Redtail Shovelnose cross catfish not eating?

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A

Archer33389

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 23, 2011
121
0
0
Connecticut
Hi everyone,
I am a new member to the site and I have a problem. I live in CT and have a new outdoor tropical pond. It is 250 gallons about, so 8 feet long, 5 feet wide at the widest point, and 20 inches wide at the narrowest point. Right now I have a 5 inch bullseye catfish and a 10.5 inch redtail shovelnose hybrid in there. The pond is new, about a week and a half. I have 1800gph of waterflow in there and 1050 watts of heaters in there and the heaters are keeping the temperature fine. At night I keep a plastic top on the tank to keep the heat in like a greenhouse but it has enough openings to allow air in. The ammonia is between 0.25 and 0. The Nitrates are about 5 and the nitrites are 0. I used a product called cycle to hasten the cycle of the tank and I have plenty of filtration on the tank. I also have 3 water hyacins in the pond. I am treating the pond with melafix and pimafix because I am having a fungus problem. The redtail shovel nose cross and the bullseye catfish are not eating. Neither of them have really eaten signifigantly in the week and a half they have been in there. Do you guys have any suggestions? I'm really worried. The hybrid was eating beefheart and feeders before he went in there every other day. Now I have tried frozen silversides, live blackworms, frozen blood worms, chunky frozen squid, shrimp pellets, feeder fish, and earthworms and he is turning them all down. He has a slight laceration on his nose, I do not know what it is from and he has a broken whisker. Do you have any suggestions to try and get either of them to eat? Thanks.
 
hey bud you have posted this in my Vendor forum & need to re post in the proper section (catfish etc)

thanks
Dave

Have not read you entire thread but do a water change & check temp. May need to treat with metronidozole for internal issues?
 
If you can put the cats back where they were before before the pond. Check every thing from PH on. I had several cats die from a PH problem caused by rocks I added. It's probably something in the water. Cats do go through a fasting period when you move them, but it sounds like you have more than that going on.
 
I'm not sure how to pm but I got it from puurfect pets in CT. And someone told me that since they are still alive and its been 2 weeks since they really ate they are probably eating bugs that hit the water in the pond. Is that a possibility?
 
Dude for now i have the same problem. My water is perfect no problems at all.. I've asked many people with no awnsers.. Mine is a RTC no hybrid. And appears to have the same problem... Mine is already for 2 weeks not eating. I see him try to eat and puts a a fish inside, but than puts it out and goes back to sleep... I think it's not that somethings stuck. And nothing changed at the setup of the tank. Suddenly everything stopped. He getting very slim now. Plz does anyone have an awnser. tank is a 1000g and water is just fine. Checked everything. my friend has a brother or sister swimming aswell and just doing fine! Mine was bigger now he's the smallest. Mine is about 20" but for now decreasing in size. On the mouth also a little spot that appears to be wounded right there. But it's a half " big. All my other fishes have been eating goldfishes aswell and there where no problems found.
 
To the OP: could be stressed from moving in to a new environment. He is probably not eating bugs from the top as they are bottom feeders, but its possible. Another thing may be that the pond is quite small. Good surface area, but lots of fish in that surface area. The hybrid is going to need a pond that is much larger, about 1000gallons is normally the minimum, as they get up to 5-6 feet long. But you have some time before that time comes and you hopefully have an upgrade plan in place or a rehoming plan in place. For now I would just be patient, try different foods ... especially worms.

To tanteannie - Your fish isn't going to sleep, it is trying to eat and getting frustrated for some reason. Maybe he doesn't like what you are offering. Maybe you are offering too large of pieces.
 
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