Increasing Birchir Activity?

[Prophet714]

I hope that he's just settling in. i want him active cause i like the way he swims

cohazard: I have my tank set up with restin areas also. the only cave available is occupied by the datnoid, and he doesnt really let anything stay in there unless im doin a water change, and thats when everything run in lol. I try to feed him raw shrimp and krill, but he's a slow eater and doesnt actively get food. He only gets the shrimp when the tinfoil barbs has given up on eating and drops it to the floor. then the bichir would take it away once the loach finds it.

 

[FishGoneWild]

Give your delhezi 2-3 weeks to settle in. If you still see not activity increase then trade your delhezi in for a polli palmas or another senegalus.

 

[Prophet714]

I will let it settle for a month.. But what i find odd is he eats funny also. He nudged the frozen krill and not eat it. But it took him 10 minutes to find it next to him. Even though that's the first time krill reached him since i've had him, usually the Datnoid eats it. I give the bichir chopped shrimp still. Previous owner gave him hikari sinkin pellets so krill should have definately tasted better. so im wondering if theres something wrong with him. if that continues, the barbs would get all his food. are bichirs not aggressive/smart eaters when food is introduced? or this another case of letting him settle in? I hope he could eat like how the datnoid and arowana would

thanks for all your comments and replies

 

[spawnie9600]

i've had sengals mostly and i've had some that swam all day long, but then i got 1 who sat in the same place ALL day.(he got really fat before i traded him at the petshop)

 

[Prophet714]

thanks fishgonewild,

im already lookin for a palmas on the buy sell section as you could see =)

 

[FishGoneWild]

Bichir have poor vision so they slow eaters. They prefer to eat chopped up tastey shrimps and eat from the bottom of the tank. Even my angels eat faster than my bichirs but once it reached the bottom they take 15mins to finish the shrimp meal.

 

[Prophet714]

Thanks FishGoneWild,

I always wonder how come the bichir takes forever to get food. Now im cautious to have then end up in a tank with the tinfoil barbs since they are aggressive eaters

 

[moonchild1970]

You said that the previous owner fed him Hikari sinking pellets. Are you feeding those also? Maybe he misses them. Also is is a very good food for him.

 

[Prophet714]

Yes i am. The only time he would get food is if its too dark for the barbs to find the food, or the peice of market shrimp is too big for the barbs to swallow so they just leave it there =/ I worry about him starving since he is really slow at getting food

 

[Onion01]

what's your water temp? Higher temperature = higher metabolism = more activity