Chaetobranchus Flavescens
- Thread starter HrHagel
- Start date
Thanks guys. I also found a video of adult Chaetos on YouTube while I was browsing around. If this is what the fish look like as adults, I'm excited!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q5Yn5wr7jM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q5Yn5wr7jM
Did anyone else get these? If so, how are they doing?
I'm sort of in a catch-22 with them. They are much more outgoing with tankmates, but they don't get much food if they share a tank with other fish. But when I remove the fish, they turn painfully shy and hide all day under my sponge filters. They also quit eating well for me when I removed the tankmates. I think the Geos they shared the tank with encouraged them to eat because of the competition at feeding time. Now they just take in bloodworms and spit them back out.
One thing they do love is frozen brine shrimp. They go crazy for it. The problem is that I know this can't be complete nutrition for a large-growing cichlid, so I'm not sure what else to try. I thought about getting 3 more from Jeff while they're still in stock, but that's going to cost me $250 that I don't have and I still don't know if it would bring the others out of hiding or I'd end up with 6 shy, fickle cichlids.
I'm open to suggestions! I'd love to hear other experiences.
I'm sort of in a catch-22 with them. They are much more outgoing with tankmates, but they don't get much food if they share a tank with other fish. But when I remove the fish, they turn painfully shy and hide all day under my sponge filters. They also quit eating well for me when I removed the tankmates. I think the Geos they shared the tank with encouraged them to eat because of the competition at feeding time. Now they just take in bloodworms and spit them back out.
One thing they do love is frozen brine shrimp. They go crazy for it. The problem is that I know this can't be complete nutrition for a large-growing cichlid, so I'm not sure what else to try. I thought about getting 3 more from Jeff while they're still in stock, but that's going to cost me $250 that I don't have and I still don't know if it would bring the others out of hiding or I'd end up with 6 shy, fickle cichlids.
I'm open to suggestions! I'd love to hear other experiences.
Ryan it sounds like they are going to do better with the Geo's. I am thinking about getting some of them but am a bit afraid at this point. I don't have the time to spend making sure they get the right amount of nutrients in their diet. I'll have to think about this for a few days. Very interesting fish.
Do you think some large Corys will get them eating? Since they eat off the bottom too, can't do any damage and don't eat too much it might work and cheap enough to try.
My local LFS has a buy one get one free sale every Thursday on fish, so I was thinking of going and getting some bigger, more active tetras like longfin serpaes or something. I think the constant activity of the Geos is what brought them out before. I need something that's going to swim around and stay active. If that doesn't work, I may have to find a way to mix in other cichlids like Geos while still supplying the Chaetos with plenty of food. That's going to be a head-scratcher. 
Bolivian rams? Eat less than the larger geo species, just as ground oriented and active as well. Probably a little less forceful when feeding.
I never thought about Bolivians. What about one of the Biotodoma species? They top out around 5" or so, right?
Yes, but they are tall and very bulky. The first time I saw a wild 5" Biotodoma wavrini, I was shocked at the sheer girth and power of it. I was expecting a dwarf, they make keyholes look small despite the same adult length.
