Leopard Gourami Training

[ArauraDiscus]

Hey guys, I have four leopard gouramis in my 55 gallon tank. I know they can be agressive with each other when they are older, but mine get along fairly well, as long as they all have their own ornament. But to the point, I hand feed my 3 other leopard gouramis, but one never comes out unless he thinks I'm not there. I think this comes from the fact that I literally had to rip him out of an ornament to save his live when we moved. He has hated me ever since. I want to hand feed him as well though and I don't know how he is still fat and happy when he never eats when I give my fish food. I am thinking that I will remove his ornamnet when I find that he's out of the tank. This will force him to use a different more fish owner freiendly ornament that allows me to view him. Then from this ornament, he will be forced to see me hand feeding his brothers and realize that I am the bearer of food and goodness.

Is this a good plan? Any suggestions?

 

[geo7x]

assuming youre talking about the leopard bushfish/spotted climbing perch whatever-you-want-to-call-it, then this should be in the anabantoid section.

Why dont you just stop hand feeding it and make sure the poor thing actually eats something? I wouldnt pester it to hand feeding to the point that it doesnt get any food anymore.

 

[ArauraDiscus]

lol no im not pestering him or hand feeding him, I am trying just to make sure he gets food. I give live rosy reds but his three friends gobble about 30 up in less than 5 minutes. He just is so skiddish. And I thought he was more of an oddball than a gourami. yeah hes an anabatid with labrynth organs etc. But I thought he's be a fine oddball as most stores don't sell him.

 

[matt295]

well, i have enver kept them but i have heard of people seperating the one from the rest and then giving him food so that he gets an equal share. this may also help him be more tame as he is not pressured for food by the others.

 

[severum boy]

I give live rosy reds but his three friends gobble about 30 up in less than 5 minutes. He just is so skiddish. And I thought he was more of an oddball than a gourami. yeah hes an anabatid with labrynth organs etc.

Why do you feed rosys? You do know that Ctenopoma acutirostre will eat most foods that you give it? There may be a need to spend money on live foods for some fish, but not these guys.
Try feeding floating pellets to the bigger ones at one end of the tank, and some sinking pellets next to the smaller one. Lrger pellets for cichlids will do fine. If they dont accept them, leave them for a few days and try again. If they still dont acapt them, feed some pellets again in a few days. If there is not luck then just feed frozen bloodworms.

 

[ArauraDiscus]

Lol yes sir I know, but I like supplimenting their diets. I give them large flakes, and live food, rosys, guppy fry, shrimp, beef heart, and anything large enough to catch their interest. If it is too small they ignore it.

They ignore bloodworms and brine shrimp, way too small. Trust me a rosy red is the size of these guys eyes. They are bigger than the probable maximum size for their species. I promise you there is no picture on the internet that justifies their size, i'll try getting a pic of them myself. But only large flakes like this wide / / catch their attention. So I suppliment with rosys from time to time, because it's interesting to watch them suck the fish in from inches away, and open their mouths like a large mouth bass. THey are beautiful fish. Sinking pellets don't interest them. I've tried, they spit it out. They only except soft foods/live/ or large flake.

And the other one, the shyest one, is actually the second biggest one I have, so he is eating for sure, I just have no clue how, as none of my fish are missing lol.


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[geo7x]

. I give them large flakes, and live food, rosys, guppy fry, shrimp, beef heart, and anything large enough to catch their interest. If it is too small they ignore it.

They ignore bloodworms and brine shrimp, way too small. Trust me a rosy red is the size of these guys eyes. They are bigger than the probable maximum size for their species. I promise you there is no picture on the internet that justifies their size, i'll try getting a pic of them myself. But only large flakes like this wide / / catch their attention. So I suppliment with rosys from time to time, because it's interesting to watch them suck the fish in from inches away, and open their mouths like a large mouth bass. THey are beautiful fish. Sinking pellets don't interest them. I've tried, they spit it out. They only except soft foods/live/ or large flake.

And the other one, the shyest one, is actually the second biggest one I have, so he is eating for sure, I just have no clue how, as none of my fish are missing lol.

why dont you just stop feeding the live fish, there is no need to feed live fish to leopard bushfish, so why would you? This might stop the others getting them so fast anyway, feed thawed jumbo prawns if they cant take anything too small. If you feed live fish, then the others are obviously going to gobble them up as fast as they can, because they dont want them to "get away" from them and escape as they might do in the wild. Perhaps 'dead' food wouldnt cause so much trouble as they wouldnt be so keen to gobble it up while they had the chance.

Plus, im just guessing here, but its kind of common sense: These fish are ambush predators, and very good ones at that, the thing about live fish is that obviously theyre always swimming around, and once it comes past the condfident ones, they take their chance and get them. Dead foods dont move around, so you could probably make sure they get some kind of even share by dropping a prawn or something by each of their ornaments, then they would concentrate on each of the ones closest to them, giving the shy one time to come out perhaps. Have you tried dropping the food in certain places?

The other point is, of course, that perhaps having such a large group of them in the tank isn't working out after all? In your first post you said they get along fine, but perhaps this is the evidence thats staring you in the face and saying that theyre not?? Just a point ive noticed.

Lol yes sir I know, but I like supplimenting their diets

The main point of this thread you made is to get advice on feeding these fish, he was trying to give you advice

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Ok, it may be just me, but thats really confusing and i cant tell what thats saying. Cant you just get a tape measure and at least give an approximate length?

These rosy reds must be really small to be the size of these fish's eyes, do you have any photos of your particular fish?

 

[severum boy]

Lol yes sir I know, but I like supplimenting their diets

The main point of this thread you made is to get advice on feeding these fish, he was trying to give you advice

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Ok, it may be just me, but thats really confusing and i cant tell what thats saying. Cant you just get a tape measure and at least give an approximate length?

No, I dont get what size they are either. (I got rid of most of the lines so diddent take up space). We are just trying to give advice to try and see if we can improve the health of this bushfish, so some maturity would help. Besides, if your not willing to listen, why should me and Geo be wasting our time on someone who wont listen to something that may help his fish. One last try.

And the other one, the shyest one, is actually the second biggest one I have, so he is eating for sure,

You can't be sure he is eating as much as the others, I have raised enough cichlid fry to know that despite all being similar, some fry grow way faster than the others, even though they eat little and hide at the back all the time. But does it mean fish are happy because they are growing? No. A fish growing does not make it a happy fish. Loose most of the rosy reds and feed them as a treat OCCATIONALLY when they are larger if you are too addicted to seeing the bushfish eat live foods.
An alernative that cannot be dismissed is thawed out frozen prawns. Tie some cotton thread around them and wiggle them in the water, they will take them after not too long. Then you can use the prawns to hand feed them when they become more trusting.

 

[ArauraDiscus]

I think there may be a misunderstanding here, and that may be why you guys seem a little hostile to me, but I am saying that They only eat large things and ignore anything too small. Bloodworms, tehy ignore for instance. I'm not disagreeing with your ideas, I am saying that yes I have tried them as they are smart ideas but haven't already worked. I meant that the flakes were about thiswide /------------/ or they don't catch the fishes interest. This is the reason that I give them live food from time to time, because they don't eat very much flake unless the flakes are massive, and they only eat these flakes and beef heart and rosy reds. There is a reason for me to feed them rosy reds, because they need larger food or they ignore it. I need to get the medium sized flakes because most of my fish like them, and they eat some of those, but I suppliment with beefheart and rosys. I'm sorry if it bothers you that I feed them rosys.

Lol why am I being immature now? Wow, thanks for your help, and your insults. ANd I am listening, I'm just telling you what I've done with the fish, I like the idea of prawns by each ornament. But if you want to insult me, please don't help me. I'm not asking you to tell me I'm immature or such. Thanks for your help guys.

 

[severum boy]

I think there may be a misunderstanding here, and that may be why you guys seem a little hostile to me, but I am saying that They only eat large things and ignore anything too small. Bloodworms, tehy ignore for instance. I'm not disagreeing with your ideas, I am saying that yes I have tried them as they are smart ideas but haven't already worked. I meant that the flakes were about thiswide /------------/ or they don't catch the fishes interest. This is the reason that I give them live food from time to time, because they don't eat very much flake unless the flakes are massive, and they only eat these flakes and beef heart and rosy reds. There is a reason for me to feed them rosy reds, because they need larger food or they ignore it. I need to get the medium sized flakes because most of my fish like them, and they eat some of those, but I suppliment with beefheart and rosys. I'm sorry if it bothers you that I feed them rosys.

Lol why am I being immature now? Wow, thanks for your help, and your insults. ANd I am listening, I'm just telling you what I've done with the fish, I like the idea of prawns by each ornament. But if you want to insult me, please don't help me. I'm not asking you to tell me I'm immature or such. Thanks for your help guys.

Im not sure why anyone would waste time raising fish to feed to other fish. As your fish already eat beefheart, why not keep this as their staple diet? It just seemed like you were ignoring our ideas and coming up with daft ways of showing how big fish are. Why not use cm?
BTW, do the "insult" and the "help" need changing around

 

[ArauraDiscus]

Lol ahh I see why it bothers you, you don't like the idea of feeder fish. Sorry I have to deal with feeder fish all day long, so I've become accustomed to them, therefore I don't get as irritable when people use them, and have fallen to the darkside myself and use them. I use them because they are infinately cheaper than beefheart. I understand where your coming from though. And I cant get the buggers to sit still unfortunately, but I'd say 7 inches long and 4 inches tall. And maybe It appeared I was ignoring you, but trust me I loved the prawn Idea and will do it asap. Thanks for your help. And peace/truce.

 

[severum boy]

Np, sure!
Its not feeders that im opposed to, just when people just feeders when there fish will eat other foods.
7" is a good size for them, so you must be doing something right lol! Try and get them on other foods, muscles from supermarkets work well too and should be cheaper than beef heart. Good luck finding something that they like.