Will He Get Food?

[cupofjoel]

Okay, I love my congo tetras. Best fish I've ever owned by far. One observation I made about my little school is that they are extremely aggressive eaters. They leave nothing behind to fall to the bottom or get swept away.

My concern right now is that I'm almost ready to introduce a single electric blue acara. He's around an inch, the same size as my tetras. Will, he not get any food since the tetras are so aggressive? Will he starve and be stressed out? Thoughts?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

He will get food, trust me. Especially once he gets bigger.

If you have doubts, sit there while you feed them. Observe if he is getting food. Thats to what I do with the outcast neon tetra in my school.

Also, sprinkle food along the length of the tanks surface. That helps spree out the groups, providing more area to feed.

 

[cupofjoel]

He will get food, trust me. Especially once he gets bigger.

If you have doubts, sit there while you feed them. Observe if he is getting food. Thats to what I do with the outcast neon tetra in my school.

Also, sprinkle food along the length of the tanks surface. That helps spree out the groups, providing more area to feed.

I have no doubt he'll get food once he's older, but my concern is that if he isn't getting food because he's being out-competed by the tetras it's going to be a pain to grab him again and put him back in his grow out tank. He's super fast and skittish.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I have no doubt he'll get food once he's older, but my concern is that if he isn't getting food because he's being out-competed by the tetras it's going to be a pain to grab him again and put him back in his grow out tank. He's super fast and skittish.

Once you put the flakes in the tank, “push” them down in the water. This will water log them, and make them sink.

He will be able to get food real quick and dash back into hiding.

 

[cupofjoel]

Once you put the flakes in the tank, “push” them down in the water. This will water log them, and make them sink.

He will be able to get food real quick and dash back into hiding.

I guess I just have to try him in the big tank and see how he fares. Thanks everyone!

 

[AquaBarb]

I guess I just have to try him in the big tank and see how he fares. Thanks everyone!

I had a similar issue in my 55g getting food to my cories and apisto's with fast eating upper fish.

I just use smaller sized foods i.e hikari micro pellets, bug bites or frozen cyclops which gets past the upper fish better than say flakes. I put some in one side of the tank to draw the upper fish (which in my case are barbs) then put some more in on the other side or nearer the back. You could also use a feeding tool like a turkey baster to get the good down quicker

 

[Fishmanic]

You could use a long tweezer (mine is 15 inches long). you can put a tweezer load of flakes , small pellets, or maybe bloodworms right next to the Acara. He is sure to get some then. Put some flakes near the upper level at about the same time to keep the tetras fed and occupied. Just watch to make sure he does eat some.

 

[Metalhead88]

Agreed, he'll get food.

Especially as he gets bigger, you can feed some larger food like pellets that he will target.