Couple quick Ornatipinnis questions

[Covetous]

Hello everyone, I'm relatively new to the Poly game, and I may have jumped in over my head abit.

My LFS, who is an old time fish keeper with lots of great wisdom. Not so great memory. Recently got a new stock in and in that stock was one of the prettiest little Ornatipinnis I've ever seen. Very good patterns and colors. Around 3 inches. Well I had to have him. After ensuring me this wasn't a Ornatipinnis but a new species recently introduced to the aquarium trade. ( Lol yeah right.) He slapped him with a 30$ price tag and away home we went.

So my couple of questions are, what's the best food for these guys to start. He is super tiny and I want to make sure he is eating. I have lots of different pellets and frozen food assortments. I tried some blood worms yesterday but didn't see him eat any. I chalked that up to being only the second day in a new tank. But I'd like some recommendations on food till he gets bigger and I can transition him to pellets.

Second question is about his awesome antenna? If this is what they are. Do they go away when they get bigger? I looked at alot of pictures of bigger ornates and most of them didn't have the red fuzzy antenna anymore. Although a few pictures did. ( I will include one below. Not my pictures just taken from Google images. ) I will take some pictures of my own when he gets alittle more adventurous. Right now he mostly hides in the roots of my plants and under the rocks in the tank. And being so tiny he is awfully hard to see.
Anyways any tips or info would be well appreciated. Thank you all for your patience.

These are the fuzzy "antenna"


But body and coloration look very similar to this one. Except abit more pronounced and brighter

 

[tlindsey]

Hello everyone, I'm relatively new to the Poly game, and I may have jumped in over my head abit.

My LFS, who is an old time fish keeper with lots of great wisdom. Not so great memory. Recently got a new stock in and in that stock was one of the prettiest little Ornatipinnis I've ever seen. Very good patterns and colors. Around 3 inches. Well I had to have him. After ensuring me this wasn't a Ornatipinnis but a new species recently introduced to the aquarium trade. ( Lol yeah right.) He slapped him with a 30$ price tag and away home we went.

So my couple of questions are, what's the best food for these guys to start. He is super tiny and I want to make sure he is eating. I have lots of different pellets and frozen food assortments. I tried some blood worms yesterday but didn't see him eat any. I chalked that up to being only the second day in a new tank. But I'd like some recommendations on food till he gets bigger and I can transition him to pellets.

Second question is about his awesome antenna? If this is what they are. Do they go away when they get bigger? I looked at alot of pictures of bigger ornates and most of them didn't have the red fuzzy antenna anymore. Although a few pictures did. ( I will include one below. Not my pictures just taken from Google images. ) I will take some pictures of my own when he gets alittle more adventurous. Right now he mostly hides in the roots of my plants and under the rocks in the tank. And being so tiny he is awfully hard to see.
Anyways any tips or info would be well appreciated. Thank you all for your patience.

These are the fuzzy "antenna"
View attachment 1261775

But body and coloration look very similar to this one. Except abit more pronounced and brighter
View attachment 1261776

Small bits of Tilapia, and bits of pellet. The Ornate will eventually eat once its gets acclimated to the new environment. The Ornate will eventually lose the external gills once it matures. You can still offer the Bloodworm but as a treat while Ornate is a juvenile. Welcome to the Poly world.☺

 

[Covetous]

Small bits of Tilapia, and bits of pellet. The Ornate will eventually eat once its gets acclimated to the new environment. The Ornate will eventually lose the external gills once it matures. You can still offer the Bloodworm but as a treat while Ornate is a juvenile. Welcome to the Poly world.☺

Thanks man, I've always loved these guys just never saw one I had to have till now. Although a few endlicheri have been close. This guy's really just wowed me. I can't wait to get some pictures. I will try the tilapia, although I may give him another day to acclimate as you said. Too bad he will lose the gills! Those things make him look like alittle dragon. Lol

Also I can't seem to find an average growth rate on these guys? I see max length all over, which seems to vary from 16-24" depending on the site your on. Are these fast growers? He is in a 42 bowfront now, but I have plenty of other bigger tanks he can go into once he isn't so snack sized.

 

[tlindsey]

Thanks man, I've always loved these guys just never saw one I had to have till now. Although a few endlicheri have been close. This guy's really just wowed me. I can't wait to get some pictures. I will try the tilapia, although I may give him another day to acclimate as you said. Too bad he will lose the gills! Those things make him look like alittle dragon. Lol

Also I can't seem to find an average growth rate on these guys? I see max length all over, which seems to vary from 16-24" depending on the site your on. Are these fast growers? He is in a 42 bowfront now, but I have plenty of other bigger tanks he can go into once he isn't so snack sized.

When I raised small Ornates they grew 1to 2 inches a month but after sometime will slow down a little but will continue to grow lol. Just don't mix with anything overly aggressive or anything that can fit in the Ornates mouth.

 

[Covetous]

Yeah, he'll probably end up in my 180 with my Oscars and Jd's Their big old softies for the most part.

 

[magpie]

Welcome to the poly club!

Post pics of your guy when you can!

 

[thefredpit]

Thanks man, I've always loved these guys just never saw one I had to have till now. Although a few endlicheri have been close. This guy's really just wowed me. I can't wait to get some pictures. I will try the tilapia, although I may give him another day to acclimate as you said. Too bad he will lose the gills! Those things make him look like alittle dragon. Lol

Also I can't seem to find an average growth rate on these guys? I see max length all over, which seems to vary from 16-24" depending on the site your on. Are these fast growers? He is in a 42 bowfront now, but I have plenty of other bigger tanks he can go into once he isn't so snack sized.

on my small ones I take a tilapia fillet and stick it in a food processor and basically puree it. It clumps together and I toss in a clump which is easy for them to tear off a bite sized chunk

on of the reasons you see such a discrepancy in sizes is there is a difference depending on if they are captive bred or wild caught

 

[Covetous]

on my small ones I take a tilapia fillet and stick it in a food processor and basically puree it. It clumps together and I toss in a clump which is easy for them to tear off a bite sized chunk

on of the reasons you see such a discrepancy in sizes is there is a difference depending on if they are captive bred or wild caught

View attachment 1261780

Cool chart, I'm sure it's Captive Bred. He probably just got an especially good looking ornate and wanted to sell it for 30$ instead of 20$ so he said it was a "new strain" he is a good guy. But that's totally a thing he would do. Lol
I'm gonna try the talapia plus that should get to the bottom better then the bloodworms. My Roseline sharks and swordtails love the bloodworms. I'll probably use a baster to deposit some right in front of the cave he has been liking.

 

[Covetous]

Welcome to the poly club!

Post pics of your guy when you can!

Thanks man, I will. Soon as he stops being a ninja.

 

[thefredpit]

my LFS doesn't usually get onnes in that small but they saw one at the importer with amazing color and pattern at 2" so they got it and when I saw her I had to have her even though they were the one uj I didn't want because my last one was a recluse. Well this one isn't