ornate activity/feeding problems

[spawnie9600]

my baby ornate (5") hardly comes out even though my other fish leave him alone entirely, but his real problem is feeding. i've had senegal bichirs in the past, all of which have gone for flakes/sticks at the top of the tank, but this ornate doesnt even really like the flakes that fall right outside his den. how can i get this fish to be more active?

the tankmates are a very greedy oscar and an equally greedy parrot fish and a severum

 

[David R]

Your best option would be to split them up, keeping a slow, shy feeder with a pig like an oscar is always going to be difficult. Other than that try chucking some food in an hour or so after the lights have gone off (completely dark) and the oscar is resting, then check the size of the ornates stomach the following day.

 

[Fishman1318]

I had a similar problem with my ornate when I got him. Similar size too. You've got to be patient with an ornate. I got him in with a senegal and the senegal is much more active and willing to come up to the edge of the tank to greet me. After a while the ornate will get used to its new home and start to eat pellets. I feed mine wardley shrimp pellets cause the stink alot and they sink very fast. Also try feeding him earthworms and frozen silversides. If the tank is shallow enough he'll smell things floating on the surface and come up to feed there as well. I find they do best in long shallow tanks. I hope this helps some.

 

[eternity302]

I got an ornate, enli, delhezi, 2x sen, alino, palma... every single one will come out but the ornate... so i fed everyone but him... so after learning how shy he is.. i started chucking pellets in before i slept.. i waited for 10 minutes and went back with a flashlight... there he is eating...

 

[sour_girl]

I find Ornates to be the most shy when it comes to feeding time.. and they have always only eaten from the bottom. I use sinking pellets for this reason.. I never see them eat but they're growing so I know that they are.

 

[dbcb314]

You are going to have to feed some food that sinks like pellets.

My del, sens, and rope fish come to the top to eat... ornate only comes to the top for air lol

plus the ornate is usually the last poly to come out to eat.

 

[Fishman1318]

I can get my ornate to come up to eat. But only when its chopped up silversides. Then he's like snap...I gotta get sum of dat. lol

 

[Cohazard]

Bichirs are highly individual in their demeanor, and I've gotten every ornate I've ever had to eat with lights on with all the other polys.

It takes patience, and willingness to let the fish fast itself until it decides to try a new approach to find food.

I've even had endli that take floating pellets, eventhough I would offer fresh shrimp every other feeding.

 

[ArowBichir]

try feeding the ornate pellets and at night most ornates are shy and only come out or move at night

 

[spawnie9600]

it did not go for pellets even in pitchblack for two hours. so i have gotten out my 46 gal bowfront-corner tank and i've filled it about halfway full becaus i'm missing part of the lid. right now im waiting for the tank to heat up and fully filter then im going to add the ornate. im hoping that this will allow me to better monitor him and get him accepting a variety of foods without fear of the cichlids getting it all first.