tips for a stubborn cuban?

[sbuse]

one of my cubans has grown massively while the other seems to pick at things, chew on feeders without eating them and only takes fillet chunks on occasion. due to its lack of intake it has slowly added growth of any kind. the other gars have gotten to a point of concern for consumption of this little one so i moved it to my 20gal planted and added a mess of guppies to help it get food easier.

all my tanks have a max of 10ppm on nitrate and zeros across the rest. ph is around the 7.4-7.6 range in all tanks. the other cuban is eating everything i throw at it and has shown my other gars to eat pellets. just kinda left scratching my head on this smaller one.

any thoughts?

 

[pharmaecopia]

Have you tried bumping the temperature a bit?

 

[koltsixx]

If you give him to me I'm sure I'll be able to get him to put some size on him. Seriously though that's just the way it goes sometimes. Some gars are a little more reserved than others and just don't feed as aggressively. Moving him was a good idea it may get his confidence up and if he's in a tank alone he'll probably start eating more aggressively. But if he does keep giving you problems, you can always give him to me.

 

[ampthefrogguy]

My wedding is going to be in Wisconsin Dells...Is that far from you? I wish i could mind read your cuban contact out of you. O.O I want a couple.

 

[MonsterMinis]

Temp may be an issue.. but I've noticed with my cuban.. my 2 floridas are no where near aggressive at feeding time as they use to be, I suspect it is due to aggression, you have a dominant fish in your other cuban and seperation was imo the right call as well. See if he start chowing down, I'de also check for health concerns like IP's or even a mild infection somewhere. IMO it's aggression.

 

[sbuse]

Have you tried bumping the temperature a bit?

the temp is at 78f-82f depending on if i am cooking or not. i don't want to bump it to high. i know they can take higher temps, but i have learned to dis like them.

If you give him to me I'm sure I'll be able to get him to put some size on him. Seriously though that's just the way it goes sometimes. Some gars are a little more reserved than others and just don't feed as aggressively. Moving him was a good idea it may get his confidence up and if he's in a tank alone he'll probably start eating more aggressively. But if he does keep giving you problems, you can always give him to me.

if it went to you i'd have to hunt you down to get it back after it started eatting like a champ. they have been a long time coming and i can just let them slip away. i have a feeling this one is more reserved then the other because the other will go after my finger if i put it up to the tank. this small one seems to miss most of the attacks it makes and if it does catch the prey it holds it for a second and lets it go. it seems to be getting some guppies unless my peacock eel has been taking them for some strange reason cause there sure isn't 100 any more. so i hope to see it make a successful hunt/attack then i will feel better. i don't see any abnormalities in it and it just seems that stubborn. i had to tap its nose vigorously in an irritating way to get it to bite the fillets and then eat them.

My wedding is going to be in Wisconsin Dells...Is that far from you? I wish i could mind read your cuban contact out of you. O.O I want a couple.

dells is a few hours from me...you know its not to late to run since "going to be" is the key phrase. if she digs fish then go for it, test it buy getting something expensive fish wise in front of her. if she don't like them it will be hell getting anything done with fish. my wife thinks they are a waste of time so now that she is out of the country for a while i am doing the vamping. i wish i could just tell you so when he gets more in you all could get some. i am currently playing email tag with the dnr about trying to get the collection permits for the summer. looks grim, but i will test them well. they want me to buy broodstock from them and aquaculture the fish for sale and then get all the permits to have an aquaculture farm so it is a round and round deal. i would need an acre of lake to farm to get the permit, small time means nothing to them so far.

Temp may be an issue.. but I've noticed with my cuban.. my 2 floridas are no where near aggressive at feeding time as they use to be, I suspect it is due to aggression, you have a dominant fish in your other cuban and seperation was imo the right call as well. See if he start chowing down, I'de also check for health concerns like IP's or even a mild infection somewhere. IMO it's aggression.

temp is stated above and the other cuban is at the same temp so i don't think it to be an issue. the larger cuban shows no aggression toward the other gars and no gars have so much as a fin ripped. i though it was aggression at first, but the lack of damage turns me off to it. the only thing i can seem to think of is the aggressive feeding tactics used by the other gars could be turning this shy gar off.

thanks for the input guys. we'll see how it goes i guess, maybe it just needs this confidence boost like mentioned. it used to hit rosies and goldfish, but never finish them off. i couldn't put guppies in the other growout because i would go through 5000 a night. it does seem to be eatting guppies, but i seen no lumps nor a successful hunt.

 

[koltsixx]

Lol! I can imagine I used to hassle E_americanus for some of his when he was done with his research. Unfortunately he said he would but never got back to me Where did you pick yours up from and for how much? Any still left? PM me if you don't mind answering me, cause I understand not posting the information because I know your source probably doesn't need people swarming them with requests. Oh and you should post up a pic of the buggers, I for one would like to see them.

 

[sbuse]

i was going to get some from solomon, but missed my shot.

i can't say even in pm were i got them i do buisness with him and it would be bad buisness to talk about it. i'll see on a deal for some, no promises but i'll talk to him.

i have a pic thread of when i got them, but i could do an updated deal on them.

 

[koltsixx]

No problem bro, I totally understand that's why I said if you don't mind. Thanx anyway though I appreciate it and if you can work out a deal that's cool, if not I'll live(some how)Lol! And yeah man I'd definitely like to see an updated thread. Also I know 3 days isn't much time, but how's the little relocated Cuban doing? Any noticeable difference in feedings, or is he still settling in?

 

[sbuse]

it seems to be eating and looks to be putting some thickness back into itself. it was looking super thin witch was why i moved it and now it looks much better. i have not seen it eat yet, but there are many guppies missing and its the only thing that could eat them in the tank.