Silver Aro Help!!!!

[ilovearowana]

is the water dirty? Is it clear to your perspective?

 

[Gshock]

Unless you are changing huge amounts like 75%, I wouldnt worry much about it. The regular 20-50% changes don't make much difference even at this size. Follow the regular dosage for prime as well, theres no need to over or under dose.

 

[pi-eyed]

Yeah the water appears clear but I have gravel in the tank(for fear of drop eye)and I can't tell how much uneaten food(if any) has settled there. Thats why I put the pleco in there. I think I'll do a 25% change tomorrow and vac the gravel.
I tried a couple of pellets today and he's not interested at all. If I put a few thawed bw with a few freeze dried bw, he'll eat the freeze dried bw. If I just put the freeze dried bw in he's not interested...picky I guess..lol All my other fish will eat everything--if they see me eating they want some..lols
Thanks guys/gals,
Chris

 

[ctoychik]

getting him on floating sticks now. crush them a little bit first if you must. i found that from young age they accept pellets quite well

 

[pi-eyed]

I tried a cricket last night before bed. He almost jumped out to get it as soon as it hit the water...kind of startled me a little. he usually swims around the blood worms a couple of times before he starts to eat. Not so with the cricket! I'll try the sticks(I have to get some) What kind--Hikari? I'll continue to try the pellets but I might need to get some smaller ones. I'll try to get some pics loaded(my camera took a dump..lol)
Thanks for all the advice, Keep it coming,
Chris

 

[MonsterMinis]

Cichlid excel seems to keep my guy very happy. and has one of the highest protein rates of the Hikari brands at 42%. I suppliment this w/ guppies, crickets, and other meaty foods. there are also other good brands. but Hikari is the most readily available. atm I'm trying to get my guy onto NLS since I found a LFS that sells it now.

Goldfish should never be fed due to the thiamisine, that prevents calcium absorbsion. which is critical in young fish but detrimental in adults as well. live feeders are always contriversial.. some people are adament against it and keep their fish on 100% prepared diets, and some people feed nothing but live foods. some people also feed a mix of live and prepared foods. ime the biggest issue w/ live foods is people do not properly quarantine the feeders before offering them, then get bent out of shape when their fish contract a disease or parasite that 99% of the time was completely avoidable to begin with.

If you are worried about the water quality and want to do a water change, but are leary. check your water perameters. see if you need one for starters.. and do 20% ..no more.. if your water needs another go.. 20% again in a few days.. don't do 50%+ in one fell swoop. It is doablee, but also has a higher risk of something not being stable enough to throw him into anxiety/ go off eating. and as pointed out.. doesn't matter what he's eating w/in reason.. as long as he's eating.

 

[pi-eyed]

Thanks for the good advice. I did about a 30% change this morning. I added prime to the bucket as directed+a little bit of aquarium salt. About an hour after the change I put 2 small crickets in and he greedily ate them. He's still swimming at the top actively(scanning the top for more I presume..lol). I think he'll be alright(I hope). If he's stressed he wouldn't eat would he? He seems to have a lot of jaw movement--like he's muttering to himself. Is this normal? I assume that he's just choking down his food(pardon the expression-I know he's not choking).
Thanks again,
Chris

 

[Gshock]

You should stop with the crickets if hes eating something else, especially if you're planning to try to get him on pellets soon. The more crickets you feed now, the less chance of your aro taking pellets.

 

[pi-eyed]

Ok... I'm just happy that he is eating something...I'll go back to the blood worms. Now I'm confused--????--What is the difference between feeding him freeze dried or frozen blood worms as opposed to dead crickets???? I understand the "no feeder fish" thing but need enlightend on this.
Thanks guys/gals,
Chris

 

[Gshock]

Ok... I'm just happy that he is eating something...I'll go back to the blood worms. Now I'm confused--????--What is the difference between feeding him freeze dried or frozen blood worms as opposed to dead crickets???? I understand the "no feeder fish" thing but need enlightend on this.
Thanks guys/gals,
Chris

Crickets and mealworms can be said to be an almost, gauranteed food. This means that they are almost never rejected. This may possibly be becuase crickets are similar as to what they would be able to eat in the amazon off tree branches and such. There have been many instances where feeding crickets leads to an aro that refuses all other types of food, thus we assume that it is "addictive". The more crickets you feed before an attempt to get your aro on pellets, the smaller the chance of your aro actually taking the pellets.