Recently I've run into a problem with my Senegal. He's nice and active, and used to eat like a pig, but now it seems he is either regurgitating or just not swallowing food. I used to feed him by dropping food right near his head which he ate off the surface. However now he is usually at the bottom of the tank, and hardly frequents the top like he used to. He still eats/tries to eat his pellets (Hikari sinking Carnivore Pellets) but they begin to absorb water and become soggy, so he bites them, or even tries to eat them whole like he used to, but the food just seems to sit in his mouth. He proceeds to spits pieces out, they just dirty the tank, and it doesn't seem like he's eating more than half of the pellet. Any suggestions?
Senegal has Trouble Keeping Down Soggy Food.
- Thread starter Oldmano
- Start date
My Senegals have trouble eating pellets. They always chew for a while, then spit it out, then chew again. It sounds much like what your Senegal does. They just don't swallow them as easy as other fish. It is normal.
Try mixing in up with softer foods like earthworms, bloodworms, etc..
Try mixing in up with softer foods like earthworms, bloodworms, etc..
The thing that confuses me though is that he used to be fine with them, he swallowed them whole when he was even smaller, but it seems like one say he just forgot how to eat a pellet. Or is he just tired of the same food all the time, I'm going to give him some market shrimp bits, and see how he reacts to them, but will they provide enough nutrition? I don't know any local fish store that sells earthworms. I've also noticed some behavior I hadn't observed before, he occasionally opens his mouth very very wide, he head expands then he just shuts it again and swims away normally. Is this a normal behavior?
Yeah, I guess that is wierd that he use to swallow them whole. I think the best thing you could do is feed a lot of variety. Like I said, try bloodworms. He will love them.
I am not sure about Canada, but you could probably just get earthworms from a gas station or fish bait shop.
I am not sure about Canada, but you could probably just get earthworms from a gas station or fish bait shop.
Walmart sells both the big Earthworms and the smaller ones(wrigglers).
Also they yawn alot. Open their mouths wide and then close them.
And my two are now sloppy eaters too. If the pellets just hit the water they swallow them whole but if swelled up with water they are too big so they toss them around to break them up. And yes it messes up the tank. But normal.
Also they yawn alot. Open their mouths wide and then close them.
And my two are now sloppy eaters too. If the pellets just hit the water they swallow them whole but if swelled up with water they are too big so they toss them around to break them up. And yes it messes up the tank. But normal.
mine always "chews" his shrimp pellets but he is worse with the silversides . frozen blood worms and brine shrimp are loved by mine, the knife tends to get the first shrimp pieces though.