Just reread your post keep offering those food items and freeze dried krill is a favorite for my Datnoid.
NTT not eating anything
- Thread starter Essaf Victor
- Start date
The fish still hasn't settled in yet at just five days and it has probably only been eating live foods up til now so getting it to take other foods may take some doing.
Thanks kno4te!
First follow the advice of peeps like krichardson
Well for sure follow the advice of posters like krichardson & tlindsey because they know their dat stuff -- I'm new to these cool fish like you, but luckily my little guy started eating pellets on his 2nd day in the tank (he now actually prefers them to frozen whitefish or shrimp believe it or not).
And while I'm NOT sure, I strongly suspect my high water temp (about ~82-84F every day) played a role (about a month ago I also got a baby Bichir to eat pellets starting his first night in the tank, at the LFS he had only eaten blood worms, same as the Dat).
While your tank temp should be fine in general as tlindsey said, you might try to increase it a bit to see if any effect (but do it slowly, in stages, not too fast). Good luck!
Oh they can go for quite a long time before they decide to eat.Five days or a week is nothing to them.
5 days is nothing-my recent NTT went 3 weeks before it ate. It hides most of the time too
Thats normal and why many lose patience with these fish.
Thats normal and why many lose patience with these fish.
Any pics of the fish so we could see what condition it’s in? If it’s too thin I would give in and put in a feeder.
A post by a mod is now prompting me to answer more. I have kept dats for more than 9 years. Compared to some members of this sight, 9 years might seem like a day, but I will try to share my knowledge.
When breaking a new dat, NTT's especially, I keep these 5 things in mind:
1. Lighting
-Keeping a tank dimly lit or dark will give your fish confidence and will significantly improve your dat's activity. Datnoids are shy fish, and until they get significantly accommodated to their new environment, it is crucial to give them a sense of security. I could babble on and on about how their natural environments provide proof for this claim, but for the sake of briefness, we will stick to the essentials.
2. Food
-Datnoids are stubborn. While this may not be true for all dats, they are ambush predators, and because most are wild caught they are only used to moving live food. Now you have two solutions to this problem. You could starve them until they break, feeding live once in a few weeks just so they wont die, or you could use the food-on-a-string method. This is done by usually tying a piece of food on a string and giving the imitation of live food, luring him to strike. Once the fish is used to this method, try to load some pellets in the live food. I do this with shrimp or small fish. They will soon learn to eat without the string, then the pellets, and even eventually learn to eat from your hands.
3. Tank mates
-Tank mates are tricky for new dats.You do not want overly aggressive or bigger fish than your datnoid. this will trive him . into a corner and the stress will lead to darker colors and a loss of appetite. What you want with your dat is moderately fast, enthusiastic feeders who will readily eat pellets and prepared foods. Your dat is a smart fish and it will learn from these other dither fish. The important fact is that your dat must feel superior in this tank and must not be overwhelmed by its tank mates. It needs to feel that it is the king.
4. Overall Water condition and Temperature
-Now I will say this about datnoids. Once they are in a stable home, they are like roaches. They are very hardy fish. A key in this I found was to keep the ph, hardness, and the temperature very stable. Although they tolerate change, it is best to keep things in a consistent environment. Seeing that you are taking on the challenge of housing a NTT, I will presume that you already know the temperature, ph and every other requirement. If you do not, I will not criticize you. We have all been there and it is never too late. I will not give you the specifics, but I want you to research and find out for yourself. This is a crucial part of the Monster Fish Keeping hobby.
5.
-Now this will be the most important thing you will have to understand and learn through experience. THIS WILL TAKE TIME! The hobby comes with much heartbreak, but you will pull through. I promise you, you will go through much and will lose much as well, but it will ultimately lead to your growth as a keeper and will soon learn the art of this beautiful hobby. Patients is THE most fundamental of this hobby and it will become the foundation of your skills as a lover of fish.
With all this being said, good luck! Do not be discouraged if things do not go through as expected. There will always be that one fish who will refuse to accept his fate as your pet. Don't . lose your enthusiasm and try your best!
When breaking a new dat, NTT's especially, I keep these 5 things in mind:
1. Lighting
-Keeping a tank dimly lit or dark will give your fish confidence and will significantly improve your dat's activity. Datnoids are shy fish, and until they get significantly accommodated to their new environment, it is crucial to give them a sense of security. I could babble on and on about how their natural environments provide proof for this claim, but for the sake of briefness, we will stick to the essentials.
2. Food
-Datnoids are stubborn. While this may not be true for all dats, they are ambush predators, and because most are wild caught they are only used to moving live food. Now you have two solutions to this problem. You could starve them until they break, feeding live once in a few weeks just so they wont die, or you could use the food-on-a-string method. This is done by usually tying a piece of food on a string and giving the imitation of live food, luring him to strike. Once the fish is used to this method, try to load some pellets in the live food. I do this with shrimp or small fish. They will soon learn to eat without the string, then the pellets, and even eventually learn to eat from your hands.
3. Tank mates
-Tank mates are tricky for new dats.You do not want overly aggressive or bigger fish than your datnoid. this will trive him . into a corner and the stress will lead to darker colors and a loss of appetite. What you want with your dat is moderately fast, enthusiastic feeders who will readily eat pellets and prepared foods. Your dat is a smart fish and it will learn from these other dither fish. The important fact is that your dat must feel superior in this tank and must not be overwhelmed by its tank mates. It needs to feel that it is the king.
4. Overall Water condition and Temperature
-Now I will say this about datnoids. Once they are in a stable home, they are like roaches. They are very hardy fish. A key in this I found was to keep the ph, hardness, and the temperature very stable. Although they tolerate change, it is best to keep things in a consistent environment. Seeing that you are taking on the challenge of housing a NTT, I will presume that you already know the temperature, ph and every other requirement. If you do not, I will not criticize you. We have all been there and it is never too late. I will not give you the specifics, but I want you to research and find out for yourself. This is a crucial part of the Monster Fish Keeping hobby.
5.
-Now this will be the most important thing you will have to understand and learn through experience. THIS WILL TAKE TIME! The hobby comes with much heartbreak, but you will pull through. I promise you, you will go through much and will lose much as well, but it will ultimately lead to your growth as a keeper and will soon learn the art of this beautiful hobby. Patients is THE most fundamental of this hobby and it will become the foundation of your skills as a lover of fish.
With all this being said, good luck! Do not be discouraged if things do not go through as expected. There will always be that one fish who will refuse to accept his fate as your pet. Don't . lose your enthusiasm and try your best!
