Heckel pair not eating

[tony1313]

Wasn't sure where to post this one but figured Al would see it here. I have a pair of heckels that showed signs of breeding. 3 weeks ago so I moved them from a community tank into a breeder tank. Problem is they have eaten next to nothing in 3 weeks. I have tried bumping up the temp and even dosed with metro with no luck. Their is no stringy feces. I'm not sure what to do & need some advice.

tia,
Tony

[brewmaster15]

Hi Tony,
I have a tank of heckels I was experimenting with different foods on to see what they really liked to eat.. Some things you may want to try...

Ants... Catch them live, anything up to carpenter ants size... once you have the ants, place in a sealed container and add water hot enough to kill them..this willmake the ants sink..otherwise they float. My heckels really enjoyed them.

earthworms... small earth worms... about 1/2 inch-1'' ..red wiggler size

Live mosquito larve and Live Brine shrimp

CBW, though I haven't fed to this group. should work.

frozen blood worms


Have you tried dropping the PH and conductivity?

-al

[tony1313]

Their main diet has been bw's but since I moved them to a breeder tank they haven't touched them. I haven't played with the water parameters yet, their in strait tap. It just seems strange to me that since they were moved 3 weeks ago they haven’t been eating. I'll try some of the different live foods that you suggested and see if that entices them.

[yogi]

If they are not showing any signs of sickness. I would move them back to the community tank. Unless they breed in the community tank I wouldn't even think of moving them.

Wilds can breed and raise fry in a community tank with a little help from you. They will stake out a breeding area and become mean as hell in protecting it. Once they lay the eggs just put in a divider and keep the other discus seperated from them.

I think once you move them back to the community tank they will start eating. If the blackworms don't help try some live brine shrimp.

[tony1313]

Well the wilds still weren't eating so I moved them back into the community tank and low and behold they started eating again.

Thanks for the tip yogi!

Those Wild Heckels are the most stubborn to feed!! ;D I got some that I just recently find their secondary foods. They LOVE the BWs but wouldn't eat nothing more.

Well, I starved them for a few days. Gave the other stuff that my other fish eats. That didn't work. Removed them and QTd them. Then returned to community tank. That too didn't work. What helped is the new found foods...

OMEGA SUPER FLAKES!!!

Darn, I have invested in marineland bio-blend this and that. Anyone interested in a spare bottle I have.

*Angie*

[jules]

My wild brown refuses flake/tetra bits unless it is a newly opened container. He loves bloodworms of course .

Hi, Jules!! Ain't that a trip? They're stubborn as boars.

AND, I've noticed that if they don't eat they lose a little bit of their immunity and get sick fast. Then when I feed them what they like (frozen bloodworms), they get what looks like to me constipated (too much iron??). LOL.

Best regards,
*Angie*

[gikkicat]

I have experimented with my heckels and I have come to the conclusion that they need the stimiulus of the others to induce them to breed. They will breed in the community tank, but have never shown any interest in spawning in tanks where there was just the pairs. I raised my heckels from about three and a half inches to seven inch plus and they showed no interest in spawning until they were six years old or better, so it also seems they mature at an older age. Tony

[Fishin dude]

Good info Tony,
One of my Heckels which I have had for 5 to 6 months would only eat frozen bloodworms until this weekend.
Now it gooes crazy for the beefheart mix. Hard to understand why? The only thing I can tell you is that the Heckels are very persnikity. 8)Lee

[jules]

Thank you very much Angie. :-*
The Brown is eating the Omega One First and Colour.
It seems to be acceptable to his fussy palate!! ;D

Julie

Hi Jules,

Glad to have helped! It took me some time to figure those Wilds out, too. Now just sit back and watch them come to the surface and make a splash for more Omega One Super Color. ;D (They'll scour the floor for particles and will bump the loaches aside -- LOL).

The food brings out their colors pretty nicely too.

*Angie*