# parachromis dovii



## airjordan23 (Jun 22, 2013)

hi there 
I have brought a parachromis dovii male and his about 12 inches he is a wicked fish that I have taken a liking to very much. I had him in a 4 foot tank not knowing how big they get I was planning to get a bigger one for him any way but didn't know they got that biiiiig!!!. so I bought him a 6 foot by 2.5 by 2.5 I was told this will be enough room for him. my actual question is I really don't know what to feed him at the moment I have him eating live fish, I don't mind feeding him live fish every day that's not the issue the issue is how much. He is 12 inches and very happy in his tank I just want my lil mate to be hungry still. So two or three fish a day ? the shop said one evry couple of days ???????? I don't wanna do that he looks like he could eat 6 2 to 3 inche fish

please help 
cheers


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## FedEXguy (Feb 24, 2005)

I would get a staple food like some kind of floating larger carnivore pellet. I think New Life Spectrum makes some larger products like that (I don't know what you can get down in Australia.) Then feed live food as an occasional treat, but not everyday. And if you're not breeding your own live fish, you're fish is likely living on borrowed time before he gets a parasite or illness from the feeders.


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## airjordan23 (Jun 22, 2013)

he wont take no type of pellets it just dirtys the tank I have tried to feed him that sort of stuff. would starving him for awhile make him eat pellets?? I don't really wanna do that but if fish are gonna make him sick I might have to


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## FedEXguy (Feb 24, 2005)

Yes, just keep feeding him pellets until he learns to take them. He can go weeks without eating without problems. When he decides he's hungry he'll go for the pellets. Keep doing that for another few weeks and he'll be trained for taking pellets. Don't give him any live fish during this, or any other treat food. It's hard to train a fish off of live food, so it might take awhile. If he seems totally disinterested for a long time, try running some fishing line through a softened pellet (no hook) and bob it in the water to simulate live food movement.


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## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

Pellets are always messier than live foods if the fish doesn't eat them. I really don't understand the obsession with pelletized foods. It's just a shape, it's the content of the food that matters. Live foods are better if one feeds a variety. A constant diet of fish isn't good for any predator, they rarely limit themselves that way in the wild. You can continue with live foods, but you don't have to stay with fish. Try earthworms, crickets, or whatever live shrimps or crays you might have available. You can try some thawed shrimp or other seafoods, but these can also pollute the tank if not eaten.


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## FedEXguy (Feb 24, 2005)

Pellets are just easier as a staple, and safer. That's all. I just know too many people buy their live food and end up introducing an illness or parasite into their tanks. Of course, if you're breeding your own live food, definitely use that. In the past, I fed extras of baby convicts to my fish (because...well, there's always extra convicts) but in between as a daily food I use NLS. It's minimally messy and is cleaned up pretty quickly by the bottom-feeders. Seems like every fish loves NLS.


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## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

I don't recommend live commercial feeder guppies and goldfish for the problems you mention, though large predators like _dovii_ commonly remove sick fish from wild populations by eating them, and so would normally have a natural resistance. I collected my own minnows to feed when I did have large predators, particularly Pike Cichlids. Never lost any. Also, there is no illness or parasite that passes from Earthworms - available at any bait shop - to fish, and I've never seen a large fish that didn't go nuts when a worm was dropped in the tank. Same goes for non-aquatic insects such as mealworms or crickets as far as no risk of disease. Risk from aquatic shrimps and crays is minimal.

The only fish I ever had that liked pellets were catfish. Most of my tanks only had a single species in them, as I was breeding fish, and mixed tanks don't generally work when breeding. Everything else was adjusted to flakes or live foods, and would usually watch pellets sink to the bottom, then ignore them or at most pick at them a little. Then they dissolved and polluted quickly. Commercial flakes have the same nutritional value as pellets, float down more slowly, often waving back and forth, adding the movement that attracts fish. Even after it hits the bottom, flake will wave around if there is any current, such as searching fish waving their fins. The fact that fish have to be trained to eat pellets is a reason to believe that it is an inappropriate form for their food.

The other thing that would tend to make a 12" _dovii_ ignore pellets is size; They are genetically programmed to pursue the largest prey that will fit in their mouth (i.e., make the pursuit worth the effort), and pellets would be too small to make an attractive meal. It would be easier to train him to take thawed shrimp from your hand.


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## airjordan23 (Jun 22, 2013)

thanks for all the feed back I think I might try train him to eat pellets but I also agree he looks like he could eat a whole packet. il try him on earthworms from bunnings here in Australia . my pet shop dude said that prawn tails he may like ???. 
I need to figure somwthing out this boy is a pig !!

thanks


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## airjordan23 (Jun 22, 2013)

also what would be good decorations for this fish he is by himself and I have a few river rock piles randomly around the tank. it looks kind of boring do they even care or would a few more things be more fun for him. also might have to take some out if he gets 20+ inches


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## SupeDM (Jan 26, 2009)

What I have always done as far as feeder guppys and minnows and the like is keep them in their own 55 gallon tank and feer them strictly with anti parasitic pellets. i buy 100 or more at a time and keep them segregated at least a week before i feed them to the fish. On the day i bring them home i give them a good dose of Rid Ich and then start the medicated food. Since i started doing this I havent had a issue at all with transfering a disease to main tank.


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## Notrevo (May 2, 2005)

SupeDM said:


> What I have always done as far as feeder guppys and minnows and the like is keep them in their own 55 gallon tank and feer them strictly with anti parasitic pellets. i buy 100 or more at a time and keep them segregated at least a week before i feed them to the fish. On the day i bring them home i give them a good dose of Rid Ich and then start the medicated food. Since i started doing this I havent had a issue at all with transfering a disease to main tank.


Not a bad idea at all SupeDM; I wish I had the room to try that as I have no real venue to catch my own live feeders. I do feed the fish crayfish and large worms from time to time but their staple diet is cichlid pellets.

Airjordan23 - none of my stock are that large but I agree with the policy of a good quality prepared food (NLS, Dianichi, Omega) as the day to day staple diet and the occasional meaty treat. A large predator like that can and will do well if fed in that manner...IMHO.


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