Re: What (and how) to feed bottom feeders

[Bill Wichers <billw at waveform_net>]

>Hello...
>I have been dropping little generic shrimp pellets (they look like rabbit
>food and are available in bulk at my local fish store - it's what they
>recommended) along the bottom of my 55 gal tall planted tank.  Problem being
>that these sometimes get stuck in the plants, or under a rock, etc. and
>start to rot with a peculiar mold-like effect.  Can't be good!  So...
>Couple of questions:
>What would be the better thing to feed them without getting into live food?
>Another local fish store uses tablets/blocks - are those any good?
>And what would be a better way of feeding them what I currently have?  Some
>sort of food corral?
>As far as bottom feeders go, I have 4 loaches, 2 knight gobies, 3 corys, 2
>flying foxes and 4 algae eaters.

I alternate between freeze-dried brine shrimp and freeze-dried tubifex 
worms, and occasionally use some spirulina flake. The frozen brine shrimp 
and bloodworms are pretty good too -- I thaw some in a measuring cup with 
some water in it and pour small amounts into the tank as the fish eat them. 
I use any of the heavily processed fish foods very sparingly if at all 
since they tend to foul the water quickly if anything doesn't get eaten. 
About the only tablet food I use is an occasional Tetramin bottom feeder 
tablet that I'll drop in for a pleco.

Also remember that it is important to watch while you feed and not put in 
any more than the fish will eat in a few minutes. The stuff that gets past 
your fish is the stuff that is going to rot and cause problems.

         -Bill


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Waveform Technology
UNIX Systems Administrator