I’ve read so many mixed things about what I can and can’t feed my small Tigrinus catfish I don’t know what to believe. Are seafoods ok or should I just stick to a sinking carnivore pellet? I have a premise mixture of shrimp and white fish fillets I feed all my other fish but I don’t want to give it to the tigrinus if it will be bad for the fish.
Diet of small Tigrinus catfish
- Thread starter 1000ninja
- Start date
I have mine on tilapia..
I dont feed very often but will soon start giving him pellets..
As for giving shrimp mine would start to scratch occasionally after feeding therefore I dont feed now.
I dont feed very often but will soon start giving him pellets..
As for giving shrimp mine would start to scratch occasionally after feeding therefore I dont feed now.
A fellow member ,T1, lost his big Tig from feeding seafood.
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/bloated-tig.648494/
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/bloated-tig.648494/
Bottom line is:
-- T1's hypothesis is any saltwater feed should be avoided
-- roughly half of keepers are in T1 camp but only say to avoid shellfish, even freshwater ones too; especially shrimp
-- some of that camp say shrimp becomes allowable after tig reaches 12"
-- roughly the other half says they have no problem with shrimp and other shellfish, no matter tig size and age
I think it could be a thiaminase intolerance in tigs, perhaps of varying strength, or a kind of shellfish allergy, similar to the one some humans exhibit. But I am not about to start playing with my tigs to prove or refute this enigma. There is plenty of foods other than shellfish to offer a tig. Mine are on saltwater baitfish that I catch myself and on Zigler catfish farm pellets from day one. So far so good.
-- T1's hypothesis is any saltwater feed should be avoided
-- roughly half of keepers are in T1 camp but only say to avoid shellfish, even freshwater ones too; especially shrimp
-- some of that camp say shrimp becomes allowable after tig reaches 12"
-- roughly the other half says they have no problem with shrimp and other shellfish, no matter tig size and age
I think it could be a thiaminase intolerance in tigs, perhaps of varying strength, or a kind of shellfish allergy, similar to the one some humans exhibit. But I am not about to start playing with my tigs to prove or refute this enigma. There is plenty of foods other than shellfish to offer a tig. Mine are on saltwater baitfish that I catch myself and on Zigler catfish farm pellets from day one. So far so good.
I wonder if a varied diet is key, my tig is over 12 inches. If feeding prawns, I only ever feed cooked prawns that then have vitamins added, the theory being that cooking helps remove the thiamin issue.
I also feed freshwater bait fish from the fishing shop along with sprats (saltwater)
I think they also need super clean water and nitrate MAY be an issue.
Over feeding may also be an issue.
I am also trying to get mine to take bait shop worms and pellets but no luck yet.
I also feed freshwater bait fish from the fishing shop along with sprats (saltwater)
I think they also need super clean water and nitrate MAY be an issue.
Over feeding may also be an issue.
I am also trying to get mine to take bait shop worms and pellets but no luck yet.
Looks like I’m gonna avoid shrimp and all shell fish just to be safe. My tig does eat talapia but won’t eat pellets. Any recommendations other then hikari sinking carnivore pellets? Guess I’ll stick with talapia and maybe silversides? I’m just happy he’s eating anything.
Many stuff / hide pellets inside the fish or fish chunks they feed their tigs.
In my case, I have great many tank mates in with my tigs so I throw in pellets and cut fish at the same time for everybody. A frenzy of variable intensity ensues. The tigs pick and choose which they want.
I did notice a peculiarity: even though I raise all my tigs about the same way and even keep them together when they are small(ish), some take only fish, some take only pellet, some take both. Moreover, the preference may stay with some tigs or may switch with others. To date, I don't believe there is any rhyme or reason for this, so this is unpredictable and varies from one tig to the next.
In my case, I have great many tank mates in with my tigs so I throw in pellets and cut fish at the same time for everybody. A frenzy of variable intensity ensues. The tigs pick and choose which they want.
I did notice a peculiarity: even though I raise all my tigs about the same way and even keep them together when they are small(ish), some take only fish, some take only pellet, some take both. Moreover, the preference may stay with some tigs or may switch with others. To date, I don't believe there is any rhyme or reason for this, so this is unpredictable and varies from one tig to the next.