OK- So i've been monitoring feedings since I got my baby last week & I'm really worried about this little baby. (The girls named him Bob)

He still very small (about 2.5 without fins) & he's having trouble seeing his dinner!

I'm worried he's not getting enough (he's in a tank with a pearlie so if I can get a way to get food to Bob I can distract the other one 'cause he can't swim so fast )

The pearlie on the other hand is getting too much

I know there are people out there dish feeding - how did you start?? I really think this would work well 'cause he already wants to be fed only in one corner. I set up a little ring with rocks for now so the food doesn;t go all over the tank (I'm soaking floating pellets so they are on the bottom ). But the food gets caught under the rocks & with his eyes... (I have the rest of the rocks scattered around & I move them if I see he gets a bit stuck but I need these to be close together for now so...)

What kind of dish did you use??? Would a clear glass candle holder work (the dish kind with a lip) or???

I'll be moving him to a 30 gal & would like to get him at least started in training before then (as my arm won't reach so easily to the bottom of that one to put & hold the food there!)

Thanks in advance!!

Jenn

I've seen some people use those clay bottoms from those clay plant pots. Maybe they're called terra cotta pots. You know those ones that are sort of a burnt orangy reddy colour?

I bought those little dishes that are sold to hold water (I think) for reptiles. They look kinda rocky and are not too bad to have in the tank. I run a length of clear plastic tube down to the dish. The tube is wide enough (1/2 inch id) that the food does not stick in it. I run the tube down to over the dish and drop the food in. It goes down to the dish and stays in the dish.

The fish usually just find the dish. I feed the agressive feeders at the other end of the tank with sinking food that spreads all over the area - and excites them enough that they stay over in that area to glomm on to all they can. The slow feeders usually search all over - and in a day or two, discover the dish. They start to wait at the dish with the light signal that food is arriving. (I use the lights as a signal that food will be next - lights on in the morning means food - lights flickering in the evening means treat).

I have only a small amount of experience with Celestials - I have two and lost one - a pretty calico- to extreme stress, sadly - but both of mine are eating well and growing like weeds. One is by himself for the time being and the other competes with a Demekin and a Ranchu. They are in tanks that have little or no rocks on the bottom for the food to get lodged into, and I feed them loads of fresh food from a hanging clip - they do not have to search for it, for they learned where the food was going to be very quickly. I noticed that they either watch where the food is falling and go to that position (they are not dumb!), or they watch the feeding tube decend and follow that.

Good luck. I have really grown to love Celestials and hope to find another calico one to replace the tiny fellow who did not make it!

any non-toxic dish that's shallow and wide will work; i've used old plates, the drainage dishes that come with terra-cotta pots, and plastic water bowls. most fish will quickly learn to eat out of it, and will locate it on their own without any help, however, i've had some who won't go anywhere near it. in that case you can either try piling the food in one spot on the tank bottom (this really only works if you don't have any gravel), hand feeding, or squirting individual chunks of food in front of their faces with a turkey baster..and repeating the process until they get their share of food. be sure if you manage to train him to eat out of a dish to always place it in the same location at every feeding or just leave it in the tank

Thanks!!

I knew I had read posts but I wasn't sure where everybody started. I really think he was hungry - he's been so much more active since he had a good breakfast today.

Daryl - where did you get the tubing (&/or what kind is it???) I've only seen the narrow stuff at my lps so ...

I like that idea since they'll be going into a 30gal tall & my arms aren't all that long....

I'll try to hunt the dishes tomorrow!

Thanks!

Jenn

PS Black lung - I'm not quite ready to try the baster 'cause he's only been here about a week now & is still abit skittish. I think he'd run from it & then I'm not sure who would end up with the food!

or you could just put him in another bowl to eat let him eat and put him back in the tank, i also have a celestial i just make sure i give him the biggest flakes so he can see them, that way he only needs to have a couple and his full. i also turn my filter off at every feeding so the food doesnt fly away, that way all the food gets seen and eaten.

Hmmm - That's a good idea too!

Thanks for all of the tips! He's my first celestial & I want him to stay healthy!

Jenn

Tubing is available at just about any hardware store - you can buy it by the foot....

...well, just as with humans, some fish are dimmer than others. My black moor is just not too bright. He has a feeding dish and I use a clear stiff plastic tube(1" dia.) to drop his food into the bowl. Well he just is not figuring it out. He just goes to the top looking for food. So I have to tap the tube onto the dish to get his attention and then he will try to eat the food through the tube as it sinks Then finally it hits the plate and he gets it. I use a terra cotta planter plate.

I got my tubing form the LFS. I dont know what they sell it for, but they have it. Also, I saw it at petsmat

Do you used pre soaked food & if so do you "flush" it through the tube with a bit of water or??? to keep it from sticking???

I appreciate this so much!!!

Thanks!

Jenn

PS - My lps only has the thin stuff which I'm pretty sure would just get gunked up but I'll check my home depot!

I drop ProGold, unsoaked through the tube. And unsoaked Spiriliana Flakes from GFConnection.

They get their veggies at the top of the tank at a veggie clip.

Daryl - Help me on this one. I got my stuff today & tried it out. I gave everyone the ProGold (I can see I'm going to have my work cut out for me as they like to chase their food thru the water (not on top though) & it sinks too fast.)

BUT

In my main tank I tried the spirulina flakes - It was hilarious. Each goldie had a flake in his mouth & was swimming aroung trying to eat it. (BTW - they loved them) I sould have gotten pics - it was really funny.

I didn't soak it 'cause you had said you didn't soak yours. Are your gf big? Mine are all still under 3 inches without tails. Should I break it in half?? or is this how they eat it???

I didn't feed it to my handicapped guys yet 'cause there only about 1.5-2.0 inches without tail & I couldn't see them even putting it in their mouths!

Thanks in advance!!

Jenn

Anybody???