24” tig fasting

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C

.C.J.

Plecostomus
MFK Member
May 12, 2011
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Hello once again. I’ve made a post about a week or so about my tigrinus having lesions on its gills. I’ve did my water changes and the lesions have disappeared. He’s already eaten a day after i’ve made the post. But i kinda noticed that his appetite was not the same as before. When i offer him food that he loved before, he would just pass right through it. I feed it 8” mackarels, smelt, sardines and chicken heart.

did anybody else here experience their tigrinus fasting as well? may I be just overthinking? Is it because its reached it’s adult size thats why it doesnt need to eat as much?
Thanks in advance!
 
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Probably still recovering from that recent episode of being ill. I’d try waiting it out and let the appetite come back. Although I’d try and avoid a heavy diet of the food your giving. A bit oily and not a normal diet for the tigrinus. Just IMO.
 
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kno4te said:
Probably still recovering from that recent episode of being ill. I’d try waiting it out and let the appetite come back. Although I’d try and avoid a heavy diet of the food your giving. A bit oily and not a normal diet for the tigrinus. Just IMO.
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What would be a nice alternative diet for the tig? Thanks for your reply!
 
We have observed some fasts with our tigs. One lasted 8-10 months, when I counted the fish among the living dead, then the fish started feeding again. They seem to be rather strange fish in this regard... or our husbandry is sub par, especially after we combined all 10 tigs to live in one tank, that was a huge failure after several years with the losing of 8 adults tigs so far. But the fasts we observed even when raised and housed one or a few per tank.

I'd most definitely cut out the unnatural chicken heart and any non-aquatic feed as a staple. The fish you give them could be okay, but may be a bit fatty, what kno4te says, and maybe high on thiaminase (check the list please). I'd presoak them in VitaChem and/or stuff high quality carnivore pellets in them if your tig refuses pellets. Feeding just frozen thawed fish is not a balanced diet and will lead to health problems long term.

I guess, ideally it'd be best to feed them f/w tropical fish to mimic their natural diet, like tilapia, other cichlids, etc. Although we don't do it either, we feed ours VitaChem-fortified marine bait fish, mostly a couple herring species, like the Atlantic thread herring.

Previous thread by the OP on the same 24" tig with problems with sores: https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/tigrinus-catfish-w-infection.743140/
 
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thebiggerthebetter said:
We have observed some fasts with our tigs. One lasted 8-10 months, when I counted the fish among the living dead, then the fish started feeding again. They seem to be rather strange fish in this regard... or our husbandry is sub par, especially after we combined all 10 tigs to live in one tank, that was a huge failure after several years with the losing of 8 adults tigs so far. But the fasts we observed even when raised and housed one or a few per tank.

I'd most definitely cut out the unnatural chicken heart and any non-aquatic feed as a staple. The fish you give them could be okay, but may be a bit fatty, what kno4te says, and maybe high on thiaminase (check the list please). I'd presoak them in VitaChem and/or stuff high quality carnivore pellets in them if your tig refuses pellets. Feeding just frozen thawed fish is not a balanced diet and will lead to health problems long term.

I guess, ideally it'd be best to feed them f/w tropical fish to mimic their natural diet, like tilapia, other cichlids, etc. Although we don't do it either, we feed ours VitaChem-fortified marine bait fish, mostly a couple herring species, like the Atlantic thread herring.

Previous thread by the OP on the same 24" tig with problems with sores: https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/tigrinus-catfish-w-infection.743140/
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Its good to know that they can last that long without food. Did that specific tig become skinny over the months of it not feeding?
i’ll try feeding it tilapia fillet stuffed with pellets for it to receive some other nutrients it needs. Hopefully it doesn’t fast that long.
Whenever the lights are off it scours the tank. It looks like its looking for food however when i offer food it just tastes it with its whiskers and proceeds to pass through it
 
The weight loss starts showing after a couple of months and yes after 8-10 months it got quite skinny.

So, the tig is not looking for the feed when the lights are off. I'd make sure all the usual and common reasons for an appetite loss have been discarded.
 
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