Feeding catfish.

[Leot]

Hello we've got 1 bristlenose pleco and 1 whiptail catfish in a 4' 200lt tank and have tried to feed them algea wafers a couple of times (the bristlenose comes across them and chows down) but the whiptail doesnt seem to ever find them.. both of these fish spend most of their time foraging in the tank, however there arnt any food scraps as the rest of the fish are fed only lightly and eat all the flake/worms before they leave the surface.. so i was wondering if catfish can get all the nutrition they need from foraging?

thanks

 

[ger87410]

I doubt they can get their nutrition from foraging. U can get catfish pellets that sink. That's what I feed mine, and brine shrimp. They love the brine shrimp and since it's so small, if put in the tank in large enough ammounts, some float to the bottom before the mollies get them. Go with the pellets. I feed as much as I think can fit in their bellies.

 

[SirMinion]

And remember that your bristlenose must have wood as part of his diet.

They love bloodworm too.

 

[Leot]

There is 2 medium peices of driftwood in there.. she (the bristlenose) spends alot of time munching on them... so are algae wafers not the right thing to feed to these guys?

EDIT: The bristlenose is around 5cm long and the whiptail is around 9.

 

[yhbae]

And remember that your bristlenose must have wood as part of his diet.

They love bloodworm too.

I used to think bristlenose doesn't need wood in their diet, unlike the common pleco, but more I read about them, more I realize perhaps they do...

Fortunately, I already have a driftwood in my main tank with bristlenose, so they are ok, but recently, I've transfered one from that tank into the mbuna tank. I guess I should add some wood there too? (Wood and mbuna tank doesn't really go well together!)

 

[CFC]

Ancisterus species (bristlenoses) do not require wood in their diet, its is members of the Panaque family and a few other L number plecs (gold nuggets etc) that require wood.

All catfish require some supplement to their diets as there is normally not enough algea in our nice clean tanks to support them 100%. Just feeding a few algea wafers a week is enough for them.

 

[yhbae]

Ancisterus species (bristlenoses) do not require wood in their diet, its is members of the Panaque family and a few other L number plecs (gold nuggets etc) that require wood.

Grrr now I am thoroughly confused...

I posted a qustion at PlanetCatfish web site and the answer I have from a person claims that they do need wood in their diet (contrary to my belief). Absolutely no one objected to that response so given the level of expertise that site has on catfishes, I figured they must need wood!

Are you SURE that Ancistrus requires wood in their diet?

 

[ger87410]

CFC is like a walking cyclopedia. He knows everything about almost all fish. Not livebearers though, he hates them.