PHHHHEEEEEWWWW... bought some more time

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WildCAught

Gambusia
MFK Member
Aug 27, 2007
852
2
18
Riverside, CA
The bartoni that I got from conkel have not eaten since I got them up until yesterday. It had been a month and they were skin and bones. I had to separate them because all they wanted to do was breed and not eat. They showed interest in all the food I threw in but just would not eat. They would spit everything out. Veggie flakes, omega one tropical flakes, crushed pellets, Brine shrimp, bloodworms (live, frozen), crushed algae discs, peas, nothing would work. they finally decided beggars couldn't be choosers and they decided to eat the peas everyone else was eating. I know they were eating the algae on the filter intakes but that was it. Today I bought 5 dozen baby feeder guppies ( I had to try it since i saw them chasing some of the smaller HRP fry) and this is the first time I've seen them full. I'm just relieved that it buys me extra time to get them to try different food. Geez these are some of the hardest fish i've ever kept. they're healthy but just had no interest in what they were being fed.

PHEWWW!

SEAN!!! what are you feeding yours?
 
WildCAught;1925592; said:
The bartoni that I got from conkel have not eaten since I got them up until yesterday. It had been a month and they were skin and bones. I had to separate them because all they wanted to do was breed and not eat. They showed interest in all the food I threw in but just would not eat. They would spit everything out. Veggie flakes, omega one tropical flakes, crushed pellets, Brine shrimp, bloodworms (live, frozen), crushed algae discs, peas, nothing would work. they finally decided beggars couldn't be choosers and they decided to eat the peas everyone else was eating. I know they were eating the algae on the filter intakes but that was it. Today I bought 5 dozen baby feeder guppies ( I had to try it since i saw them chasing some of the smaller HRP fry) and this is the first time I've seen them full. I'm just relieved that it buys me extra time to get them to try different food. Geez these are some of the hardest fish i've ever kept. they're healthy but just had no interest in what they were being fed.

PHEWWW!

SEAN!!! what are you feeding yours?
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You're a very patient man. I gave up on mine and sold them. They ate frozen brime shrimp and krill and some spirulina flakes.
 
Ruck Fules;1925638; said:
You're a very patient man. I gave up on mine and sold them. They ate frozen brime shrimp and krill and some spirulina flakes.
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I was so close to giving up on them. I'll see how they're doing tomorrow when I'm back in my office.
 
One of my Favorites!!
 
Wow.... I had no idea you went thru so much to get them to eat! I actually threw my 4 into a tank with about 16 small Red Head Geo's. They didn't eat at first and was constantly chasing eachother trying to "bone". But I just kept dumping food in there to feed everyone and just assumed they would eat. I've actually seen them eat bloodworms (frozen and live) and NLS Growth pellets...... at least I thought I've seen them eat.... now I'm second guessing. I'll confirm tomorrow when I get home and post my findings. Good Luck my friend. :confused:

BTW, I do know this.... they're not skin & bones. I remember thinking to myself during a water change ... "Self, those Bartoni's look nice and plump... not Bloat plump... just healthy plump."
 
They're doing ok but still no interest in flakes etc. Hope they don't get hooked on guppies... hate it, guppies ain't cheap and they're risky.
 
i think in the wild they feed on decomposing detritus made up from organic plant matter and some insect larvae i gather
have you tried things like frozen mosquito larvae? i know it's not obvious they are eating, but maybe the flakes get 'stuck' in the gravel and they pick at the flakes as they soften and become mulch?
 
I actually watched my Bartonis today and they ate the NLS pellets I threw in. They ate off the bottom of the tank too, pecking for food. Hopefully yours will do the same soon.
 
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