BGK and feeding

[mundegus]

i might try tonight at midnight putting the cube inside his ornamental log and seeing if it leaves some in there and distributes the rest out the holes in the log

 

[Red Devil]

i might try tonight at midnight putting the cube inside his ornamental log and seeing if it leaves some in there and distributes the rest out the holes in the log

The most important thing is to get him eating and once u do all will be alright..good luck and let me know..

 

[cmartin]

I had to feed my BGK in his cave at first. He decided to 'claim' a castle in the tank and would not come out. I found that if I put half a cube of frozen blood worm in one of the windows he would not be far behind.

Then after he got a little more comfortable he was out looking for food. He is out day and night now - anytime he thinks he may get fed

I now use aquarium gardening tongs to hold the frozen cubes for him. As they thaw he takes pieces off. It ensures that he gets a good meal and that the bloodworms don't just get caught between decorations and rot.

 

[dragonfish]

Mine has now progressed beyond the bloodworm stage. They have an amazingly large mouth and can swallow quite big pieces. Mine now tears up pieces of shrimp and fish filet.

 

[cmartin]

I tried shrimp with him once - he attacked it - not for lunch but as a territorial thing. He hit the shrimp so hard that it came out of the tongs (was not in a death grip but was holding it) and went across the tank. It really surprised me. That was twice the strength I would have estimated.

Maybe I just need to start with smaller pieces for him. He has been fed frozen or pellet based foods all his life (with me). I have NO livebearers as I don't want him to hunt. I want to decide who lives in the tank - not him. He gets fat everytime the Cory's or Danio's spawn but that is just foraging. I want him to see new fish introduced to the tank as tankmates - not lunch. Not sure how long it will work - been doing fine for a little over a year now with no problems so I see no reason to change - but I do watch.

 

[dmed]

A BGK finds it food by its electric discharges. It has special sensors that it uses to find its meals, and they are most concentrated on the dorsal side (the top of the fish). Maybe you have noticed that when your BGK does eat, it pitches its body downward so that it approaches the food with its "forehead." It also determines the location of the food by scanning past it slightly so the dorsal sensors can detect it, then quickly reversing to bring the food close to its mouth. You might try directing the food at the BGK with a turkey baster, up above its head, not right in front of its face.

You didn't mention how big your knife is, but I think 2 cubes of bloodworms per day is too much unless the other fish are eating some, too. You could thaw them in a cup and give 1/2 at a time if you want to feed twice a day. When they're thawed, you can mix them with a little tank water and squirt them near your knife with a turkey baster. If you mix in a little garlic essence (like Garlic Guard from Seachem), it might help your knife notice them more.

 

[Red Devil]

A BGK finds it food by its electric discharges. It has special sensors that it uses to find its meals, and they are most concentrated on the dorsal side (the top of the fish). Maybe you have noticed that when your BGK does eat, it pitches its body downward so that it approaches the food with its "forehead." It also determines the location of the food by scanning past it slightly so the dorsal sensors can detect it, then quickly reversing to bring the food close to its mouth. You might try directing the food at the BGK with a turkey baster, up above its head, not right in front of its face.

You didn't mention how big your knife is, but I think 2 cubes of bloodworms per day is too much unless the other fish are eating some, too. You could thaw them in a cup and give 1/2 at a time if you want to feed twice a day. When they're thawed, you can mix them with a little tank water and squirt them near your knife with a turkey baster. If you mix in a little garlic essence (like Garlic Guard from Seachem), it might help your knife notice them more.

excellent advice..and i just want to add most BGK will do great with a good varied diet .. with out harming any tankmates...mine is a good 14 + inches and he does fine with my growing angels...

 

[dmed]

Nice BGK -- I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with red gravel:

I'd try a variety of foods. In the wild, they eat daphnia and small crustaceans, so you could get frozen daphnia and cyclops. Mine loves spirulina-enhanced brine shrimp.

 

[Red Devil]

Nice BGK -- I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with red gravel:

I'd try a variety of foods. In the wild, they eat daphnia and small crustaceans, so you could get frozen daphnia and cyclops. Mine loves spirulina-enhanced brine shrimp.

beautiful.... how big is your boy? I have so Many tanks that even though i would like to change and more or less do a sand substrate in more of them...i hate disturbing fish ...especially when they are doing well... your color looks good mixed like that.... mine eats frozen blood worms, frozen krill, hikari gold pellets and hikari cat fish pellets,.. the only thing he will not eat is zucchni and algae pellets and thats good so his tank mates eat in peace..

 

[mundegus]

hi guys thanks for all the good comments. ive come to the conclusion he's eating somehow and im not gona stress as its been 2 weeks now and hes still living .

i'm feeding my tank twice a day at midday and midnight. now first off because the cudes are only minescule and second i have 2 silver dollars and and 4 dwarf gouramies(new additions) so food is all gobbled at feeding time fast