FEEDING CONCERN

[lmicevski]

HI GUYS JUST WONDERING I HAVE A FEEDING CONE IN MY TANK AND PUT FROZEN BEEFHEART IN IT. I PUT I CUBE IN IT THE FISH WILL FEED OUT OF IT BUT THERE IS QUITE ALOT REMAINING IN THE CONE HOW LONG CAN I LEAVE IT IN THE CONE BEFORE I REMOVE IT ?????

[Hooked]

Hi,
I have feeding cones, but I only use them for feeding the thin Black Worms. It keeps them in a confined area and the fish pick them off as they wriggle out through the small holes. I usually drop the beef heart based food straight into the tank where the discus can get to it quick. If its put in frozen it will hold together for longer and reduce the fine stuff that comes off. If you make your own adding gelatine helps to hold it together too. Its a natural seaweed based extract.
Its not good to leave any uneaten food in for too long as it fouls the water, feeds bacteria etc. Corys and Tetras etc are good tank mates for cleaning up the small stuff.

Cheers

[lmicevski]

i guess my question is is it okay to leave it there during the day whilst im at work or is that too long ????

[FinVision P/L]

i guess my question is is it okay to leave it there during the day whilst im at work or is that too long ????
if i was you i would feed them when you get up and just befor you go to work i would remove whats left
But as was said earlyer the cones are mainly used for worms. you can mix a little banana with your beef heart this helps binde it together nicely. banana also has vitimins as well also good for discus. Hope this helps

[ILLUSN]

I'd remove all uneaten food within 20 min. Personally I feed my fish by hand 3 times a day only as much as they can eat in 30 seconds

[lmicevski]

my only problem is they are not eating well they have only been in the tank for a week and half and they are very tentative to eat im actually getting a little concerned three of the 7 discus are fine the others are not eating well at all

[Nev]

The feeding cone is only for live black worms. Don't use it for beef heart or anything else.

Feed them less but more often. Quarter or halve the frozen food and try that, also have other fish that'll eat what they don't . Corries and bristlenose for the bottom, cardinals for the finer suspended stuff.

Use live food to get the non eaters happy and back in feeding mode. Brine shrimp or black worms (get to use ya feeding cone) work best.

[Merrilyn]

As has already been said, please don't use the cone for beef heart. The fish can't get to it properly.

Feed a smaller amount and break it up into at least three or four sections, dropped in different part of the tank, so all the fish have a chance to feed, even the shy ones.

Discus like to blow into the substrate to stir up their food. They won't suck beef heart out through the small holes in the cone. It works for blackworms, because they wriggle out the holes and the discus can grab them.

You could also try a small amount of dry food delivered throughout the day in an automatic feeder, while you're away at work. Give it a trial run on a weekend while you're home to determine the amount and number of feeds they will clean up without leaving too much waste.

I've used Tetra Bits (yeah, I know, not the best food in the world, but it works better than flake) in an Eheim auto feeder. I used roughly half the amount I knew they would clean up in a feeding, and set the feeder to deliver twice a day while I was at work. It was a great way to grow out young fish.

They got their beef heart first thing in the morning, then the auto feeder gave them two small meals of dry food, then they got beef heart again when I got home, and last meal at night was freeze dried blackworms.

[Ghoti]

last meal at night was freeze dried blackworms.

Sorry for hijacking the post, but I have a burning question. How do you feed the blackworms?

Another forum I frequent suggests soaking freeze dried food prior to feeding to avoid the food expanding in the fishes stomach once consumed. I have been almost following Mal's instructions for the cubes...one cube squeezed against the glass and one cube hand fed so I can make sure the shy feeders get some.

Cheers,
Scott

[ILLUSN]

I stick the cubes on the glass and the fish eat at their leasure. 4 or so cubes along the length of the tank seems to give everyone a chance