swallowed pebbles....WHY???

fungus amungus

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 26, 2006
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morrisville
ok I notice that there is alot of postings on pebbles and stones being eaten by a poly. why is this? doesn't anyone know that the substrate needs to be sand? or EXTREMELY small pebbles so please take your gravel out OR cover it in my tank there is 4 inches+ of substrate eco complete on the bottom with 2 inches+ of sand on the top this way my poly does not eat anything he is not suposed to... share your thoughts...
 

Gooda

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 31, 2005
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Fort Collins, CO
There used to be lots of threads on how sand should be used for Polys. I used to have sand over rocks too, but with time the sand sifted into the pebbles and so no I get to strain them out a little at a time as they raise up to the surface. It's arduous.
 

beblondie

In Loving Memory
Mar 31, 2005
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chicagoland
fungus amungus
''ok I notice that there is alot of postings on pebbles and stones being eaten by a poly. why is this? ''The ingestion is due to the way bichirs eat,they are primarily suction feeders
basicly they inhale their prey so if what they are after is on thebottom then whatever sustrate has a fair chance of being ingested also-Anne
 

fungus amungus

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 26, 2006
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morrisville
I have an 18 inch endli that I have never had a problem with him... he is there with a LARGE amount of sand and likes to borrow in it to "surprise" the feeders and the chaca chaca I am just a little anoyed by the constant postings of people searching for help because there fish are eating pebbles... on a side note I run a hachery (angel fish) and have learned over and over that if it fits in the fishes mouth then it will end up in its mouth... I am just trying to stop poly's from dieing because of stupid things!
 

Dirty Old Man

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 9, 2006
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Arizona
I use gravel and thus far I have not had any issues at all. Course, I dont' have all that large of poly's as of yet. 2 7" senegals, a 6" albino senegal, and a 6" ornate...the ornate never stays on the gravel; stays in a floating plant mat thingy at the top of the tank...
 

messiner

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 1, 2005
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americas wang
its not everybody just me lol. their on sand now. btw i too thought i was immune to an eel swallowing a stone and i couldnt have been more wrong.
 

Dirty Old Man

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 9, 2006
332
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Arizona
So if you use sand, what's the easiest way to keep it clean? My girlfriend uses sand as a substrate and everytime i try to clean it, the sand wants to be sucked up by my siphon cleaner thingy. So I have to settle with trying to clean the surface of the substrate w/o losing too much of the physical substrate...
 

beblondie

In Loving Memory
Mar 31, 2005
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chicagoland
It can be an art lol.When i see the sand about 1/2 way up the siphon barrel genlty lift it slightly and the sand should drop back down and out-Anne
 
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