Tiger Barb feeders

[DGabbs]

Hey everyone,

A couple weeks ago i got a new set of Jr. tiger barbs. They are still really small so i wasn't sure how they would react to live food, but all of the tiger barbs i have had in the past love live food.

We live on a lake and around our dock there are thousands of those little pinhead minnows. They are only about a half an inch long and very slender.

Anyways, put about 40 of them in the tank with six jr. tigers and within 20 second every last one was gone. I have never seen little barbs freak out that much for food!!! It was insane. I could tell that they were really happy after, and when i woke up in the morning, their colors we unbelievable. I have never seen barbs with such defined stripes and bright orange fins.

I'm really happy with this feeding methode and i think i will try to do it once every other week if i can.

Just reporting the success. If you have a source of pinheads feed them to your barbs!

They look like this-- (NOT MY PHOTO)

 

[foster53]

Live food is great for most tropicals, however there is a chance you could intoduce pathogens, or parasites from the minnows, or lake water into your aquarium. Not trying to be a downer, just a thought!!

 

[DGabbs]

Ya totally get what your saying. I always net them from the lake and put them right in a jug of tank water and QT them for 1 day and then net them and put them in the tank.

Its a risk, but tiger barbs are tough and I've never had an issue.

 

[foster53]

Live food does do wonders for fish, thats for sure!! Hope everything keeps going well for you, and your fish.

 

[DGabbs]

Thanks, thats why i'm not going to do it that often (1-2 a month), but i certainly will take every precaution posible.

 

[DGabbs]

Maybe i should run the minnows through a UV filter.

 

[jetajockey]

What kind of staple food do they get? Normally a high quality pellet staple like NLS brings out color just as well. I don't have an issue with feeding live, but I usually only do it with picky species.

 

[DGabbs]

I usually feed tiger barbs high quality flake and bloodworms. I just think its fun to feed live feeders...

 

[jetajockey]

I don't have an ethical issue with that, I was just addressing the lack of color you mentioned. I do suggest quarantine for feeders as wild fish have diseases and parasites that can be transferred to your fish.

Best of luck.

 

[DGabbs]

I don't have an ethical issue with that, I was just addressing the lack of color you mentioned. I do suggest quarantine for feeders as wild fish have diseases and parasites that can be transferred to your fish.

Best of luck.

Hi, I wouldn't say there was a lack of color in them, they just looked like any old tiger barbs, but after I feed them minnows, the next morning they were just glowing with color. I can tell when they are stress (after weekly water changes) because their stripes fade and there's no orange in their fins.

Thanks