mala eating issues

[mynheers_a_pint]

I have been experimenting with other food and he did take some small fish (whitebait style things, the name escapes me) but he is a far less frequest feeder than he was. And if the food has sat on the substrate longer than 1 hour he won't touch it.

Odd he went from voracious to conservative eater....

 

[channarox]

my malas were the same for some reason.
they were extremely voracious eaters at first.
they would even take food from my hands.
then they stopped and became very inactive and only ate once every two days.

 

[bsplenden]

So how big is the mala already? Has it started feeding again?

I had a mala that died at 16-17", and from 3" when I got her, she was eating till she got to 16", without starving herself. Died after a WC, I suspect it was the water. Wiped out a few other fishes as well.

Now I'm starting all over with a 3" baby again.

 

[channarox]

So how big is the mala already? Has it started feeding again?

I had a mala that died at 16-17", and from 3" when I got her, she was eating till she got to 16", without starving herself. Died after a WC, I suspect it was the water. Wiped out a few other fishes as well.

Now I'm starting all over with a 3" baby again.

didnt know you were a member here.
i just sold 3 3.5 malas.

 

[bsplenden]

didnt know you were a member here.
i just sold 3 3.5 malas.

look at my join date...

joined long time back, but always just browsed around.

why sell them off? I can't wait for mine to get big again...

 

[channarox]

look at my join date...

joined long time back, but always just browsed around.

why sell them off? I can't wait for mine to get big again...

haha.yeah.
sold them off because making room for new fish and because they got outcompeted by all my other fish!
amazing isnt it!
mala supposed to be aggressive.

 

[bsplenden]

haha.yeah.
sold them off because making room for new fish and because they got outcompeted by all my other fish!
amazing isnt it!
mala supposed to be aggressive.

thats cos they are still at 3.5"

try throwing them at 8" with your other fishes at 8".
the mala will show you what's aggressive.

i threw my new 3" mala into my channa pulchra tank. the alpha pulchra flared at the mala. and my new baby immediately bit the lower jaws of the pulchra. the pulchra is at 4-5".

i had to remove the mala and now's it's in its own tank.

 

[channarox]

thats cos they are still at 3.5"

try throwing them at 8" with your other fishes at 8".
the mala will show you what's aggressive.

i threw my new 3" mala into my channa pulchra tank. the alpha pulchra flared at the mala. and my new baby immediately bit the lower jaws of the pulchra. the pulchra is at 4-5".

i had to remove the mala and now's it's in its own tank.

my malas back down from any other fish.
even the striata which was two times smaller at that time.
ive had large malas with other fish before.
they are not very aggressive IME.

 

[bsplenden]

my malas back down from any other fish.
even the striata which was two times smaller at that time.
ive had large malas with other fish before.
they are not very aggressive IME.

my ex-mala...
bit me in my hand once... my hand just entered the water as usual, trying to remove the powerhead. it usually sits in its corner. but that time, it dashed out, bit me on my hand and pulled back. the wounds created were pretty long and painful with lots of blood.

sadly, the wounds healed nicely and no scar.

 

[channarox]

my ex-mala...
bit me in my hand once... my hand just entered the water as usual, trying to remove the powerhead. it usually sits in its corner. but that time, it dashed out, bit me on my hand and pulled back. the wounds created were pretty long and painful with lots of blood.

sadly, the wounds healed nicely and no scar.

i have a scar from my old 12 inch mala.
when it was 12 inches i mean.