Heros liberifer question

[coltiger1975]

I do currently have other severums and recently bought a nice 7 inch male Heros liberifer. I actually decided to keep him separate from the rest for now. The others love to eat their plants and romaine however he doesn't seem interested at all. Are these known to eat plants like some other Heros species?

 

[ryansmith83]

Mine never showed an interest in Romaine when I fed veggies but they did sometimes eat peas and a few brands of spirulina-based foods. A varied diet is good. They’re omnivores like all the other Heros. (CRC lists them as herbivorous and says they’ve been observed grazing on algae-covered tree branches in the wild, but it doesn’t mention this being their exclusive diet.)

What sorts of plants have you tried besides romaine?

 

[coltiger1975]

Mine never showed an interest in Romaine when I fed veggies but they did sometimes eat peas and a few brands of spirulina-based foods. A varied diet is good. They’re omnivores like all the other Heros. (CRC lists them as herbivorous and says they’ve been observed grazing on algae-covered tree branches in the wild, but it doesn’t mention this being their exclusive diet.)

What sorts of plants have you tried besides romaine?

I have tried water plants like water wisteria and water sprite. I just did try the shelled peas and was ignored. I did get him to eat some dandelion leaf which my other sevs leave lol. I do feed mostly pellets, northfin, hikari and bug bites. Occasionally I feed freeze dried blackworms.

 

[duanes]

Like Ryan said, observation in nature note sthat they are very fond of the algae that grows naturally on submerged branches, in places where they like to shelter.(CRC)
For similar algae eating omnivorous cichlids I keep, I will rotate branches from their tanks to containers outside in the sun that quickly get algal growths.
They are also known to eat duckweed according to CRC.

I like to pull clumps of hair algae from sun drenched sources and offer it.

 

[neutrino]

I have tried water plants like water wisteria and water sprite. I just did try the shelled peas and was ignored. I did get him to eat some dandelion leaf which my other sevs leave lol. I do feed mostly pellets, northfin, hikari and bug bites. Occasionally I feed freeze dried blackworms.

Is it that you think they need extra greens? As Ryan says Heros of all types are essentially omnivorous, their wild diet or preferences varying by species/location, what's seasonally available, etc. For example, efasciatus are noted as "frugivorous" in taxonomic references-- tropical fruits, not greens. In any case, in my near 30 years keeping them they do perfectly well with quality pellets-- I've had them live 15 years and longer. Yes, they can tend to eat (or shred) aquarium plants, but they're also opportunistic and will just as likely eat small tetras in my experience. Their actual need for extra greens, as some people believe, is greatly exaggerated in my opinion, it's pretty easy to cover their needs with some of the better pellets that are out there.

 

[coltiger1975]

Is it that you think they need extra greens? As Ryan says Heros of all types are essentially omnivorous, their wild diet or preferences varying by species/location, what's seasonally available, etc. For example, efasciatus are noted as "frugivorous" in taxonomic references-- tropical fruits, not greens. In any case, in my near 30 years keeping them they do perfectly well with quality pellets-- I've had them live 15 years and longer. Yes, they can tend to eat (or shred) aquarium plants, but they're also opportunistic and will just as likely eat small tetras in my experience. Their actual need for extra greens, as some people believe, is greatly exaggerated in my opinion, it's pretty easy to cover their needs with some of the better pellets that are out there.

No not at all, I have just always supplemented their diets with vegetables or plants. It is now eating more greens, I wasn't being patient enough

 

[coltiger1975]

It was a rescue so it did have hith, looking at it do you think the scars will always be on the fish.