Feeding

[brady816]

Ok everyone i need some help with this fish. Im trying to get this leaf fish eating frozen food. The lfs guy told me to feed him 2-3 times a week. I gave him a pepermint shrimp friday. So i should start the frozen food on tuesday?? The lfs is closed on monday..If he doesnt eat the frozen food then do i give him the live shrimp??? Or do i keep trying with the frozen food. I dont want to kill this fish with out feeding him ya know...Need your help everyone

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Guppies and feeder goldfish are a lot cheaper than live shrimp. Cocktail shrimp dangled in front of his mouth are cheaper yet.

 

[brady816]

The people said that its not good for the fish to eat goldfish and guppies. Is that to long of a wait for the fish to eat

 

[BCT182]

I think on finicky eaters, it can sometimes take a while to get them to switch from live to frozen. Sometimes, soaking frozen food (such as silversides) in garlic will help make them more interested. I've done this a few times with sharks and lions. Also, if you can find an acrylic dowel or a "feeding stick" you can dangle the food in front of them to mimic live animals. They can eat it out of hunger, or even snap at it out of annoyance.
Brett

 

[BCT182]

I would also strongly suggest you not feed guppies or goldfish, you never know what type of bacteria you may introduce to your system, they have no nutritional value, and some are loaded with hormones. A cheaper feeder might be green chromis. You can net feed them, trap the chromis in a net and lower it down very close to the leaf fish. Even if it were to get away. He more than likely would find it when the lights are off.

 

[ronj]

do you have any pics of the leaf fish?????

 

[BCT182]

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17853

do you have any pics of the leaf fish?????

 

[brady816]

So should i try with the frozen for a few mins and if he doesnt eat then give him some live ghost shrimp???

 

[Fishead77]

So should i try with the frozen for a few mins and if he doesnt eat then give him some live ghost shrimp???

Goldfish are a very dirty fish. I definately wouldn't feed it goldfish, maybe guppies.

 

[NaH2O]

Freshwater feeders are nutritionally deficient.

I'm going to move this thread to the Fish Discussion Forum for Steve to have a peek.

 

[steve-s]

We actually touched on the subject just last month....
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17153

Ghost shrimp over the short term are fine. Weining the fish onto frozen takes alot of patience and being very repeatative. The main food sources to try being silversides & raw frozen krill, although I wouldn't be limited by that. Do not use vitamin/HUFA additives in the beginning. It will alter the fish's ability to recognize the food as a prey animal. The foods need to be offered via feeding stick carefully trying to emulate a live animal at least to some degree. A challenge to be sure.

Use slow careful movements, nothing sudden or jerky. Slow methodical movements in eye shot but not too near the fish. With the leaf fish you'll need to get kinda close as they are used to the prey coming to them. With the lion you can be a bit more stand offish as they are used to chasing prey.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Sheeesh, Granted there are many things less than ideal with goldfish as a temp starter ie: larger skull size, fatty liver, poor protein sourse, we are talking about getting this fish to eat. One needs to start somewhere. Mollies are fine as are guppies. In the wild, the fish doesn't pick and chose what swims by his mouth and many a meal are bottom feeders themselves.

Using peppermint shrimp as a food sourse will become cost prohibitive. Live feeder shrimp if available is great, but that too becomes expensive.

Get it to eat whatever it will while training it to eat a preferred diet. I assume we are probably all on the same page with different ways of stating the opinion. "Better poorly fed than dead"

 

[DonW]

Sheeesh, Granted there are many things less than ideal with goldfish as a temp starter ie: larger skull size, fatty liver, poor protein sourse, we are talking about getting this fish to eat. One needs to start somewhere. Mollies are fine as are guppies. In the wild, the fish doesn't pick and chose what swims by his mouth and many a meal are bottom feeders themselves.

Using peppermint shrimp as a food sourse will become cost prohibitive. Live feeder shrimp if available is great, but that too becomes expensive.

Get it to eat whatever it will while training it to eat a preferred diet. I assume we are probably all on the same page with different ways of stating the opinion. "Better poorly fed than dead"

Freshwater fish carry different diseases and parasites that a sw fish has no immunity. You can thread a store bought shrimp onto fishing line, tie a knot in the string and cutoff the needle. Hang it in the tank so that it floats outward. The fish will pull it off the string in his own sweet time.

Don

 

[steve-s]

Get it to eat whatever it will while training it to eat a preferred diet. I assume we are probably all on the same page with different ways of stating the opinion. "Better poorly fed than dead"

No need for hostilities

You are 100% correct, getting an animal eating is the most important aspect. The quality of the diet is definately secondary with one very large exception.

Where that diet/food source (ie.. live feeders) could be a source of disease/virus/parasite.

Adding a feeder fish to a tank is no different than adding an unquarantined display fish to your tank. Both can kill your livestock just the same. As for long term problems, the goldfish by and large is the worse. Guppies, mollies etal are as you say fine but not on a long term basis. Short term sure but with the same precaution I just noted. The long term goal should still be to wein the fish to dead foods.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Thanks Steve, very well said. Guess just been lucky through the years and never thought of the disease issue. Assumed that whatever lived in fresh would be killed in salt and visa versa. Assumption can be the mother..

I stand corrected on the feeder goldfish except as a very very last resort.
Regards to all,
Mike

 

[brady816]

thank you everyone for the help..

 

[steve-s]

No worries !

Assumed that whatever lived in fresh would be killed in salt and visa versa. Assumption can be the mother..

Too true. As far as assumptions go though, you're in very large company so don't be put off at all. Something you might be interested in from WWM.com
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/feederglds.htm

I would also suggest reading the related FAQ's.

Cheers
Steve