Advice needed on feeding slow Poly's in an aggro tank

[Madding]

I have two 4"-5" Delhezi Bichirs relaxing in a 150 gallon aquarium with a pike cichlid, a datnoid and a jade goby. The non-poly's used to only eat feeders, so my poly's would come out every evening and munch on bloodworms together without trouble.

Then the jade goby decided it didn't want feeders anymore and started only eating bloodworms. In went the pellets which the jady goby also decided it loves. After watching the jady goby, the pike cichlid and datnoid decided after a couple of weeks that they wanted bloodworms now, too. Everytime they see me coming with the squirter they are in a frenzy. It's good because my fish don't need feeders regularly anymore, but bad because it's getting impossible to feed the bichirs.

I tried frozen krill, and the datnoid loves it. I try using tank tongs to hide the krill or pellets in the smallest caves, but the other fish literally attack my utensil until they get the food or they squeeze in after it. I'm forced to resort to overfeeding every night just so my bichirs have a shot at a bite or two of something.

Any ideas to make this easier? They appear to be as healthy as ever but I never see them eat now.

 

[SimonL]

There are special eel feeding tubes for marine tanks you could use (or make yourself). Just a long clear pipe with a T at the end. You put the food through with thin tongs or just drop it and let it sink. The narrow ends of the T only let the skinny fish in.

 

[vaine111]

Everytime I get new bichirs they eat shrimp right away. Just a suggestion good luck.