I have a 2 foot dolloi lungfish which I've had for about 2 years. When I first brought him home in the 5 gal bucket, he tried to strike at my hand and thrashed and splashed the water. He lives in a planted 100 gal with with a bunch of livebearers and plecos, that he never bothers - I keep track. I feed him algae wafers (which he doesn't eat) and sinking pellets which he does. When I first got him, he had white fungus all over and a large injury on the roof of his mouth apparently from the fish hook used to catch him, and he refused to eat a variety of items (live earthworms, thawed tilapia, live fish, etc.) for about 10 months, even at different temperatures.
But now, 2-3 times per week I grab a handful of pellets and release them right inside his tunnel, with my fingers right in front of his face, and he eats them with no problems, and not this fish which swarm all around the food as well. I don't feed him fish fillets so he will not bother the livbearers in there. Yesterday, he was in his hide tunnel during the day as usual, and I wanted to catch one of the gravid platys which was avoiding me and hiding in his tunnel. So I used the back end of the net to scare the platy out while he was inside. He bit down on the net and held on and pulled and pushed for a few seconds. Then, he started guarding the tunnel and attacking the back part of the net again. Now I'm afraid to place food in there like I have been doing so for the past year.
It's just been one day, but when he sees me coming close to the tank, he sticks his head out of the tunnel and behaves in defensive manner. I've put a lot of time and work in this fish. Will he "forget" that incident, and can I feed him by hand like I did before? (the food stays in one place for him to eat this way). Thanks.
But now, 2-3 times per week I grab a handful of pellets and release them right inside his tunnel, with my fingers right in front of his face, and he eats them with no problems, and not this fish which swarm all around the food as well. I don't feed him fish fillets so he will not bother the livbearers in there. Yesterday, he was in his hide tunnel during the day as usual, and I wanted to catch one of the gravid platys which was avoiding me and hiding in his tunnel. So I used the back end of the net to scare the platy out while he was inside. He bit down on the net and held on and pulled and pushed for a few seconds. Then, he started guarding the tunnel and attacking the back part of the net again. Now I'm afraid to place food in there like I have been doing so for the past year.
It's just been one day, but when he sees me coming close to the tank, he sticks his head out of the tunnel and behaves in defensive manner. I've put a lot of time and work in this fish. Will he "forget" that incident, and can I feed him by hand like I did before? (the food stays in one place for him to eat this way). Thanks.
