# How Do You Feed Your Eartheaters?



## mdog (Dec 10, 2002)

I'm trying to get a feel as to propper feeding of my new S. Daemon pair. The only way I can get any food down to them (thru the tetras and rainbows) is to drop in a lot of small sinking pellets. These sink into the substrate and the fish don't get them right away and I can't really tell if they get them at all. I want to be sure they are well fed but do not want to pollute the tank with uneaten food. I don't have any catfish in the tank now to get leftovers. They spit out big pellets so I have to use the small ones that are impossible to see in the tank. They also don't come up for flakes. Bloodworms are not a problem - they pounce right on those. 
So,I'm wondering how much food your eartheaters actually pick out of the substrate? Is it a good idea to let the very small pellets just sink into the substrate and assume the fish will sift through and get it. Maybe these fish will feed more aggressively once they settle into the tank?


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## PangeaAquatics (Nov 15, 2012)

I feed NLS.....they meet me at the top of the tank for it....they are the biggest beggers I have seen.


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## mdog (Dec 10, 2002)

I have been feeding NLS as well - the small pellets because they are spitting out the bigger ones. They're not coming to the top for food but maybe that's because they've only been in the tank a few days.


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## PangeaAquatics (Nov 15, 2012)

mdog said:


> I have been feeding NLS as well - the small pellets because they are spitting out the bigger ones. They're not coming to the top for food but maybe that's because they've only been in the tank a few days.


Mine were the same way for a while...once they know its coming trust me they will greet You as soon as You open the top.


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## mdog (Dec 10, 2002)

Thanks for the help. Do you feed frozen foods as well? How often? I've always fed bloodworm and brine or mysis shrimp about 1 or 2 times a week to my other fish. My fish generally grow slowly and I sometimes think I may underfeed a bit.


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## joemc (Sep 23, 2012)

I feed tetra prima, tetra crisps and earthworms chopped along with some live foods when available in the warmer weather,( mosquito larvae, daphnia etc)
just like above once the fish have settled they will race to the surface to be fed, they have no problem taking food from the surface or mid water


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## mdog (Dec 10, 2002)

Thanks for the answers. That's the same thing I've seen with lots of fish until they get acclimated, so I'll just be patient. joemc - do you feed earthworms from the yard? There's no risk of any disease or contamination on them? I've got tons of worms in my garden that I'd love to feed to the fish!


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## joemc (Sep 23, 2012)

yep, I feed them straight from my garden, I generally either purge most of the soil from inside them and just give them a rinse under the tap then drop them in the tank, for the smaller fish I cut them up into small bite sized pieces and then add them to the tank, my garden does not get treated with chemicals or dosed with fertilizers so I am not worried about poisoning my fish, though I would advise being careful as to where you collect your live foods from, be it earthworms, daphnia, Cyclops or whatever
joe


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