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I recently got c. habrosus, which at the shop were labelled c. hastusus. Anyway, I got some Hikari Sinking wafers, and I also have some tetra tabimin. I know they're small so how small should I make the tablets, or should I put a whole one in. I only have 3 at the minute, but I will get more in about a week. Also how often should I feed them ?

Break the tablets into small pieces the way I do for my Pandas and Otocinclus. Then scatter them about so that even if some of the other fish get to one or two of the pieces first, the habrosus have chance to find the others. I usually break one tablet into 5 or 6 small pieces.

I use a spare piece of undergravel filter tubing to place them in set locations on the gravel. Once the tablet fragments are sufficiently moist, they'll sink quickly enough. Then, once you've baited your substrate, replace the hood gently, then sit back and watch the mayhem that ensues. My Pandas play a sort of aquarium version of ice hockey, pushing the pieces around like hockey pucks when they discover them (and it takes them about 5 nanoseconds to discover that Daddy has fed the Hikari wafers again ) and of course, the fun that ensues when the Pandas and the Otocinclus contest the tastiest morsels is hilarious to watch!

If your habrosus are anything like my Pandas, they'll go absolutely nuts over the Hikari algae wafers. While they do contain spirulina algae (and thus make good Otocinclus treats) they also contain fish and krill meal, which means that any Corydoras will snap them up.

Believe me, once you discover the delights of feeding your habrosus algae wafers and intermittent live foods (try them on baby Brine Shrimp) you'll never need a television in the house ever again!



Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I worried about them not eating them fully. They go up to them, but only nibble, they don't eat a whole piece. I dnt want a pollutunts to build up, because of uneaten food.
Although I do only have 3 at the moment, the smallest one died I think it was due to stress.) BUT I will be getting at least 3 more!! 2 have paired up, is this a sign of breeding ? Or r they jus friends. Although now they are all in a group. Also I read that they like to deposit there eggs at the roots of plants. The one on its own, seems to like it down by the roots of one of my plants ??

P.S. How many times a day should I feed them 2 ?

Last edited by LEE_WILMOT_706 at 22-Mar-2005 08:17

Last edited by LEE_WILMOT_706 at 22-Mar-2005 08:22

I'd make the algae wafers a regular but somewhat occasional treat. Say once every 2 days. And feed the habrosus a variety of other foods in between for optimum condition. You could always use the spare tubing trick I've jsut cited above to make sure that your habrosus get some TetraMin or other food too.

I feed my fish on average about 4-5 times a day. But small quantities each time. "Small amounts often" is a maxim that has worked well for me ever since I first encountered it in the old Innes book.

Also, variety is the spice of life. My Pandas are fed about 6 different Tetra foods, Hikari algae wafers, and three different kinds of live food. Probably accounts for why they've spawned 71 times in less than 2 years






Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Thanks Cali, you've been a great help !

Glad to be of service Lee ... if it means you enjoy crazy Cory antics and the patter of tiny fins, then I'll consider it a job well done. Gives me a warm glow when that happens


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Cali, let me ask a rather redundant stupid question if you will...

I know you feed the live blood worms, and BBS...You feed the Hikari Algae Wafers...then you named that you feed about 6 different types of TetraMin foods? Could you please list what they are? I'd be interested in giving my little guys (who have actually grown) more variety...

So far I feed them the Hikari Algae Wafers, frozen blood worms (defrosted by hand in the tank--This always seems to get everyone racing towards the feeding end of the tank:%)), Tubafex Worms, Freeze Dried Blood Worms, Hikari Freeze Dried Brine Shrimp, and TetraMin in the brown can...this is what is given to my tank in general...though not every day are the frozen blood worms, tubifex worms given...

just want some more ideas, though my little guys are giving me plenty of antics...

My favorite new antic is climbing to the top of the tank, and dive bombing the airstone with the most current, then slamming on the breaks and flying back to the top...All I could do was sit there and laugh hysterically when I saw them doing this this evening...then of course the Neons thought that they had to play too, and what can I say the tank went into hysterics...ROFLMAO...heidi



heidi attached this image:


"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Okay, here goes.

TetraMin flake, TetraRuby ColourPride flake, Tetra Pro standard (whcih I believe has now been renamed TetraMin Pro), TetraPro Colour and TetraPro Vegetable. The last three foods are little discs (the Tetra people will insist upon calling them "crisps for fish" ... er, once they hit the water, they're not crisps anymore!). I also feed freeze dried Tubifex intermittently (and would do so a LOT more if I could find a feeding bell like the one illustrated in my MSN Photo Album) and I also feed three different kinds of live food: Bloodworm, Daphnia and Brine Shrimp. Plus of course the Hikari algae wafers that were originally meant for my Otocinlcus, but which my Pandas enjoy immensely thnks to the fish and krill meal content. As I said in the Panda article, variety is the spice of life!

Oh, and occasionally, I drop in some Tetra granule food as well. Forget the name temporarily, but it looks like bits of broken house brick

The foods are not so much rotated, as selected on a sort of semi-random basis each time. That way, the fish don't know what is going to be fed each time, and therefore rise to the surface with eager anticipation regardless of what I feed.

Mind you, when the live food hits the water, mayhem ensues!

Oh, and some of my Lemon Tetras try carrying away chunks of Hikari algae wafer because they like them too. It's fun watching them try!


Last edited by Calilasseia at 23-Mar-2005 14:30

Last edited by Calilasseia at 23-Mar-2005 14:31

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002