El Dorado
- Thread starter headbanger_jib
- Start date
Mine have reached 13-14" from 2.5" in a period of almost two years. although their slower growth rate could also be attributed to my feeding regime and method.
My feeding regime, I feed them only on alternate days, and once in a month, I might starve them for an extra day or two. This irregular feeding might have slowed their growth.
Until a while back I used to just throw in fistfuls of Tilapia fillet, they would eat only a few and the rest would be eaten by the bagarius in the tank, Dorado even though have been with me for almost two years now, they are still not a very trusting species, so now I throw only a few pieces of fillet at a time, and the Dorado now eat to their hearts content, by dive bombing into the falling Tilapia one at a time.
Sounds comparable to mine. In a year from ~5" to ~12".
Mine, I'd say, is a poor eater. Only takes catfish farm pellets and even those not that many, maybe up to 5, and not that often, maybe several times a week, although I feed the tank twice a day every day. I've never seen it take a piece of fish, which I offer 2-3 times a week.
It used to eat a lot more, many pellets each feeding. In the past 6 months, it became as I have just described.
I know mine is not as happy as it could have been but it's a jerk and for now is confined to the jerk tank with the rest of them. 240 gal. Its nemesis is an 18" purple labeo.
Mine, I'd say, is a poor eater. Only takes catfish farm pellets and even those not that many, maybe up to 5, and not that often, maybe several times a week, although I feed the tank twice a day every day. I've never seen it take a piece of fish, which I offer 2-3 times a week.
It used to eat a lot more, many pellets each feeding. In the past 6 months, it became as I have just described.
I know mine is not as happy as it could have been but it's a jerk and for now is confined to the jerk tank with the rest of them. 240 gal. Its nemesis is an 18" purple labeo.
Mine is 5" to 12" in 6 months.
I'm trying to prove a theory that high energy fish like the dorado will suffer thiamine deficiency if they are not fed a balanced diet when young. I've seen fish hit the 12"-14" mark stop eating and weather away. The deficiency will get to a point where they have no drive to eat and in turn they get weak. Usually at the worst time 12"-14" when they need more nutrition to sustain.
I'm at that point right now so stay tune. I may be wrong and full of sh*&.
Anyways, I think both of you already figured out they are not aggressive eaters. So bully tank mates don't help and a lot of time is needed when feeding.
I'm trying to prove a theory that high energy fish like the dorado will suffer thiamine deficiency if they are not fed a balanced diet when young. I've seen fish hit the 12"-14" mark stop eating and weather away. The deficiency will get to a point where they have no drive to eat and in turn they get weak. Usually at the worst time 12"-14" when they need more nutrition to sustain.
I'm at that point right now so stay tune. I may be wrong and full of sh*&.
Anyways, I think both of you already figured out they are not aggressive eaters. So bully tank mates don't help and a lot of time is needed when feeding.
Here's a feeding video, as to how I feed then now
