poor fish

[wrs]

i put my fish in my goldfish tank, took the goldfish out, and now the gravel matches the food pellets color. they cant find them. can i use food color and dye them so they can see them, or is that bad for them??

 

[tstenback]

the fish should be able to find them as they search the bottom for food. Just give them some time and they should be OK. If you are very concerned that they are not getting any food then give them some flakes every other day. This should ensure that they are at least getting something, but as i mentioned the platies for sure will find the sinking pellets. the guppies are normally surface feeders and do best when food is floating. They will go to the bottom and forage at times but will always go to the surface first at meal time.

 

[wrs]

i also feed my brothers tank, they have the same gravel, and theyre all bottem feeders, and it takes them forever to find it, sometimes they dont eat the food though, his catfish shark things, that i think are going 2 dye, as they get stuck in his rocks all the time, find the food and swallow it whole, the others dont get a chance 2 eat it, and they wont eat the flakes

 

[sinistral]

I have to second what tstenback said: my platies are champion scavengers. Give them some time (a few days, for instance) and they will surely learn that they can find their food at the bottom.

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

most fish find food by smell rather than sight, so they should find it no problem.