I posted here few days ago about picking up two small marbled gobies, Oxyeleotris marmoratus. So far I am having a hard time feeding them (or at leat I think I have a hard time feeding them). Here is the time line:
1) Walked into a LFS Friday night and spotted these two guys. They were 2 inches long and kept in a barebottom tank with half a dozen of 1.5" chocolate cichlids. While speaking with store owner, he hand fed them bits of raw prawn, and they ravenously went after the food
2) After some thought and research I went back on Sunday and purchased both fish. They were placed into a 30G grow out tank with 2 baby bichirs and a chocolate cichlid (all no more than 2.5-3" in size). Just like the guy at the store, I offered some shrimp about an hour after realising them from the bag, and both took it with gusto
3) Monday afternoon, I offered shrimp again but only one goby grabbed it. The other did not react. Without much worrying, I removed untoched pieces a couple of hours later. I figured that since I feed bichirs a hefty portion of live black worms every night, gobies would eat those too, and so there was no cause for concern. That very same evening, one goby seemed to be clearly interested in worms but I could not confirm where he ate any or not
4) Tuesday - no reaction to shrimp. Can not tell if worms are being consumed by gobies or other fish. I removed chocolate cichlid thinking that with his constant poking around he may be stressing them out.
5) Wednesday - I don't think they are feeding AT ALL. Added a dozen or so of baby guppies. So far, no reaction from any fish
6) Thursday - came home from work to realize that all guppies are gone. They could have been eaten by bichirs, although they were never fed any live fish before and these feeders seemed to be a bit too large for their mouths. Interesting side note: I found one of the gobies hidden under the sand -- pretty sweet! Just as before, shrimp was completely ignored, and I don't know if they ate black worms or not
All of my water parameters are normal. I hear that these fish are unstopable gluttons, and so their behavior is beginning to worry me. Are they simply settling into their new tank? But they ate right out of the bag! What else can I do? All ideas, advise and critisism is greatly appreciated.
1) Walked into a LFS Friday night and spotted these two guys. They were 2 inches long and kept in a barebottom tank with half a dozen of 1.5" chocolate cichlids. While speaking with store owner, he hand fed them bits of raw prawn, and they ravenously went after the food
2) After some thought and research I went back on Sunday and purchased both fish. They were placed into a 30G grow out tank with 2 baby bichirs and a chocolate cichlid (all no more than 2.5-3" in size). Just like the guy at the store, I offered some shrimp about an hour after realising them from the bag, and both took it with gusto
3) Monday afternoon, I offered shrimp again but only one goby grabbed it. The other did not react. Without much worrying, I removed untoched pieces a couple of hours later. I figured that since I feed bichirs a hefty portion of live black worms every night, gobies would eat those too, and so there was no cause for concern. That very same evening, one goby seemed to be clearly interested in worms but I could not confirm where he ate any or not
4) Tuesday - no reaction to shrimp. Can not tell if worms are being consumed by gobies or other fish. I removed chocolate cichlid thinking that with his constant poking around he may be stressing them out.
5) Wednesday - I don't think they are feeding AT ALL. Added a dozen or so of baby guppies. So far, no reaction from any fish
6) Thursday - came home from work to realize that all guppies are gone. They could have been eaten by bichirs, although they were never fed any live fish before and these feeders seemed to be a bit too large for their mouths. Interesting side note: I found one of the gobies hidden under the sand -- pretty sweet! Just as before, shrimp was completely ignored, and I don't know if they ate black worms or not
All of my water parameters are normal. I hear that these fish are unstopable gluttons, and so their behavior is beginning to worry me. Are they simply settling into their new tank? But they ate right out of the bag! What else can I do? All ideas, advise and critisism is greatly appreciated.
