Getting Food Past The Tiger Barbs...

[Carey27]

Im having some problems getting food past my 5 new tiger barbs. Im trying to gett food to 2 Bala Sharks, 2 Cardinals & 1 Puffer. Any advice?

I'm using a combination of flakes and slow sinking crumbs...

 

[WILDER]

Feed them in a corner and then add the flakes where the other fish are, that's all I can think of.

 

[Carey27]

Feed them in a corner and then add the flakes where the other fish are, that's all I can think of.

How do you "corner" them?

Thanks for the speedy reply

 

[WILDER]

Switch the filter off and add the flakes near the barbs, they won't notice you adding the other flakes then hopefully.
I stir the water up gentely at the top of the tank, so the flakes sink, so all fish get some.

 

[Carey27]

Switch the filter off and add the flakes near the barbs, they won't notice you adding the other flakes then hopefully.
I stir the water up gentely at the top of the tank, so the flakes sink, so all fish get some.

Thanks for the advise. I'll definetely try it a little later tonight.

 

[Carey27]

So no luck... I feel like these guys are on a hunger strike.

What I've tried so far:
1) I took Tweetys advice and cornered the barbs, but the sharks wouldn't surface for food (puffer is another story as i dont really know their eating habits)
2) This morining I bought some live black worms. Again cornered the barbs and watched worms fall right past the sharks (i droped in some worms for the puffer but i dont know if he saw them). While the barbs were on the feeding cone i also added floating flakes and still didnt get the attention of the other fish.

Again, Im looking for any advice or ideas on getting food past my 5 tiger barbs and to my:
2 Tri-Color Sharks
1 small green puffer

*Additional note, I added the fish together so the eating habits have not yet been established...

 

[WILDER]

They will eat when there hungry.
How long have you had the fish.

 

[Carey27]

About 3 days

 

[WILDER]

Give it a few more days, might still be abit stressed to the new envirorment.

 

[n3ont3tra]

Maybe buy a divider and put the TBs on one side when you feed them. And then you could put food in two different spots with no chance of the barbs getting both portions.

 

[Carey27]

Thanks again for the help. I will wait it out and then maybe try a divider.

 

[FinnMacCumhail]

They will eat when there hungry.
How long have you had the fish.

That's what I was thinking!

 

[Carey27]

So the bala's are definetely hungry. Theyre nibbling & pecking at the plants but didnt eat any flakes, slow sinking pellets or worms

 

[WILDER]

I've just got some new fish and the babies dart to the top for food, so its puts the older fish off they wait till it drops.
If the barbs are darting for food it might be putting the new fish off.