Feeding Carnivorous Fish Live Food

[Puriti]

I was just wondering if anyone had like a good rule of thumb for how big the prey should be in comparison to the animal and how often to feed live prey. I have a 7-8" senegal bichir and I was just pondering the idea of giving him live food every once and a while

 

[Jarred Darque]

I feed my bichirs live food. Bichirs can realisticly eat anything that is up to 2/3s their body length, but a fish that is 4-5 inches may be hard for him to catch. Mine are 5-6 inches, and I feed them guppies, rosy reds, and ghost shrimp, they can eat about 10 a day actually. If you are jus ttsarting to feed them live food, get ready to start seeing some growth spurts. mine get live food every couple of months. And they get forzen silversides every other week. They go through growth spurts after ever feeding of live fish, and when I started them on the silversides, tehy started another growth spurt.

At one time, I only had 1 in there, and it took him months to go through all the live food in the tank, when I put in another bichir, tehy clear the same amount of food in a few days now...with the help of a few carniverous catfish as well.

 

[Fruitbat]

Personally, I never feed my bichirs with live fish because I don't want to risk introducing any internal or external parasites or bacterial infections to my prized fish. I do reguarly feed my bichirs with live earthworms which they seem to enjoy quite a bit. The majority of the time, however, they are fed frozen foods and Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets.

-Joe

 

[Jarred Darque]

I breed my own..well..technically..my own feeders. majority of thie rdiet is shrimp pellets

when I say technically. I ahve my own tank at the LFS, where they breed feeders for me. they never introduce new stock to the tank, and I am the only one who gets the fish out of it.

 

[7Enigma]

I breed my own..well..technically..my own feeders. majority of thie rdiet is shrimp pellets

when I say technically. I ahve my own tank at the LFS, where they breed feeders for me. they never introduce new stock to the tank, and I am the only one who gets the fish out of it.

Wow! That's quite the arrangement. Quick question though, is the tank on the central filtration system or is it self-contained (ie HOB or canister filter)?

 

[Idealconcepts]

Fruitbat is correct on the feeders potentially carrying a disease. The GF had a 28-30inch Silver Aro that she feed feeders a few years back, before we met, and it died. She found out later the place she bought the feeders at had other problems also. You should quarantine your feeders for 2-3weeks or grow your own. An alternative is to use un-cooked market shrimp, its cheep and one shrimp but in half or thirds is enough for 2-3 6-8 inch birchers. Just remove the shell and tale, and head if it is still attached.

 

[Jarred Darque]

my LFS is great. ALL their tanks, fresh and salt, are on independant filtration systems, and any new fish get put aon amandatory 2 week quarantine, and any signs of illness in a tank that isnt on quarantine gets put on another 2 week quarantine. Great place.

 

[Puriti]

Well I can't prove this for a fact but I have reason to believe that he's eaten two 2" CAE, a 1" molly, and a betta fish because they all went missing (I just assumed they jumped out at first but since I have no idea where they went and still can't find them >__>) and he has decapitated a molly before... as of then he's got his own tank LOL He normally eats soft pellets with krill or frozen food though @__@ I know what you're gonna say.... why'd you put him in with other fish???? but the thing is he's got more meals out of NEW fish I buy not the old ones...except the 1" male molly >.< but he's got his own tank now because I can't feed my other fish his food anymore and I don't need anymore meals out of my other ones -___- lol

Thanks for your help though... I'll try the earthworm thing sometime too when it's warmer or I go to a bait shop o-o