Bichir feeding

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illbethejudge

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Jun 1, 2014
373
130
61
Miami, FL
I have a big problem.
My bichirs are getting skinny because other fish eat all the food.
I feed the bichirs sinking monster pellets and the oscar and silver dollars i feed floating pellets but the oscar and dollars eat the floating pellets and the sinking ones as well.
I have tried everything, lights off, floating in one side sinking in the other, etc....
 
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illbethejudge said:
I have a big problem.
My bichirs are getting skinny because other fish eat all the food.
I feed the bichirs sinking monster pellets and the oscar and silver dollars i feed floating pellets but the oscar and dollars eat the floating pellets and the sinking ones as well.
I have tried everything, lights off, floating in one side sinking in the other, etc....
Click to expand...

The only thing I can suggest is target feeding with 3/4 in section of pvc pipe or drop food in when room is completely dark Bichirs should find food by sniffing it out.
 
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illbethejudge said:
I have a big problem.
My bichirs are getting skinny because other fish eat all the food.
I feed the bichirs sinking monster pellets and the oscar and silver dollars i feed floating pellets but the oscar and dollars eat the floating pellets and the sinking ones as well.
I have tried everything, lights off, floating in one side sinking in the other, etc....
Click to expand...
I have an Oscar with my bichirs and I feed the oscar first since he’s at the top waiting, usually something big like a silverside, and when he’s working on that, I feed the bichirs. He usually finishes before the bichirs get it all, but they definitely get enough before the Oscar gets to their food.
 
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I have success with trout worms, the other fish don’t like them as much and spend a decent amount of time chewing/spitting them out. Bichirs on the other hand are very effective at eating them. I’ve had success with different size bichirs feeding the very first time and I’m fairly confident they never saw them before in a tank.
 
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i had the same problem with my small dels. the angle fishes where to fast on the food, so the bichirs couldn't get anything of it.
Solved it by putting some food under a half coconut with small holes on ground level, only big enought for the dels.
IMG_20190326_181334.jpg
IMG_20190326_181318.jpg
Tipp: with a little air hole on top the coconut is sinking much better ;)
 
Same thing happens to me, but The Congo Tetras can not fit the pellet in their mouth. Once they are fully Grown, they may be able to fit the pellet in their mouths. A good idea would be target feeding using a A PVC pipe and sticking it to where the Del is, and putting pellets through it so it gets past the other fish. The coconut one is clever ?!
 
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I’ll be having this problem too in the very near future as I just got 5 silver dollars that are under quarantine. So far my solution is massivore pellets mixed in with carnivore pellets because they’re too big for the silver dollars mouths to eat. Could try bypassing the Oscar via feeding tubes to the bottom while target feeding him up top. Best of luck
 
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