View Full Version : New to Dats...help
islander671
06-04-2005, 4:21 AM
I recently got a Siamese Tiger..is it normal for him to just wait around for feeders? Should i be concerned that he doesnt pursue his meal? or is this how they normally eat? He eats alot, but he waits for the feeder to come to him. He shows no interest in prepared food.
he also tends to rest slighlty tilted to one side. He was ordered online and had a really bad trip getting here. He almost didnt make it. Ive researched what i could but couldnt find any real answers. Can any one help? Thanks
pufferking
06-04-2005, 9:18 AM
they eat alot
piranha45
06-04-2005, 9:26 AM
Don't feed him feeder goldfish, they are unhealthy and a bad staple diet for any predatory fish. Consider feeding him guppies if they are cheap and readily available to you, but otherwise I'd let the guy starve for a week or three until he breaks down and eats market shrimp and cut piece of fish fillet, wouldn't hurt to try pellets first either...
He's a new fish so he's still adjusting to the new tank; and he's still shy.
This is a normal behavior, as long as he's eating, he should be fine.
Once he get over his shyness and fear, you can start feeding him shrimp or other foods (however, I almost never heard of tigers eating pellets or any such prepared foods).
rayman45
06-04-2005, 12:00 PM
they eat alot
agreed
islander671
06-04-2005, 1:19 PM
Don't feed him feeder goldfish, they are unhealthy and a bad staple diet for any predatory fish. Consider feeding him guppies if they are cheap and readily available to you, but otherwise I'd let the guy starve for a week or three until he breaks down and eats market shrimp and cut piece of fish fillet, wouldn't hurt to try pellets first either...
Yea I stay away from goldfish. i didnt know they were unhealthy though, i just didnt like the mess they made after being eaten. My tiger normally feeds on rosy reds or ghost shrimp. but I can only get them in small sizes so he has to eat alot of them. takes him forever to eat because he wont come out of his cave. the rosy red has to wander near him before he eats it.
islander671
06-04-2005, 1:24 PM
He's a new fish so he's still adjusting to the new tank; and he's still shy.
This is a normal behavior, as long as he's eating, he should be fine.
Once he get over his shyness and fear, you can start feeding him shrimp or other foods (however, I almost never heard of tigers eating pellets or any such prepared foods).
Yea he needs to stop being shy, he shares a 75 G with an 9" Clown knife (plan to move the clown to a 125 G when i get back from deployment) the knife eats most of what comes into the tank because the tiger wont leave his cave, which by the way, used to be the clown knifes cave until i introduced the Tiger and he kicked the clown out. hehe.
Steve_89
06-05-2005, 4:00 AM
This is normal behaviour like the others have said.
You might find that as soon as you turn the lights out he becomes very active??
Try and get your dat onto prawns or shrimp like the others said.
DW about the slanting. Its normal aswell.
give e new guy some time to adjust to e new environment... as for feeding, try to feed it after abt a week... siamese tigers r hardy fishes... so nt to worry too much... give it enough care n e rite conditions n u will be rewarded with its potential display of colours...
RockyGoldy
06-05-2005, 7:48 AM
If you wan it to be less frightened of the new environment, try putting a driftwood (bogwood) in the tank so that the Dat can hide in there...
it will then slowly wean into feeding..by darting out from the hiding place..feed and darting back again....in about a week..it should be free swimming in your tank.
islander671
06-05-2005, 11:51 AM
This is normal behaviour like the others have said.
You might find that as soon as you turn the lights out he becomes very active??
Try and get your dat onto prawns or shrimp like the others said.
DW about the slanting. Its normal aswell.
ok thanks, yea i have noticed that at night he is more active, is he naturally a nocturnal fish? do you guys know any good websites with info on Dats? alot of the ones ive come across have conflicting info.
islander671
06-05-2005, 11:54 AM
give e new guy some time to adjust to e new environment... as for feeding, try to feed it after abt a week... siamese tigers r hardy fishes... so nt to worry too much... give it enough care n e rite conditions n u will be rewarded with its potential display of colours...
yea i would love for mine look like some of the ones ive seen on this site.
islander671
06-05-2005, 11:58 AM
If you wan it to be less frightened of the new environment, try putting a driftwood (bogwood) in the tank so that the Dat can hide in there...
it will then slowly wean into feeding..by darting out from the hiding place..feed and darting back again....in about a week..it should be free swimming in your tank.
Thanks for the info, he has a driftwood cave but its a little small, it used to belong to my knife but the tiger kicked him out of it. im going to the LFS in lawton today, will see if they have something bigger over there.
RockyGoldy
06-05-2005, 12:04 PM
Thanks for the info, he has a driftwood cave but its a little small, it used to belong to my knife but the tiger kicked him out of it. im going to the LFS in lawton today, will see if they have something bigger over there.
Sure..do keep us updated on the progress.
bsplenden
06-06-2005, 10:07 AM
ok thanks, yea i have noticed that at night he is more active, is he naturally a nocturnal fish? do you guys know any good websites with info on Dats? alot of the ones ive come across have conflicting info.
They are more active at night. But if you want them to be active during the day, then feed them only when you switch on the tank lights. So that they will know that there will be food when the lights are on. Then they will be more active during lights on after a while.
redtailfool
06-06-2005, 10:29 AM
i would also like to add that they are ambush predators, they like to stay in a corner or a shaded area, waits for a fish to come by and then SNAP ! .. fish is gone.
RockyGoldy
06-06-2005, 10:43 AM
i would also like to add that they are ambush predators, they like to stay in a corner or a shaded area, waits for a fish to come by and then SNAP ! .. fish is gone.
Yeah..this is why i mention, give them as many hiding place as possible...
but once they are in their adult size...they dun hide anymore..the just come to u during feeding...