thin elephant nose =c(

[kittyuk]

We bought two elephant noses three months ago. One died two weeks ago. It was soooooooooo thin. The other one is very thin now and I wondered how I could fatten it up, or is it like a wasting disease? It eats whatever the community fish eat, and gets extra when the lights go out at night to make sure it can find extra food when the other fish sleep. I put frozen blood worm in last thing at night and make sure it sinks into his corner, so food is available. If both of the e.noses didn't like the food I was giving them, surely they would have starved long before three months were up. The food consists of flake, algea tabs and sinking pellets. I don't have a spare tank to put it in (don't think it would be too happy in with an electric blue cray fish )

 

[CFC]

Elephant noses are notoriously difficult to feed,the tiny mouth at the end of their nose means they can only take the smallest of foods they also need a sand substrate as the nose is very delicate and any damage will prevent them from feeding,although i must admit i have never kept these fish i have been told that live tubifix worms are one the best foods to feed them,i wouldnt usually recomend tubifix worms because of the contamination risk but in this case i think it would be the right thing to do.The best way to feed live tubifix is by putting them in a small glass dish like a ramakin dish and then putting the whole thingin the tank,prefferably near to where the fish hangs about this stops the worms from escaping into the substrate.

 

[mrV]

If your tank is atleast 400-liters then you can keep one, and only one Elephantnose. They do not tolerate own species. If you are going to keep them together, you need big shoal and swimming pool.

It's difficult fish and I do recommend for anyone not to buy Elephantnose. I give it worms [blood worms(?), like red colours] and it seems to eat some other food too like Tetra Delica Minibits and Tetra Min Granules (almost same as minibits but little bigger). It's difficult to feed it because fish it almost blind.

Hopefully it becomes better. Have you check your water values? They should be fine because Elephantnose uses its electric organs to swim (navigate) and to find food. If the water values are not good, it's difficult for fish "navigate" and fish becomes usually nervous.

http/www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSum...esname=petersii