I have a Palmas Buetikofferi, and I have NEVER seen it eat. I have had it for 6 months. It hasn't grown or shrank the entire time. It is a little unnerving, but I have confidence this fish eats when it feels like it. I can't imagine a fish will go 6 months without eating and without losing weight, but it's still in there and seemingly doing well.
When do you worry?
- Thread starter Keeper of the Ropes
- Start date
One thing I do for my shy bichirs (my Palmas palmas especially) is to feed after the light turn off, and leave extra fish pieces (silverside, smelt, tilapia ... etc) sitting around overnight. With all the lights out (only "moon" lights in the tank), I've seen the palmas eat. Normally, I just leave the food overnight. In fact, I've had left over food the next morning (in my tank, the lights turn off at midnight, food dropped into tank at 2 am), but it's always gone by the time I get back from work in the evening.
BTW, because I leave food sitting around for so long, I have a huge biological filter (a 26 gallon flat bottom tank filled with bioballs, with pump from my sump to it, and overflow back).
BTW, because I leave food sitting around for so long, I have a huge biological filter (a 26 gallon flat bottom tank filled with bioballs, with pump from my sump to it, and overflow back).
**drumroll please** and after ... (counting) ... three and a half months, SWEETTOOTH EATS!!!!!!!! Yay 
He needs to continue... he's almost 11 inches long and only one inch wide, but he didn't waste time putting down two big chunks of shrimp last night, so hopefully he's back in the action again.
Keeper
He needs to continue... he's almost 11 inches long and only one inch wide, but he didn't waste time putting down two big chunks of shrimp last night, so hopefully he's back in the action again.Keeper
I hate when they do that, it's nerve wracking. My endli went on strike recently but muuuuch shorter time frame.