Help with feeding very small datnoids

[anzo1993]

Hello, I just purchased a realll small indo datnoid from my local pet store, when I heard they had received datnoids I rushed over and was shocked to see how small they were I was told 1-2 inch but there just under a half inch, I was thinking some pellets crushed into a powder or maybe some brine shrimp , any suggestions?

 

[FJB]

I can't help (never kept Dats), but I must say I have never seen that small.
It would be very rewarding to raise it from that tiny size to beautiful monster fish. Good luck!

 

[Fallen_Leaves16]

Oh man... When you said "very small", I thought it'd only be the size of a quarter... That little 'un's tiny!
I'd go with guppy fry, baby Caridina/Neocaridina spp., live blackworms, and the like; no clue if they're even small enough, though. Maybe daphnia, BBS, live brine shrimp?
Don't think it'd hit pellet dust, anything f/t, or dead. I've been able to get Enneacanthus to swipe at bloodworms floating on a current, but I doubt that'd work with small dats.
Midwater might have some decent advice.

 

[tlindsey]

It would be very rewarding to raise it from that tiny size to beautiful monster fish. Good luck!

My thoughts as well.

 

[tlindsey]

Hello, I just purchased a realll small indo datnoid from my local pet store, when I heard they had received datnoids I rushed over and was shocked to see how small they were I was told 1-2 inch but there just under a half inch, I was thinking some pellets crushed into a powder or maybe some brine shrimp , any suggestions?

View attachment 1530707

I personally would try prepared foods first such as frozen mysis shrimp, krill. If still finicky then live.
If aquarium is large enough use a small powerhead during feeding non living foods movement should help.
Btw the smallest Datnoid I've seen for sale.

 

[tlindsey]

K krichardson what's your thoughts?

 

[Midwater]

Hello, I just purchased a realll small indo datnoid from my local pet store, when I heard they had received datnoids I rushed over and was shocked to see how small they were I was told 1-2 inch but there just under a half inch, I was thinking some pellets crushed into a powder or maybe some brine shrimp , any suggestions?

Oh man... When you said "very small", I thought it'd only be the size of a quarter... That little 'un's tiny!
I'd go with guppy fry, baby Caridina/Neocaridina spp., live blackworms, and the like; no clue if they're even small enough, though. Maybe daphnia, BBS, live brine shrimp?
Don't think it'd hit pellet dust, anything f/t, or dead. I've been able to get Enneacanthus to swipe at bloodworms floating on a current, but I doubt that'd work with small dats.
Midwater might have some decent advice.

Couple of years ago I got two indos that small. I was going to feed them on brine shrimp, but could not get any fresh brine shrimp straight away.

So I put a few ghost shrimp in the tank. The ghost shrimp were possibly longer than the indos.

The indos must have been hungry. Within minutes, each of the two had a ghost shrimp stuck in its mouth, still wriggling. I was worried for them. But in time, they did ingest the whole ghost shrimp.

Even when small, dats do have those amazing extensible mouths.

I continued to feed them on ghost shrimp, and then guppy fry. They grew very quickly, and after about three months they were happily feeding on tilapia fry.

Possibly any live food will do. You might want to wait till they are considerably larger, if you want to train them onto prepared food. Dats are predators, so when they are small and vulnerable, do not try to change their nature.

 

[krichardson]

K krichardson what's your thoughts?

My initial thought was "wow,I've never seen a dat that small" lol....I would try a mixture of brine shrimp,blood worm and broken pellet crumbles,not quite powder but big enough for the dat to notice and go after.I have had success with that with baby dats in the past

Couple of years ago I got two indos that small. I was going to feed them on brine shrimp, but could not get any fresh brine shrimp straight away.

So I put a few ghost shrimp in the tank. The ghost shrimp were possibly longer than the indos.

The indos must have been hungry. Within minutes, each of the two had a ghost shrimp stuck in its mouth, still wriggling. I was worried for them. But in time, they did ingest the whole ghost shrimp.

Even when small, dats do have those amazing extensible mouths.

I continued to feed them on ghost shrimp, and then guppy fry. They grew very quickly, and after about three months they were happily feeding on tilapia fry.

Possibly any live food will do. You might want to wait till they are considerably larger, if you want to train them onto prepared food. Dats are predators, so when they are small and vulnerable, do not try to change their nature.

Sage advice,as always.

 

[anzo1993]

thanks for all the advice, for now I’ll try crushed pellets and some brined shrimp, but I’ll start getting some guppy fry ready just incase they are a little finicky I’ll try and beef them up with live food

 

[anzo1993]

Just an update, I had put them in an established 55 gallon tank with some small guppies and now I cannot find the datnoid I’ve tried looking the last 2 days and I’ve seen nothing, I’m hoping he’s just hiding very well and not dead lol