ARMATUS : What to feed at 4-5"

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888fish

888fish

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jun 19, 2008
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Two questions to those Armatus owners:

- What do you feed a 4-5" Armatus (was feeding guppies @ 2.5-3") ?

- When would be a good size to grow out Armatus before attempting to ween it off of live food and onto krill or market prawns?

It is currently living with two 2.5" Geophagus cichlids in a 40g. No aggression problems at all. But, it hasn't touched my attempts using krill for 2 days and should be hungry now. I'm considering feeding gold colored comets dead (frozen to kill off parasites) although I've read of the growth inhibiting enzymes they contain. It would benefit me many ways:

- hopefully it'll develop a less aggressive personality from eating dead food
- get it ready to eat floating krill
- comets are of good size (unlike guppies) and "beef it up"

thanks

JJ
 
I heard Parasites can live in a frozen goldfish. You can get a tank and breed convicts. You can buy silversides and tie them to fishing line and tie the line to your powerhead. I feed a big red tail like that and he hits them eventually!
 
There's a thread regarding breaking payara....... But to answert your ?s... 1) goldfish 2) ASAP so that the 1st answer can be "anything but goldfish"........
 
3-4 weeks? I bet its face is buggered up allready.... Mine started smashing thier faces in a 75 @ 4 inches......
 
When it reaches 6-7" , it'll live with 7 other fish in a 170G tank:
- 10" Leichardti Arowana
- 9" P. Ansorgii Bichir
- 8" P. Endli Bichir
- 6" Tigrinus Catfish
- 5" Clown Loach
- 4" P. Delhezi Bichir

Going to feed it frozen goldfish (salted in bath alive), if successful then Krill.
Thanks for the replies
 
I would NOT keep it with a clown loach. If it gets hungry it's going to go for an orange fish cause its used to goldfish. It latches on to that loach and the loach spreads mits barbs you are going to have 2 dead fish. And if it was over 4 inches I'de start trying to train onto dead food. I'm starting at 6 inches with my most recent batch and allready feel like I've taken steps backwards when comparing to the first Armatus I had which was allready eating dead food at 5 inches. Other than the loach I would think you'de be good. If I had to guess you better get it to a bigger home within 6 months of it going into the 170...... My first Armatus was smaller than a double A battery when I got it and it was clostrophobic in my 180 in less than 10 months. Good luck and keep us updated.
 
I fed it 3 small frozen goldfish (w/ food stick stuffed through mouth). It took it rather easily. I'll continue to keep everyone updated. Thanks.

JJ
 
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