NGT

[vaine111]

Next month it's going to be a year since I bought my NGT datnoid.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=258962
And he has grown about... a quater inch.
I don't know what to do. He'll eat a piece of shrimp about once a month and that's it. Right now I have him in my 120 gallon with 12 IT datnoids, a Flagtail Prochilodus, a L14 Goldie pleco, and a Juruenese catfish.
He's the only one I really care about and I'm thinking of letting go of all the IT datnoids except for one that is 1.5" so I can concentrate on him to get his growing and eating habits better.
Should I start feeding him live foods?

 

[teohha]

Sorry to hear that. My NGT is a pig, he is still partially on feeders as he gets cranky if i only feed him freeze dried shrimp.

How large is your NGT compared to your ITs and Flag Tail. Are the other dats eating the same kind of food? I find that the alpha fish usually gets the top pickings for food.

 

[vaine111]

Well two of the IT dats are 6-7" and he is roughly 5". The bigger IT dats will give him a nudge every so often but nothing bad.
The flagtail is roughly 7" but is solo in the tank(don't give aggression and rarely ever recieves it).
The rest of the IT dats I recently added from my 85g and are 1.5-3" and just bicker amonst themselves.
The bigger IT dats eat massivore and the occasional piece of shrimp and the smaller ones eat tetra colorbits, massivore and occasionally shrimp but will really eat anything I throw in there.
He's always hiding so I know something has to be intimidating it or maybe it just don't have the energy or want to waste it.
When I first got him I was mainly feeding shrimp and talapia cause of my polys.

 

[JIMRAY]

Is she slow in getting food in yr comm of other fishes around?? Looks like maybe you have to isolate her in order to pump her up.

 

[vaine111]

I tried that seeing I have my catfish on the other side of the divider in my tank but he just kept ramming the divider so I put him back on the other side.
When he's by himself he'll just lay there motionless and will not even acknowledge food.

 

[vaine111]

Is she slow in getting food in yr comm of other fishes around??

Sorry meant to answer that part but no... The once a month that it eats it's the first to come out and grab it. When he comes to glass when I am in front of the tank I know he wants to eat. I always throw in a few pieces of massivore first in hopes that he will eat one but he don't so then I get oput a piece of shrimp and he will grab it right away.

 

[JIMRAY]

Sorry meant to answer that part but no... The once a month that it eats it's the first to come out and grab it. When he comes to glass when I am in front of the tank I know he wants to eat. I always throw in a few pieces of massivore first in hopes that he will eat one but he don't so then I get oput a piece of shrimp and he will grab it right away.

Maybe he is chosey in food. Try to feed him shrimp more often in order to pump him up. FYI, if you start him up the live food, he will never go back to dry food or other food easily.

 

[vaine111]

Maybe he is chosey in food. Try to feed him shrimp more often in order to pump him up. FYI, if you start him up the live food, he will never go back to dry food or other food easily.

The thing is though he still won't eat it consistently. I have to find something that he will eat on a daily basis.
Things that I know he won't eat on a daily basis...
shrimp
bloodworms
tilapia
earthworms
krill
massivore

Maybe I'll start breeding livebearers for feeders again. But I'm unsure what ones will breed enough to where I can have enough for about 15 feedings a month.

 

[teohha]

Since you say he doesn't want food even when he is alone, I am guessing it might be the food. Quarantine some life feeders and see if he goes for it. If he does then you know the source of the problem.

 

[vaine111]

Yeah I think live is going to have to be it. I have about 5 or 6 extra tanks laying around and I think it's time for another breeding adventure.