Power-feeding Ornates?

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Dirty Old Man

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 9, 2006
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Arizona
My ornate is by far the slowest growing fish in my tank. I've had him since feb (so maybe 6-7 months) and he's maybe grown 3" I got him @ 3-4" and he's currently close to 6". My senegals and albino senegals have grown much more than that in 4 months. They were all about the same size when I got them...except the albino. I got the albino @ 1.5" when the ornate was about 4" The albino has nearly caught up with the ornate (pushin' 5".)
What would be the best way to get the ornate to grow a lil' faster? I have 2 senegals, 1 albino, 1 reedfish, 2 silver dollars, and a rainbow shark in the same tank. I hear they'll reach 24", but how long will it take them to reach their full potential?
 
how long will it take them to reach their full potential?
Well it taken my ornate 3 years to reach 16 and a bit inches

What are you feeding it and how often?
 
beblondie;493281; said:
how long will it take them to reach their full potential?
Well it taken my ornate 3 years to reach 16 and a bit inches

What are you feeding it and how often?

I feed every night. I have a mat that floats upsidedown at the top of the tank and that's where the ornate spends 99% of its time. That said, I place a cube (from one of those 3.5 oz frozen food thingies) next to the ornates head. I then throw in roughly 10 mealworms.
 
Yes they seem to be the slowest growers of the bunch.You could try adding a good qualtiy pellet to the menu.
BTW feeding mealworms feed only the whities or freshly shed ones the chiton on the others can cause blockages under certain circumstances
 
we can do that. Anything else (other than feeders) that I should feed them? They tend to reject nightcrawlers. Suggestions?
 
hikari sinking carni pellets and silver sides and tadpoles
 
organic all natural shrimp from the grocery store, they love it, silversides, carni pellets, squid, earthworms, tadpoles, ect....
 
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