Feeding A Hassle?

[VidVid]

hey...i recently bought a bristlenose catfish round 4cm....previously, i give my bn wardley spirulina discs but the problem is that my gourami and tiger barbs eat it before the bn actually sees it....sometimes when the lights are out and only a fraction of light coming from a nearby lamp luminates the tank, i see the tb and gourami still at it...i have found that my tb and gourami dislike cucumber so i boil a couple of slices (for it to sink) and leave it overnight...im not sure if its the bn that eats a bit of the cucumber or the other fish??? The other slice of cucumber was left untouched for some reason... i find that the centre of the other cucumber slice is missing so i assume something ate it but not sure which one???...Is there any other food besides spriulina discs the bn could have as a daily diet??? and is there a method any of you use for feeding your bn's certain foods (preparation of certain vegetables, feeding times etc)???
Thankyou in advance...

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

I have three and apart from the algae in the tank, they love courgette, potato (prepared the same way you prepare the cucumber). My three also eat defrosted frozen shrimps, blood worms, JMC catfish pellets, Sera catfish chips. I don't really have any fish that disturb mine when they eat, apart from each other, so I'm not sure how you should feed them, except maybe putting the food in before switching the lights off.

If the center is missing, it would be the BN. Ours eat the center first and then the rest. They are constantly eating. Do you have places for yours to get away and hide?? I have logs which mine hide under and also sleep under.

Good luck. They are adorable little creatures.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Our community tank now houses 2 adult bristlenoses and about a dozen fry+ a number of greedy livebearers. Another dozen baby bristlies are spread about the other tanks. We get through a lot of cucumber in our family!
I put it in just before I go to bed, in different parts of the tank, hoping that the bristlies will get some of it. I also feed peas, broccoli, sprouts, carrots, broad beans, and courgettes (zucchini). Usually I find the other fish will have a first nibble, but if I creep down later at night a happy bristlenose (or five) will be sitting in the middle of a cucumber hoop polishing the edges.

 

[VidVid]

Thanks for your reply....and yes, my bn has plenty of hiding places consisting of 3 driftwoods (1 really big 1) that the bn can hide under...
How often should i feed my 4cm bn...is 2 slices (5cm in diameter) of cucumber or other vegetables enough to feed a small 4cm bn daily??? Like drop in a 2 slices evernight making sure to take the old slices out each time i place another slice in the same time??? Basically, should i feed more, leave it as 2 slices a day, or feed less???
thankyou again for your reply...
P.S. does the bn know when to stop eating or can they potentially get overfed???

 

[dwarfgourami]

One slice should do it, maybe even one every other day with such a little one. And alternate with algae wafers (half a wafer might even be enough), carrot slices, peas... (And the occasional meaty treat, like bloodworm.) With my greedy lot I seldom have to take any leftovers out, but see how he goes.

I don't think there is any risk of him overeating, like other herbivores they are designed to chomp pretty well all the time. After all, farmers don't patrol the fields to see that their cows and sheep aren't eating too much grass . It's meateaters you need to watch, as their food is scarcer, so their stomachs are designed to eat more rarely and to gorge themselves, also meat (including bloodworms) is richer so a little goes a long way.