Feeding Hypancistrus zebra L046

[Jtan]

My L46 don't seems to be interested to eat pellet food. Is it adviseable to feed them blood worm?
Thank

[Panut]

think blood worm will choke them..

[akoh]

Sure ! but not the live ones

think blood worm will choke them..

Adults ok lah, but juvenile, you'll have to cut the BW in smaller pieces.

[celticfish]

You might want to give more information about your fish.
Otherwise everyone will be groping in the dark.

For instance, tank setup, size of fish and how long have you had them.
If you've just had them it would be normal for them to take some time to adjust to the new tank.
When they feel comfortable they will then forage for food.

[Jtan]

The fishes are with me for about 2 months and in a 2x2x2ft tank n about 1 inches, total 4 pcs. I feed them daily with one sinking pellet but the whole pellet is left untouch. Worry about their condition and need advise how to improve their appetite.

[celticfish]

At that size no BW.
They will need to feel comfortable before they go out to forage.
Make more hiding space for them and try to place the food there.
One example you can try is an inverted flower pot.
Then put the food tablet into the flower pot.
Make sure you check daily while you try this and remove uneaten food.

Do you have strong ambient light at night after the lights are out?
For instance, if the tank receiving light from the outside of your home through the window.
That might be stopping them from coming out to eat at night.

What is the temperature of the tank?
Is it in an air conditioned room?

[Jtan]

Total darkness at night and tank not in air con room and temperature is around 29C

Should I shift them to a smaller tank since there is only 4pcs of size of around 1 inch?

[Gecko]

A bigger water volume is more forgiving, so not advisable to move to smaller tank.

Did something recently change? water parameters? tank mates? If they are not eating for 2 months, would have died out earlier....

Recommend that you setup such a brooder tank within your current tank, you can still maintain good and consistent water parameters...yet able to confined them to a smaller area to facilitate feeding...add some wood, etc for hiding. They should be able to finish 2 pellets of Hikari Sinking Carni daily...also if you can get hold of BBS, they should enjoy that...

unless of course there is indeed another root cause as per muy questions above.

See celticfish setup for reference, it is avilable in C328.

[Quixotic]

If they are not eating well, it could also mean they are uncomfortable or stressed by the environment. It would be good if you could post a picture of your tank, so that we could see if improvements are needed.

[Savant]

What is the brand of the pellets you are using... For zebras, don't mess around... stick to the tried and tested... Hikari Carni which is commonly available at most LFS and most definately at C328.

If they had survived for 2 months then they must have had something to feed on. Depending on your tank setup, there may be alternative sources of food that they have been surviving on...

[Pantera]

I was housing 2 x 2" zebra in a 2 x 1.5 x 1.5 alone. Lots of rocks though...Initially for the first week or so, I experienced the same scenario as you do. Pellets left uneven daily (I know their hiding spot so will drop pellet as near to them as possible). Then I introduced about 6 cardinal tetras in and viola!...see them coming out to the pellets more often and will even chase those tetras away on occasions...Of course this is a very risky way because there are chances of transmitting diseases and parasites from the tetras to the zebras. Touch wood, so far so good

[windy1958]

try crushing up the pellets it works for me
also try tetra doramin crushed, crushed earthworm pellets, crushed flake,
by crushing up the pellets it gets to flow around the tank with the current which gets to go into their hiding places