Central Mudminnow feeding

[firefly1152]

Does anyone know how often mudminnows should be fed? Mine only take worms and grubs. I'll feed them and they'll have a gut, but the next day they're begging.

I'm afraid if I feed too much, they'll get bloated. Tank temperature is at 70*F.

And advice is appreciated!

 

[predatorkeeper87]

Does anyone know how often mudminnows should be fed? Mine only take worms and grubs. I'll feed them and they'll have a gut, but the next day they're begging.

I'm afraid if I feed too much, they'll get bloated. Tank temperature is at 70*F.

And advice is appreciated!

depending on how big they are every day probably won't hurt them. With my natives I tend to skip several days a week, also if you are heating that tank there is no need to, mudminnows can live in a dirty mud puddle all year round lol.

 

[firefly1152]

Nooo it's not heated. I keep my apartment about that warm. I also have a versa top on the tank, so that probably keeps some heat in.

With my sunfish, I feed every other day. But they eat cichlid pellets and one likes to eat too much.

I have tropicals that get fasted one day a week and a betta who actually DOES bloat very easily.

Two days ago, one of the mudminnows stole a worm from another and ate it. 4 red worms she shoved down her gut until I started shoo-ing her with a skewer. She had a hard time swimming for a while, but was begging the next day.

Two are about 5 inches long and the smaller one is 4-ish. I tried to measure them, but the ruler scared them. They're big enough to eat their mosquitofish tankmates, which is why I'm re-doing my 55g for them.


EDIT: The mudminnows are in a 20g long with 4 mosquitofish and 3 of what I think are bluntnose minnows. Basically, it's my bait fish and feeder fish finds.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

Nooo it's not heated. I keep my apartment about that warm. I also have a versa top on the tank, so that probably keeps some heat in.

With my sunfish, I feed every other day. But they eat cichlid pellets and one likes to eat too much.

I have tropicals that get fasted one day a week and a betta who actually DOES bloat very easily.

Two days ago, one of the mudminnows stole a worm from another and ate it. 4 red worms she shoved down her gut until I started shoo-ing her with a skewer. She had a hard time swimming for a while, but was begging the next day.

Two are about 5 inches long and the smaller one is 4-ish. I tried to measure them, but the ruler scared them. They're big enough to eat their mosquitofish tankmates, which is why I'm re-doing my 55g for them.

my general rule of thumb is if they aren't plump more than 1 day it won't hurt to feed them again. at that size they are mature they could probably go every other day right along with your sunnies.

my crappie, sunnies, coosae bass and catfish are all on like a 3 on, 1-2 off schedule. They fair just fine, your minnows would be ok either way.

 

[firefly1152]

Should I be feeding them bigger worms? Nightcrawlers, maybe? They mostly eat red worms. I do feed butter worms and waxworm grubs as a treat, but I cut the heads off first.

I tried frozen foods, but they just stare at it as it falls...

 

[Mr.Catfish]

I feed my mudminnows every other day but sometimes every three days.

 

[Bigfishnut]

I feed my central mudminnows every day. I switch up the food, summer they get aquatic insect larvae that I go collect. Winter it's flake, brine shrimp, bloodworms, and also homemade discus food. I've noticed that once they get used to the idea that I'm the food guy, they eat anything I give them.

 

[firefly1152]

Mine are wildcaught. I can't get them to eat prepared food at all. I tried starving them for a couple days. One attacked a pellet but then spit it out and went back to begging. They don't eat frozen either, most of the time.

They associate the bamboo skewer with worms, so I try to trick them sometimes. I'll drop a melted shrimp cube of frozen or some pellets and then swish it with the skewer. One will swim up and attack, but only eats maybe one pellet or shrimp.

My fish are super picky

 

[Bigfishnut]

It takes time for sure. I used to feed them mosquito larvae every other day and try little pieces of meat and bloodworms and brine shrimp on the opposite days. Eventually they learned to associate me with food and happily eat anything I drop in the tank...even flake food. I don't recommend starving as a tactic to change a fishes diet. If anything, feed more frequently. The fish will soon realize that you=food and go after whatever you give them. This really works, but it takes patience and determination.