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Hello,

I've been going back an forth on this for quite awhile. My tank is 50 gal, with 6 5" clown loaches, 3 6" Discus, 1 6" Pleco and approximately 20 neon tetras. Filtration fluval 304, penguin 330 and 9" Twist UV sterilizer (awesome for algae and loaches).

I try not to over feed to keep the tank clean and do a 20% weekly water change. However, lately, my fish seem to always be hungrier and hungrier. They are constantly scavenging. I'm up to between 4-6 cubes of bloodworms per day. I think they could easily eat 10 cubes per day without leaving scraps. My plants and ecosystem seem very balanced now and I believe the fish are feeling comfortable and healthy. Also the pleco has developed a real taste for bloodworms and isn't as interested in the algae wafer he gets every couple days.

How many do YOU think are OK?

Thanks!

It's great that your fish are hungry but a bloodworm diet is a little like a candy diet - tastes great but not so great for you!

If you are feeding quite a bit, you may want to increase your water change frequency and size, particularly with discus. There may not be much food waste but the heavy protein feedings will up the fish waste. Watch your nitrates!

Use a high quality flake or granule for initial feedings during the day. Feed just enough that the fish will consume it in 2 or 3 minutes. Save the bloodworms for a two cube feeding in the evening.

It is not unusual for many plecostomus species to become more carnivorous as they age. In fact, they are omnivorous at an early age. One caution is that the fish may develop a liking for the slimecoat of your discus. Keep an eye out for the problem.

Do cut a summer squash or zucchini and blanch it. It is a great treat for your pleco and your loaches may also go for the change!



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the reply! I've had trouble with the flake food polluting my substrate, although with the appetites on these guys I don't think anything will make it to the bottom. I've always been under the impression that bloodworms were pretty complete, and I actually raised Daphnia for quite awhile, which is supposed to be a great all around food.

I actualy think I will go back to raising the daphnia again, since they can't really pollute the tank.

Thanks again

You really should look into a larger tank. You have an incerdible bioload on that tank. Even with the UV, you are playing with fire.

I would not "only" feed blood worms, use some prepared foods also.

What kind of prepared foods do you recommend? I ordered some live daphnia today, and am going to begin culturing them again. What are your thoughts on daphnia?

PS I know it sounds like a lot of fish, but it's really only a bit over 1" per gallon considering how low impact the tetras are...My Nitrates are low and ammonia 0, and I run 2 filters so most likely won't lose all filtration at once... I am going to get a 100 gallon aquarium soon, but I need my new office to be done first.

For "prepared" foods, I like Tetra ColorBits for my discus and Tetra Crisps for everyone else. The bristlenose get zucchini slices and algae tabs. I occasionally use frozen bloodworms as "dinner" for the discus but most often I use live blackworms.

Now that it gardening time again in the state of Michigan, I will begin a red worm culture. As I am turning over the garden, I save the red worms for the culture although some make it to the aquarium that day...



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Thanks Bob, I'll try feeding the color bits again. I guess if I let them go a couple days w/o eating they might give them another chance. Now that I've spoiled them they spit out the color bits!

Seems like with the discus, the males like to eat the females eggs better than anything.

I had the same problem with the discus. They are smarter than I am and had conditioned me, like Pavlov's dog, to give them only the food that they would eat - bloodworms and black worms. Additionally, the fish would dance whenever I looked at their aquarium until they were fed, what they wanted...

The conditioning was broken when I went on vacation. I had someone check the tank for "floaters" but I didn't have him feed the fish. After a week, they ate everything!



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright