Getting Food to the Tetras

[theotheragentm]

I have a tank with Platies and Neon Tetras. Since the Platies have such a voracious appetite and the Tetras don't seem to want to come up to the top for food, I have a hard time getting food to them. Whatever floats down gets eaten by the Tetras, but I can't guarantee it will get down to them. Other than creating a area that only the Tetras can get into, how else can I get food to them?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[tropicalfish]

Well, I really don't care too much about if my fish get ALL the food. I would feed some food dry, dip a teeny portion of some food in water then drop it in to sink slowly, also some bottom food. The fish will naturally become more wanting to eat when they are more hungry so they will come to it themselves.

 

[Esra]

Put the flaskes in a glass of the tank water and leave it there for about 30minutes.

The food becomes water logged and will sink to the bottom once added to the tank.

Then feed the Platies the normal food at one end of the tank and pour the food from the glass in the other. The tetras should have no problem getting it.

 

[fish 'n' fries]

Another thing you can try is to feed on one side of the tank...get the platys there...then feed some more on the other for the neons. I also have some micropellets from Hikari that are "slowly sinking" which seem to provide a chance at some food for my fish that only want to eat in the middle (my danios do the same as your platys).

 

[theotheragentm]

Thanks for your replies. I've done the "fake out" method, where I feed on one side of the tank first, and then drop some food for the Tetras on the other side. I also figured the fish would want to eat more as they are not getting all their food right now.

 

[Gplayerz]

I had that same problem, i just put flakes in and after a while the tetras would dart up and grab some, i guess they got hungry enough to get some.

 

[ksfishguy]

I would pick up some Tetramin Crisps, break them up in your fingers as you feed, they tend to sink fast. My neons really like them as well. Another idea is to put some Tetra Tablets and Shrimp Pellets in the tank. When they start to break up the fish will come down to the bottom and eat, at least mine do.

 

[7Enigma]

I feed my flake food from a dixie cup. I put the crushed flakes in the cup, fill the cup 1/3 with tank water, and swish it around for about 5 seconds. That's all it takes to wet the food, I then fill the cup 3/4 full, and pour across the tank from one side to the other.

What this does is drop the food at several different tank levels all over the tank. Even my 6 tiger barbs that would eat my hand if they though it was food can't get everything, and even my most timid cherry barbs get adequate food.

I do this will all of my freeze-dried foods as well for a 2-fold reason. 1 it should prevent constipation since dry food will expand when it gets wet, and 2 it helps some of the FD food to sink since it normally floats where only the tiger barbs eat.

HTH