Care of helicopter

[dts_spawn]

Over the years, I've been keeping helicopters but have never successful in keeping them alive. Recently bought 2 from Y618, medium sized ones. they died after a month. All other fishes are ok. They include cardinal tetras, gold fishes, shrimps. The tetras did suffer a bout of white spots, half died. but i added some medication and the reminding ones are ok now. one of the helicopter died just today. the other died after the medication.

Here's the question, do the helicopters require special care? Why mine always die........... please help. Planning to get some more to clean my tank.

[valice]

They seemed sceptible to ich... Mine was down with ich, managed to cure it with addition of salt...

They don't really need any special attention for my case... I have soft acidic water, which is what their biotope really is anyway...

What's yours?

Also your medication, could it be too strong?

[dts_spawn]

The medication was added 2 weeks ago. Should be no problem right? I don't know how's my water is like but i do add black water, should be good for them right?

[Cacatuoides]

From past experiences, I kept helicopters in low PH water....so far no problem at all....

my 2 cents

[michael lai]

Hi Dts,
Black water will be fine, did you check the dead fish? Is the tummy sunken? They actually prefer highly aerated water. From my experience, they are actually quite hardy but once they don't feed, they die slowly. My fish favorite food is Hikari algae wafers.

[lyh]

They need some current in their tank too. By the way they should be supplemented with vegetables rather than depending on the algae alone

[genes]

Do they take the algae growing on the plants or glass? Just got 1 myself too. My tank is so big, even if i were to drop algae wafers into the tank, i don't think he'll be able to find it.

[valice]

genes, you will be surprised by catfishes...
They are capable of locating any food that is dropped in the tank...

[dts_spawn]

Hi Dts,
Black water will be fine, did you check the dead fish? Is the tummy sunken? They actually prefer highly aerated water. From my experience, they are actually quite hardy but once they don't feed, they die slowly. My fish favorite food is Hikari algae wafers.

I've never fed them. Don't they eat algae? Maybe that's why mine always die.....

[bryan]

Guys, they are fish too. They need to eat. Think of them as vegetarians with special dietary requirement.

[michael lai]

Dts, yes they eat algae but not every kind of algae, that's why you need to supplement. I think they are omnivore, veggie before corpse... fish corpse that is.

Yes, I believe alot of hobbyists believe they will fend for themselves in the tank( the helicopter )but don't realise they are actually starving the poor guy. They are actually quite greedy feeders just like any other catfish.

[valice]

I agree with Mike on that all catfishes are greedy feeders... Unless you got yourself a stressed and unhealthy one...

[bryan]

Dts, I feel your whiptail will have no chance for food if you keep it with goldfish. Whiptails tend to shy away from bossy tankmates. Keep the goldfish by themselves, their bioload is very high too.

[dts_spawn]

ok.. thanks to all! do they eat those normal sinking pellets?

[valice]

Get algae wafers... They love it...

[michael lai]

Are you refering to any brand? I've had good response from HIkari's range and Tetramin. Alot of catfish lovers here also swear by this 2 brands which I personally find takes care of their complete diet.

[griffin1]

Dts, yes they eat algae but not every kind of algae, that's why you need to supplement. I think they are omnivore, veggie before corpse... fish corpse that is.

Yes, I believe alot of hobbyists believe they will fend for themselves in the tank( the helicopter )but don't realise they are actually starving the poor guy. They are actually quite greedy feeders just like any other catfish.

thanks guys. i will get some hikari wafers. i didn't realize this.
i've bought two whiptails from y618 and didn't encounter any problem. they grew quite large until we had some fungus disease which wiped both of them out. the replacement are doing well.

barbara

[valice]

But I have read up on don't know which site that in fact Hikari algae wafer doesn't have alage as its main proponent...

List of ingredients:
white fish meal, dehydrated alfalfa meal, wheat flour, wheat-germ meal, alpha starch, dried seaweed meal, fish oil, krill meal,dried bakery product, brewer's dried yeast, spirulina, enzyme, astaxanthin, garlic, monosodium glutamate, vitamins and minerals including stabilized vitamin C

Inside, seems like more meat than vegetables... Looking down the list of ingredients found, spirulina is like 12th in the ls it?

But is spirulina that important as a source of algae?

[lyh]

Most of the so called algae wafers' first ingredients are made of fish and fish derivatives with exception to JBL and Tropical (big bottle ones) from what I found out. As their diet should mainly consist of vegetables I feed these sparingly to get my helicopters ready for spawning.

[bclee]

...
List of ingredients:
white fish meal, dehydrated alfalfa meal, wheat flour, wheat-germ meal, alpha starch, dried seaweed meal, fish oil, krill meal,dried bakery product, brewer's dried yeast, spirulina, enzyme, astaxanthin, garlic, monosodium glutamate, vitamins and minerals including stabilized vitamin C
...

Monosodium glutamate... they use MSG even in fish food...

BC