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New juvenile cacatuoides feeding

TT088

New Member
Messages
11
Hello,

I have recently added a juvenile male A. Cacatuoides double red to a densely planted tank which has been running for a couple of months with some tetras and oto's. The apisto has only been with me for a week and is a small juvenile, roughly the same size as the adult neon tetra in the tank.

Everything in the tank is doing well however the apisto seems to be rejecting basically anything I try to feed, whilst I have had apisto's be initially picky before, this fish is on another level. I have tried; live daphnia, live brine shrimp, frozen daphnia, frozen black mosquito larvae, frozen cyclops, frozen brine shrimp, whole and crushed up bug bites and oase organic micro granulate. None of which it appears to like.

It does seem to be interested in food, when I feed the tank he comes out and appears to engage with the food. To be specific, he mouths the food but about 90% of the time spits it out or it exits his gills, the other 10% of the time I think I might just be missing the food exit his mouth rather than him actually eating it. I do see him foraging around the tank throughout the day - perhaps this is how he is exclusively eating?

He doesn't look particularly underweight and his colours are great. Perhaps I am overthinking this and I should just feed the tank generally and give him time?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,120
Location
Germany
If a newly acquired fish doesn't eat for a week, all is still allright.
After 10 days I'd be sceptical and start investigating.
If it doesn't eat after 2 weeks, I'd be looking into the fish probably being sick.

BUT: It's a domestic breed. Those are not picky eaters, because breeders always make sure they eat dry foods.

So... I think you might have a sick fish on your hands. Care to share a picture of it?
 

TT088

New Member
Messages
11
If a newly acquired fish doesn't eat for a week, all is still allright.
After 10 days I'd be sceptical and start investigating.
If it doesn't eat after 2 weeks, I'd be looking into the fish probably being sick.

BUT: It's a domestic breed. Those are not picky eaters, because breeders always make sure they eat dry foods.

So... I think you might have a sick fish on your hands. Care to share a picture of it?
Thanks for this, here is a photo:


1716482713896.png
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,120
Location
Germany
The eye looks clear, but dorsal, caudal and anal fins are a bit clamped and stress markings are visible. So he seems to be doing ok for now, nothing too serious or even specific. But If he doesn't eat by next wednesday fill out the emergency template, allright?
 

TT088

New Member
Messages
11
The eye looks clear, but dorsal, caudal and anal fins are a bit clamped and stress markings are visible. So he seems to be doing ok for now, nothing too serious or even specific. But If he doesn't eat by next wednesday fill out the emergency template, allright?

Thank Mac, will do.
 

TT088

New Member
Messages
11
The eye looks clear, but dorsal, caudal and anal fins are a bit clamped and stress markings are visible. So he seems to be doing ok for now, nothing too serious or even specific. But If he doesn't eat by next wednesday fill out the emergency template, allright?
Just to update, he's eating now - taking frozen daphnia enthusiastically and looking healthy :)
 

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