Food for Neon Tetra's?

[PheonixKingZ]

I feed my neon tetras Tetra tropical fish flakes. They love them.

I suggest pouring some on the surface of your tank, then push the flakes down with your finger. That makes then sink. IME, when you first get fish like neons, they won’t eat from the surface.

 

[Fishmanic]

I feed my neons omega one flakes. Since they swim mid level and my other fish - dwarf gourami and skirt tetras-- feed at the top, I use a 18 inch long tweezers to feed flakes to the neon tetras in my 35 gallon tall hex tank. I feed bloodworms maybe once a week or every two weeks. Works for me and my fish.

 

[Back in the fold]

I do remember reading somewhere once upon a time the "why" of why bloodworms aren't so great but I can't remember the exact particulars. But. I have some fish now that go completely nuts for them. Both frozen and freeze dried. These fish recently put on a big and dramatic growth spurt and they are much more lively and robust. I guess I better tell them they aren't supposed to like them.

 

[Colin_T]

I do remember reading somewhere once upon a time the "why" of why bloodworms aren't so great but I can't remember the exact particulars.

Bloodworms (Chironomid midge larvae) have a very hard head that can't be digested. If fish eat a lot of them, the heads sometimes get lodged in the digestive tract and the fish dies from intestinal problems.

Fish like Corydoras that chew their food have less chance of this happening. Small fish that swallow their food are more likely to have an issue with frozen/ defrosted or live bloodworms.

Live bloodworms also have very sharp mandibles and there are reports of them biting the fish's stomach and killing the fish.

To prevent this, use a pair of scissors and remove the head of the bloodworm before feeding the body to the fish. The head is smooth and round and slightly bigger in diameter than the rest of the body.

 

[Neon1977]

Bloodworms (Chironomid midge larvae) have a very hard head that can't be digested. If fish eat a lot of them, the heads sometimes get lodged in the digestive tract and the fish dies from intestinal problems.

Fish like Corydoras that chew their food have less chance of this happening. Small fish that swallow their food are more likely to have an issue with frozen/ defrosted or live bloodworms.

Live bloodworms also have very sharp mandibles and there are reports of them biting the fish's stomach and killing the fish.

To prevent this, use a pair of scissors and remove the head of the bloodworm before feeding the body to the fish. The head is smooth and round and slightly bigger in diameter than the rest of the body.

Thanks for the tips and advice everyone!

 

[Barry Tetra]

Bloodworms (Chironomid midge larvae) have a very hard head that can't be digested. If fish eat a lot of them, the heads sometimes get lodged in the digestive tract and the fish dies from intestinal problems.

Fish like Corydoras that chew their food have less chance of this happening. Small fish that swallow their food are more likely to have an issue with frozen/ defrosted or live bloodworms.

Live bloodworms also have very sharp mandibles and there are reports of them biting the fish's stomach and killing the fish.

To prevent this, use a pair of scissors and remove the head of the bloodworm before feeding the body to the fish. The head is smooth and round and slightly bigger in diameter than the rest of the body.

I have the same issue with my favorite chinese algae eaters died of internal disease because of i feed them dried+frozen bloodworm everyday.

 

[Back in the fold]

Thank you @Colin_T . Now I remember. Certainly something to keep in mind. Feed frozen and freeze dried bloodworms sparingly.

 

[Byron]

Thank you @Colin_T . Now I remember. Certainly something to keep in mind. Feed frozen and freeze dried bloodworms sparingly.

Colin is correct, but there is more. Bloodworms are not very nutritious, and they contain fat. Once a week is the most any fish should receive bloodworms. The fresh frozen are better than freeze-dried. With the latter, you must fully soak them before putting them in the tank; if not, as with all freeze-dried foods, the fish snap them up and the food expands in the fish's stomach causing problems and even death. I stopped using all freeze-dried foods some years ago. There are much better, safer and healthier prepared foods available.

 

[Back in the fold]

Thank you @Byron and @Colin_T . All the facts are in.

 

[Neon1977]

See this is why I love this forum!!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

@Fishmanic...I would get my neons better food, but I'm broke!

But seriously, Omega one is a really good brand of food to get. It has a lot of protein.

 

[Back in the fold]

But getting back to the original question about these Neon Tetras not eating . . . many times fish won't eat after you have brought them home because they are used to what the pet shop fed them and you are giving them something else. That has already been said but it's important to know that. Eventually after a couple days or even a week or so they will take what you give them. They won't die of hunger. Put that thought out of your mind. If you just can't stand to watch their little hunger strike hatch them out some baby brine shrimp. No small fish can resist that.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

But getting back to the original question about these Neon Tetras not eating . . . many times fish won't eat after you have brought them home because they are used to what the pet shop fed them and you are giving them something else. That has already been said but it's important to know that. Eventually after a couple days or even a week or so they will take what you give them. They won't die of hunger. Put that thought out of your mind. If you just can't stand to watch their little hunger strike hatch them out some baby brine shrimp. No small fish can resist that.

I totally agree. Good point @Back in the fold. when I first got my third betta, he didn't eat for 4 days after I got him, which had me worried.