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Red Tailed Shark Not Eating?

17K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  Sj45 
#1 ·
I never see my red tail shark eat...liveaquaria says they're are not particular finicky eaters and will readily eat flake food although when I feed my fish, I'll usually get all the danios/barbs eating all the food, and him never seeming to come to the surface to eat. I hate to have food go to the bottom, but is that what I should do?

Thanks.
 
#2 ·
Have you tried bloodworms or shrimp? I thaw these out in a little tank water. I use an eye dropper to feed the less aggressive eater. They learn very quickly that there is food inside. How is your water quality now? Still zerro ammonia and nitrites? Red tailed sharks are not great cycle fish, so if you have water quality issues that may be why he is not eating.
 
#3 · (Edited)
I have not tried bloodworms although I know they're easy to find at pet stores. I will definitely buy some. Yah :( it's been 3 weeks and No ammonia, no nitrite, no nitrate readings...I'm quite suspicious, but I won't lie...I was too impatient seeing no progress, I went out and bought me a red tail :( but api test kit says the water is perfectly fine.

Wait! it seems to me I have 5.0 nitrate! I will do another test soon :)
 
#5 ·
you do a water change at 40...?
 
#6 ·
Nitrates at 5 is not high.
 
#7 ·
Thank You
 
#8 · (Edited)
I just tried bloodworms but they are floating and the barbs/danios still eat them...It's been a week and a half so I'm assuming he's eaten something...recommendations?
 
#9 ·
hi
how about a couple of catfish pellets,if you are worried about the others getting them,
feed them the flakes at one end,then drop the pellets in for the shark.
 
#10 ·
I will try that :) do they sink? because if they don't...the danios are pretty quick to sniff out food and get to it, but they rarely feed off the bottom.
 
#11 ·
Yes, catfish pellets sink. The also make sinking wafers & sinking carnivore pellets. Something that I do is use a turkey baster to feed my pictus. He hangs in his cave and the loaches will devour every worm before they ever hit the bottom of the tank. I thaw the worms in a small pastic cup of tank water, suck some worms up into the turkey baster and then dump the cup-o-worms on the opposite end of the tank. Once everyone else is in a feeding frenzy on the opposite end of the tank I use the turkey baster to release the worms at the front entrance to his cave. He goes nuts for them! Does your shark have a particular cave or hang out spot? If so, my tedious little feeding method might get some yummy worms over to him.
 
#13 ·
Yah, he tends to hang out in the back corner of my tank where i've placed 2-3 plants. working on getting a cave driftwood etc.
 
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