Hi guys i have a Red / Giant Snakehead and a Yellow Spot Snakehead there both about 3" size
im just looking for feeding suggestions I have given them crickets and blood worm so far, they dont seem too keen on prawns (shrimps) or mussels or Mealworm bugs either right now but im hoping that will change soon.
I have been looking for blanchbait /whitebait but not found any locally yet (a baby herring before its bones have gone rigid)
So any suggestions on how too feed them the absolute best an growth super fast
We fed our P. Obscura little Tetras when he was small, he prefers live food, won't even eat a sick fish... has to be trying to get away and healthy before he'll eat it. Even if the fish is dying from him picking at it... he'll just leave it to float! They're mean fish that's for sure.
As previously mentioned both of those species are piscivores (fish eaters), So chopped Fish or whole fish small enough to be swallowed should be the main diet Or pellets designed for predatory fish. Insects wont hurt but shouldn’t be the staple for this species. Mammalian meat is a poor choice, fish cannot properly digest it long term use or excessive amounts of mammalian meat in the diet will lead to health issues. I recommend against live, it's more expensive(especially when larger) , comes with the risk of disease and the more live they eat the harder it'll be to convert them later. Bloodworms are a good starting point but a poor choice as a staple diet again the fish will not get the nutrients it need from them alone.
For picky piscavores I use blood worms to convert them. Feed blood worms for a couple days (never seen a fish that wont eat them) then chop some frozen shrimp/fish/something aquatic and meaty into bite sized pieces. I recommend doing the dicing while the seafood is still frozen it'll be easier to chop into small enough portions. I would then let the chopped food thaw in a container along WITH some blood worms. This will leach the color/smell and taste of blood worms into the meat and the fish will snap it up. After a week or so of this start introducing some chopped seafood that was NOT soaked in bloodworm along with the stuff that was, and then another week goes by and ditch the bloodworm all together. Works like a charm.
Once they start eating and growing they should stop being picky and will likely eat anything that’s offered most piscavore fish species tend to be pickier when small because the natural diet is live fish.
Lastly, although off topic I have to add that I would not recommend keeping these 2 species in the same tank OR with any other tank mates. They are best kept species only &/or solo. Any mix is just a fight to the death waiting to happen.
Side note .... JRP, if your obscura won’t eat injured fish he's probably not that hungry. I find most people overfeed which gives the illusion of a picky eater when in all reality they are just not hungry. Even a fat content channa will chase live fish but the drive to hunt is being driven by instinct not hunger.
