Some observations. The wels hasn't taken out a tank mate yet but came close due to my lapse.
As noted above, the summers appear to be the time when wels rests more, fasts, and feeds 10x less than usual. Now the cool season is here and our wels started feeding well again after the weather and the water cooled, probably some time in Oct-Nov. At the present 4.5'-5', it takes about 2-3 herring 6"-8" each night so far.
But I bought some finger mullet to diversify the diet and have been offering them for a week or so. The mullet are 5"-6" and thinner of course then herring and wels is capricious and as it turns out wouldn't pick up the mullet off the bottom like it does with the herring, only whatever it takes from my hand (it comes up only once at the start of the feeding).
So in retrospect, I gather it was underfed and getting hungry for a good portion of a week. The result is a couple of koi got some part of their bottom tail lobe torn off one night and the next night a couple golden orfe got swallowed head first and then spit out and are scratched up and missing a lot of scales.
The night I realized all this I switched back to the herring, and the wels ate at least 4 easily, maybe more. The damage to tank mates stopped.
As noted above, the summers appear to be the time when wels rests more, fasts, and feeds 10x less than usual. Now the cool season is here and our wels started feeding well again after the weather and the water cooled, probably some time in Oct-Nov. At the present 4.5'-5', it takes about 2-3 herring 6"-8" each night so far.
But I bought some finger mullet to diversify the diet and have been offering them for a week or so. The mullet are 5"-6" and thinner of course then herring and wels is capricious and as it turns out wouldn't pick up the mullet off the bottom like it does with the herring, only whatever it takes from my hand (it comes up only once at the start of the feeding).
So in retrospect, I gather it was underfed and getting hungry for a good portion of a week. The result is a couple of koi got some part of their bottom tail lobe torn off one night and the next night a couple golden orfe got swallowed head first and then spit out and are scratched up and missing a lot of scales.
The night I realized all this I switched back to the herring, and the wels ate at least 4 easily, maybe more. The damage to tank mates stopped.
