Fish Wont Come To The Surface For Food

[Matt_]

I have 2 Blue Rams and 5 Cardinal Tetra and none of them come to the surface for flake. Why is this? When it gets soggy and sinks they eat it, but they never seem bothered or even attempt to go and eat when its floating on the surface. The frozen brine shrimp cubes just drop in and spreads throughout the tank but still dont go to the surface for it..

 

[Gilli]

I never put my flake food straight in because I find that the fish that do take it from the surface gulp down too much air with it then suffer swimming probs until they can fart it out!! *LOL* My danios are very prone to this! I keep a small plastic container which I fill with a little of the tank water then drop the flake into that - leave it for 30 secs then add to the tank so it sinks immediately.

I also defrost the frozen blocks first too. It only takes about 10 mins and I find that adding little bits with a spoon means everyone gets a fair share because I can spread it evenly over the tank.

 

[LosC519]

Flakes release almost all the nutrients and good stuff within seconds of being in the water. Consider a small sinkiing pellets. I feed my Tetras Hikari micro pellets and I feed my Blue rams a high quality small sinking pellet.

 

[Matt_]

What about the cardinals? What will they take because they dont go to the surface either..

 

[LosC519]

Cardinals are Tetras, Hikari micro pellets are perfect for them. The pellets sink quickly, depending on the surface agitation you have.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yup, i think one of the sinking micro pellets would be a good idea, likewise i've got some of the hikari ones and I think they're great.

however one of the classic signs of overfeeding is fish being apathetic about the food. when you put food in it should be a frenzy to get it and it should all be gone in a few minutes. give them a couple of starve days to make sure that they are hungry, then just try a much smaller amount of a sinking micro pellet and see what happens.

 

[ALEXF]

however one of the classic signs of overfeeding is fish being apathetic about the food.

with the rams im not sure if that would be the case. I have a pair and they NEVER come to the surface either, but from my understanding (i may be wrong) its because they prefer the bottom level and occasionally the middle. I mean my do it and they ear freociously (sinking pellets). At first one was struggling but he has come around and they are both happy now.

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

In my experience most dwarf cichlids won't come to the surface to feed unless they are desperately hungry, and even then they'd rather go for anything that is sinking than floating.

 

[LosC519]

For my Rams I soak there pellets in a cup of tank water for 30-60 seconds then I pour in and watch them eat.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yes inevitably some fish prefer to feed from the middle or bottom of the tank,

just a point to consider that when fish are reluctant to feed or acting like they just don't care about the food, it can mean they are being overfed.