Only eats nightcrawlers/problem swallowing

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banjocat

Candiru
MFK Member
Dec 5, 2007
341
20
48
Michigan
For about three weeks my Albino senegal bichir has been eating only small european nightcrawlers. I have had him/her for 65 days. He is still in a 20 gal bare bottom quarantine/grow out tank, so I know he isn't eating when I'm not looking. When I first got him, he would eat pieces of carnivore pellets and shrimp. Then he started coughing up his food when he eats. He seems interested in his food, but coughs it up after swallowing it. He repeats this many times, until he finially gives up. This makes a mess, because he breaks it up. It looks like he is having difficulty swallowing. He gobbles worms right down though, which are much larger than the shrimp and pellets I present him. I never introduced worms to him, until he stoped eating his other food.

Do you think he has a problem swallowing, or is he just being picky?

Are nightcrawlers nutritionaly ok to feed long term?

Do albinos have a slower growth rate? He is growing much slower than my normal senegal bichir did. I would like to move him to my 75 gal, but he is only about 4 inches. My other bichir in the 75 is close to 9 inches.

Thanks, this really has me worried
 
Do you think he has a problem swallowing, or is he just being picky?
I think its got you trained

Are nightcrawlers nutritionaly ok to feed long term?
Yes they are fine in fact in some fishkeeping circles they are reffered to as the perfect fishfood

they are generally smaller than normal senegals avg 8-10'' adult size-Anne
 
"Do you think he has a problem swallowing, or is he just being picky?
I think its got you trained"

Thanks, maybe I'll try going awhile without feeding. See if I can get him back on pellets then
 
It has eaten some TetraMin Tropical Tablets, but still won't swallow the carnivore pellets. Last night I tried to move it to the 75 gal with my bigger bichir, but it didn't work out. Unless I make a divider, it looks like the albino is going to be spending some more time in the 20. He might have gotten a tail fin nip(It looks like there might be some cuts), so I'm going to treat with some melafix.
 
Yeah these guys are very smart that way. Even thought they look so innocent! :D

Mine suddenly only want pellets VS fresh or frozen foods... :confused: :screwy:

Who knows why they go through picky stages?

Mine too *cough* out large bits of their food, if I feed it in large pieces
(even though the are almost 9''!!).

So I still break their food up for them. I break it into smaller pieces, and then drop them into the tank and then they swallow those pieces whole. Way less messy too! :grinno:
 
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