Clown loaches induce feeding?

ShadowBass

Feeder Fish
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Jan 13, 2007
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Poplar Bluff, MO
As I've posted before my 16 baby dats would ONLY eat dried krill.

Well, I'm running out of krill and there's only a few tiny bits and pieces left, so a little while ago I decided to try some of the frozen foods I have again.

First I tried some glass worms, figuring they still wouldn't eat it. Nope, nothing, UNTIL the clown loaches decided to come up and start snarfing it down. The 5 little clown loaches went into a feeding frenzing swimming around frantically looking for each and every piece of food.
One of the dats noticed that they were eating everything and started swimming around with them and eating. I was surprised when he didn't spit any of it out :eek:
Some of the other dats noticed him eating with the clowns and decided to try it out. A lot of the dats still spit it out but some of them started eating it.
It seems like every time I put more in one more dat decided to eat some.
The smallest dats, which are the pickiest are even holding it in their mouth longer than they usually do with other foods. One of them swallowed the same piece and spit it out about 10 times, so I think he was at least considering it.

Next I tried some mysis shrimp and had the same effect. It wasn't as big a hit as the glass worms but I think that's partially because they weren't as hungry.

Hopefully now that some of them will eat something besides krill the other dats will start to catch on and I can slowly get them off of JUST krill.

I know dats learn from each other and if a few will eat something it will sometimes send the others into a feeding frenzy and they'll start eating it, but I hadn't even thought about the fact that if the clown loaches start eating something some of the dats might catch on. I hadn't tried anything besides krill since the clown loaches were added to the tank, so it's kind of a pleasant surprise and I figured I would share. :D
 

ShadowBass

Feeder Fish
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Jan 13, 2007
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I was hoping that would happen with mine, but absoutely none of them would take anything but krill, so they never payed attention to anything else until that one saw the clowns eating.
Hopefully now that some of them will eat other foods the rest will catch on, because nothing but krill CAN'T be a completely healthy diet, and I want some good growth on these guys.
 

Bogwoodbruce

Peacock Bass
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Feb 2, 2007
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ShadowBass;1045846; said:
I was hoping that would happen with mine, but absoutely none of them would take anything but krill, so they never payed attention to anything else until that one saw the clowns eating.
Hopefully now that some of them will eat other foods the rest will catch on, because nothing but krill CAN'T be a completely healthy diet, and I want some good growth on these guys.
I don't think that it applys to just clown loaches i think taht other fish will encourage eating,
 

KenyanSandBoa

Feeder Fish
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Feb 20, 2007
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Bogwoodbruce;1045861; said:
I don't think that it applys to just clown loaches i think taht other fish will encourage eating,
Very true...my silver aro has actually encouraged my NTTs to take pellet and other forms for frozen foods.

At first they only ate frozen krill...nothing else. My aro eats absolutely anything that touches the surface of that tank, and he attacks it pretty violently so it creates quite the disturbance. My dats couldn't help being curious, and my NTTs also saw my AT eating the pellet so they gave it a shot. They did the same thing at first...eat a piece, spit it out, eat it again, and then they finally realized it wasn't that bad. :D
 

ShadowBass

Feeder Fish
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Jan 13, 2007
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I'm sure it's true that other fish would encourage feeding behavior as well.
In my native fish tank the sunfish are really ravenous eaters and it has done wonders for making the more picky natives take foods like pellets that they wouldn't normally pay attention to.
 

ShadowBass

Feeder Fish
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Jan 13, 2007
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Poplar Bluff, MO
Bogwoodbruce;1046055; said:
Well just in case stock up on the food that they do eat, thats what i've done.
Yeah I usually have plenty of krill, I just didn't realize how low I was on it, it runs out so quick. I ordered the biggest can possible offa drs foster and smith on thursday, so it should be here tomorrow.
 

ewurm

Aimara
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Jan 27, 2006
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Dats should eat frozen worms. Observing other fish eat may induce feeding behavior.
 
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