unorthodox feeding method

[esoxlucius]

Having tinfoil barbs and a RTGG usually means one thing in my tank at feeding times.....hardly any food for others. I was particularly concerned about my common and phantom plecs because veggies, which they need, were being gulped down by the tinfoils and GG. Other than putting a divider in at mealtimes i was stuck as to what to do to ensure a better balance of feeding. And then i found a 6" diameter clear plastic tube at work. I cut it down to the depth of my tank and placed it vertically in the corner so it was resting on the substrate. Then i put some coarsely chopped cooked broccoli down the tube. The tinfoils and GG went mad but couldn't get at it. Once it had all come to rest on the substrate i lifted the tube up a couple of inches and eventually, after being a bit nervous at first, my plecs and clown loach would swim under the tube into the area which in effect was a 6" dinner plate on the substrate. They would eat their fill, in peace, whilst the tinfoils were butting the tube, quite funny really. Has anybody else got pigs in their tanks that mean a different approach is sometimes required at mealtimes?

 

[HumanBean]

Awesome . they say mother is the necessity of invention

 

[rsanz85]

Awesome . they say mother is the necessity of invention

I think you goofed that maxim a little bit.

OP, that's a great method that you've developed to get your slow movers fed. Nice work!

My oscar is a pig, so it's difficult for me to get food to the bottom for my geo red heads to graze on. I've resorted to feeding them in the morning when the lights are off. I distract my oscar with my finger disturbing the surface on one end of the tank, and drop sinking pellets down on the other end of the tank. Even with the lights off, the oscar sometimes catches on to my trick and will rush over and eat the pellets that I've dropped in (how does he know?!).

The oscar gets fed in the evenings when the lights are on and the geos have had a chance to graze in peace.

 

[xraycer]

This idea, "feeding tube" has actually been around for some time. I haven't seen it in a while, but they use to sell such a product...........a clear plastic tube lol

 

[duanes]

I have used a piece of PVC, that way the gluttons don't see the food heading to the intended target. Once the target fish get used to it, they head right to it during feeding time.
Its also good for adding sand to out of the way areas.

 

[esoxlucius]

This idea, "feeding tube" has actually been around for some time. I haven't seen it in a while, but they use to sell such a product...........a clear plastic tube lol

Blast, you've gone and rained on my parade. I had a vision of selling this new fandangled product and making millions out of you lot. I'd have lived in a mansion with an array of 10000 gallon monster tanks. And i'd have called this revolutionary new piece of kit...wait for it...."the clear plastic tube". Haha.

 

[xraycer]

Blast, you've gone and rained on my parade. I had a vision of selling this new fandangled product and making millions out of you lot. I'd have lived in a mansion with an array of 10000 gallon monster tanks. And i'd have called this revolutionary new piece of kit...wait for it...."the clear plastic tube". Haha.

I'm the wrecker of dreams! [insert evil laughter]

 

[jwh]

I seem to have similar fish to the op, my gg and tinfoils prefer to feed from veggie clips, and pleco's from the bottom, so when I feed veggies, leafy stuff in clips other I weigh down with a fork. Thing like algea wafers are never looked at by the gg or tinfoils, and the pleco's etc get it all on the bottom.
Other veg like peas the gg and tinfoils eat on the way down, and are largely ignored once on the bottom. I also feed aquatic plants which are probably exclusively eaten by the gg and tinfoils

 

[esoxlucius]

I seem to have similar fish to the op, my gg and tinfoils prefer to feed from veggie clips, and pleco's from the bottom, so when I feed veggies, leafy stuff in clips other I weigh down with a fork. Thing like algea wafers are never looked at by the gg or tinfoils, and the pleco's etc get it all on the bottom.
Other veg like peas the gg and tinfoils eat on the way down, and are largely ignored once on the bottom. I also feed aquatic plants which are probably exclusively eaten by the gg and tinfoils

My tinfoils don't give a hoot what food it is whether its surface floating, sinking midwater or anchored to the substrate, thay get to it first and they eat everything. I had to stop feeding algae wafers at lights out meant for my plecs because the tinfoils would try and swallow the large wafers whole! They're only 6" and i was worried they'd choke to death! The feeding tube i use now is the only way i can control mealtimes.
Saying that though i only feed once daily, 7 days a week, no fasting day as some others do. And i don't exactly shovel food in. Maybe they're underfed and thats why they're like they are (they're all plump though, all my fish, certainly don't look undernourished). I heard they were ravenous greedy pigs before i got them so i put they're behaviour down to that. Maybe twice daily feeding might alter they're behaviour?

 

[jwh]

When younger mine were pigs with fins, but they're about two years old now around 8" and nowhere as aggressive feeders as they were before, better to underfed than over feed, I probably do the latter though