Peacock Bass guidance request

[Nick660]

Hi everyone,

I've been lurking around MFK for a while now, mainly gathering info on raising pbass fry (and enjoying the amazing pics obviously!) and I'd appreciate any input/advice you could add to what I'm currently doing i.e. :-

I've got four 2.5" Temensis in a 200L grow-out tank with gravel substrate and a large silk plant to provide cover.
No tank lights.
Temp = 84F

My Tems are still pretty nervous and I was thinking of adding some platys or guppies as dither fish (and to provide an occasional source of feeder fry up until they get eaten themselves!).
Any thoughts/experience of this?

I'm feeding small pieces of lance fish twice/day (as much as they'll take before losing interest).
I've tried to introduce them to frozen krill, earthworms and pellets by dropping them in with the fish pieces but they just spit them back out! I've got a few convict fry but i'm reluctant to feed these at the moment in case they get a taste for live food exclusively as i doubt if i can provide enough regular supply (you don't often see feeders for sale in the UK).
Is it just a case of being patient?
Will they get enough nutrients from just a lance fish diet while i'm waiting for them to get more confidence and a taste for other foods?
Also, is the amount i'm feeding enough?

Any feedback appreciated.

Here's a photo of one of my fry.

 

[RuckusLV]

Nick,
You are doing a great job. They will be fine eating just fish meat. Unfortanetly it is going to be a bit difficult to get them to convert to pellets or any freezer-dried nutrition, but it has been done. I have not been successful in my several years but then again one of the whole reasons why I love the cichla species is to see them eat "live" fish. Anyhow as long as they are eating fish meat you will be fine. In no time your fish will be beautiful show specimens.

Good Luck

Ruck

 

[Nick660]

Thanks for the encouragement Ruck.
I do plan to feed live fish occasionally (convict breeding program underway!) but i'm afraid of my pbass losing interest in dead fish if i do it too soon or too often. I'm concerned i won't be able to produce an adequate supply of feeders as they grow!

Cheers.

 

[fluxkenji]

When my pbass were around 2.5-3" they would kill/eat anything that is smaller than them. So platys/guppies would either get eaten or just get picked on till they die, and would not have a chance in the tank.

I did read on the forum that it is good to feed small pbass feeders as it's the best for them.

My pbass are around 5-7" now i'd say. So feeders got to expensive for me, considering I have 10 pbass to feed. So I just buy shrimp at the market and freeze it. Then whenever I feed them i just cut the shrimp up into small pieces, and they love it. I noticed that when I drop the cut up piece of shrimp right over the powerhead, the powerhead moves the shrimp pieces fast across the tank, and the pbass are attracted to it and love it.

As far as lance fish, I'm not sure what that is. I don't see it as being any problem. When my pbass get even bigger, I will probably switch to talapia because it's cheaper than shrimp.

Well good luck with your tem's.

 

[Nick660]

My pbass are around 5-7" now i'd say. So feeders got to expensive for me, considering I have 10 pbass to feed. So I just buy shrimp at the market and freeze it. Then whenever I feed them i just cut the shrimp up into small pieces, and they love it. I noticed that when I drop the cut up piece of shrimp right over the powerhead, the powerhead moves the shrimp pieces fast across the tank, and the pbass are attracted to it and love it.

Actually, i've just put a powerhead into my tank to increase oxygenation so i'll try dropping the fish pieces into the flow like you suggest to see if that makes them attack it more aggressively. They do take the fish but they don't always seem as eager as i would like. As its the only food they are interested in (apart from live) i don't want them to go off it!

I'm hoping they will get more confident as they get larger (that was the only reason i was thinking of putting other fish in with them).

How many times a day were/are you feeding yours, and how long did it take for them to go from 2.5" to 7" ?

(P.S. Lance fish are smelt i think, or similar)

Cheers

 

[Nic]

why would you want to feed a fish live food if it don't need it? I don't understand... It took me forever to break some of my fish to frozen/freeze dreid or pellets... anyway nice pbass I would keep doing what you are doing and add the pellets with the fish.....they will eat them eventually good luck

 

[fluxkenji]

Actually, i've just put a powerhead into my tank to increase oxygenation so i'll try dropping the fish pieces into the flow like you suggest to see if that makes them attack it more aggressively. They do take the fish but they don't always seem as eager as i would like. As its the only food they are interested in (apart from live) i don't want them to go off it!

I'm hoping they will get more confident as they get larger (that was the only reason i was thinking of putting other fish in with them).

How many times a day were/are you feeding yours, and how long did it take for them to go from 2.5" to 7" ?

(P.S. Lance fish are smelt i think, or similar)

Cheers

I actually was feeding them lots of feeders from about 2.5"-4.5" because I heard that when they are young, feeders are the best. After about 4.5" i took them off of feeders because of the $$ it was costing me and went to shrimp. I only have 1 that's around 7", the others are from 5-6". I got them earlier this year, so maybe about 4-5 months.

I've noticed my pbass will try to eat/attack anything that moves. That is why I threw in the cut up pieces of shrimp over the power head. In one sense it mimics the pieces of shrimp as something that is alive.

 

[Nick660]

why would you want to feed a fish live food if it don't need it? I don't understand... It took me forever to break some of my fish to frozen/freeze dreid or pellets... anyway nice pbass I would keep doing what you are doing and add the pellets with the fish.....they will eat them eventually good luck

You're right, I think its just that i need to be more patient and keep trying the pellets until they're accepted. I don't want to feed live food if i don't have to, as long as the frozen fish pieces alone are good enough to keep them healthy, active and growing well!
These are my first pbass so i'm not sure what to expect - i've only had them 2 weeks. I worry that if they lose their taste for the dead fish i won't have any alternative but to feed live. Once it's obvious that they are growing and feeding more aggressively and confidently i might relax a bit more.

Cheers

 

[Nick660]

I actually was feeding them lots of feeders from about 2.5"-4.5" because I heard that when they are young, feeders are the best. After about 4.5" i took them off of feeders because of the $$ it was costing me and went to shrimp. I only have 1 that's around 7", the others are from 5-6". I got them earlier this year, so maybe about 4-5 months.

I'm hoping to avoid getting mine hooked on feeders if it's possible and not strictly necessary, so i won't be forced to provide them with a constant supply!

Once i can see evidence that my pbass are thriving on the frozen fish i'll be happier.

 

[fluxkenji]

I'm hoping to avoid getting mine hooked on feeders if it's possible and not strictly necessary, so i won't be forced to provide them with a constant supply!

Once i can see evidence that my pbass are thriving on the frozen fish i'll be happier.

Good luck!