My redtail payara eats peas!

[Loubard]

Hey all,

I was feeding my panaque some peas and saw my red tail payara (Hydrolycus tatauaia), wich was recently introduced to the tank, eat a pea. ( I really saw him swallow it)

I have never heard of this before and I was wondering if any other payara owner has noticed the same, or could try this by feeding some peas.

Maybe this is the reason they don't grow fast/big? Maybe they need veggies in there diet? (just throwing a line, not saying it's an actual fact)

Some other opinions would be appreaciated.

Gr. Koen

 

[vamptrev]

im sure the more variety the better.

 

[Loubard]

Thanks for your reply.

Yeah, I figured if he took it by himself it isn't a bad thing. Have you ever seen him eat anything else then feeders/shrimp?

 

[JD7.62]

Looking at the way they are built, I HIGHLY doubt they eat veggies in the wild. Their teeth and body shape would make that very hard for them to do.

Perhaps the pea got caught in some current and he just nailed it with out thinking. They do hit plastic and wood fishing lures afterall!

 

[pwmin]

hmm, maybe I will try that. mine usually snaps up anything in the current, even the occasional pellet.

 

[Loubard]

Mine eats off the bottom, almost notthing out the current. He also ate the pea off the botttom. The pea is small and soft, so although he is only 6-7" he got it down in one gulp.

I also noticed with feeding today he ate more than he normally does...he normally takes 1 pieces of smelt, today he took 3.

I am going to offer him pea's again tomorrow, let's see what he does.

 

[krichardson]

Thats a sight I would welcome as my tat has only eaten once or twice in the week that I have had him.He is turning out to be more boring than my Scom who is really quite active.Any thoughts?

 

[pwmin]

Mine eats off the bottom, almost notthing out the current. He also ate the pea off the botttom. The pea is small and soft, so although he is only 6-7" he got it down in one gulp.

I also noticed with feeding today he ate more than he normally does...he normally takes 1 pieces of smelt, today he took 3.

I am going to offer him pea's again tomorrow, let's see what he does.

huh, cool. mine eats off the bottom, too, but not as readily as when it's falling down in the current

 

[Loubard]

Thats a sight I would welcome as my tat has only eaten once or twice in the week that I have had him.He is turning out to be more boring than my Scom who is really quite active.Any thoughts?

Mine is also prety inactive. Most of the times he moves is when he is getting out of the way of another fish. I did notice that when I added more current he became a bit more active. Maybe with time and age/size they become m ore active, that's what I hope at least.

huh, cool. mine eats off the bottom, too, but not as readily as when it's falling down in the current

I don't really know what caused it. I fed him 2-3 times a week when he just started eating frozen to improve his appitite and he is eating better and better (every feed, taking multiple kinds of foods, although he likes smelt best).

 

[Fish Room Plus]

Its hard enough to lean them off live, you got them on Peas is incredible