night! However... I ( being chubby and all ) don't like for something to be hungry. Haha I know I over feed...

I think I would worry about my plecos not eating as well.

Have u tried zucchini?? I'm
Sure u have...

Oh and also peas seem to help slim them down IME ( but u know I'm a newbie and all )

The Food I feed has zucchini and peas in it already. I'm only feeding them every 2 days right now and every other after they slim down.
My problem was, no matter how may wafers I put in for my baby Plecos, the Mbunas would eat them all. I could never feed the Mbunas and they'd still get enough to eat. Just not the right stuff.
But if I feed my baby green Dragon BN Plecos at 2:00am, when the Mbunas have been asleep for hours, I think the GDBN may actually get some of the wafer. I'm always awake at that time anyway so it's not a big deal.

 

[jetajockey]

Dont feed the plecos... I dont... never have. And, I wouldn't have anybody feed fish if you're only gone for 3 days, mine go 3 days without food regularly.

I don't feed my BN plecos either, at least not specifically, I'm sure they scavenge some pellets that make it to the bottom. They stay fat and breeding and the fry are all fine.

 

[WendiDell]

I don't feed my BN plecos either, at least not specifically, I'm sure they scavenge some pellets that make it to the bottom. They stay fat and breeding and the fry are all fine.

They are only a few months old and for now I want to make sure they are getting at least some of the right nutrition. I know I'm not over feeding. There is never any leftover food when I vacuum the gravel. Except of course when my daughter was watching the fish. When I came home I did a lot of gravel vacuuming in all the tanks and got a couple weeks worth of food out.
The tanks are back to normal and the Mbunas are Veeerrryyy slowly slimming down. Although I have 3 females that just spit out fry so they are very thin.
It's getting ridiculous, I feel like I need like four more tanks at feeding time. One for the younger fish that barely get to the leftovers. One for the Mama's that need to rebuild their strength. Another for the Baby GDBN & one for the 4 big boys that eat the most and could stand being fed once a week. And then the ones in the middle that are only big right now because of the short overfeeding.
Oh well enough complaining about my weird fish. It will work it's self out, it always does.