MFT, Meet "Meaty"

Big Vine

Big Vine

Elite Fish
#21
Feb 7, 2006
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#21
Cool...good to know.
All of the petstore/LFS live feeder stuff is pretty safe though, right? I'd go out and nab up some local 'critters' from the neighborhood for feeding purposes, but I'm paranoid that they'd contain pesticides and/or other contaminants. :eek:

Ever feed Draegan crickets? Any other interesting live foods?

Hehe...you see...this exact string of questions is a perfect reason why you, Katie, Virgo, and I (and whoever else has oscars) need to go chat at the same time. :D

BV
 

Katie217

Katie217

Superstar Fish
#24
Jul 15, 2006
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#24
Thanks BV!!!!
I gotta say, with those other Oscars I had, I was happy. But with Meaty, I'm extremely happy with him. Hes just such a little brat, I LOVE it!! I might start feeding him those little meal worms when he gets a bit bigger. He's only about 2.5 or so inches right now, so I guess by the end of the summer, he should be eatin those as a treat! :)

And I agree, we all need to get in chat sometime. I'm usually on MFT after school, and after dinner most weeknights. Just send me a PM when your in the room and I can see if I can chat:)

Oh I forgot something...
Meaty is already the boss of the tank. He pushes around my 5" Pictus Catfish, and my 4.5" Common Plec! ;)
 

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Big Vine

Big Vine

Elite Fish
#31
Feb 7, 2006
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#31
FreshwaterJeff said:
Just as long as you let potential future oscar owners in as well :)

Katie, your green tiger is turning the tide for me -- I may definitely have to keep one someday...
Click to expand...
Hehe...sure thing, Jeff...just make it quick so that you can be one of the 'founding members' of our little 'oscar club,' lol! :D

I meant to mention FishGeek as well in my earlier post---sorry, Jess. :eek:

And wow, that whole cutting-up of the live pictus to save the oscar from 'choking' on him sounds like quite the fiasco---just imagine what that tank must have looked like with all the blood and flesh bits...just like a scene straight out of Jaws. :eek:

BV
 

Katie217

Katie217

Superstar Fish
#32
Jul 15, 2006
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#32
LOL BV
I'm not entirely sure I could handle that...I mean, I actually LIKE dissecting things in science class...but those are dead...and well, basically it would suck sooo much to have to do that...GROSS
 

Big Vine

Big Vine

Elite Fish
#33
Feb 7, 2006
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#33
Hehe...you'd do it in a heartbeat to save little Meaty though, I'm sure. ;)
Still, I think it's good that you're getting rid of his tankmates. He's supposed to be the focus of the tank anyway, right?

At least that's what I've told myself in order to justify getting rid of my tiger barbs and tetras---which I will be doing gradually over the next little while. I figure it will make it a heck of a lot easier when it comes to feeding time because I won't have to add so darn much food. Those dithers are so rapid in their feeding frenzies that poor little Triton doesn't have much food to choose from unless I add a whole crapload to the tank at once. :eek:

Besides, the oscar and leopard cactus pleco will need the room anyway---especially when considering their eventual bioload demands.

Sounds like you're aiming for something similar for Meaty's tank, right? Will it just end up being him in there and nothing else?

BV
 

Katie217

Katie217

Superstar Fish
#34
Jul 15, 2006
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#34
Haha of course I would! Meaty is my little bud.
Yeah he's ment to be the focus of course. I am aiming for something similar yes, I'm not sure if I want to keep the common plec, yeah I know they get HUGE, but I've had mine for almost a year (Got him in August) and I like the little dude...(minus the constant poo pile he creates...) If I ultimatly decide to get rid of the common, I'll most likely pick up a smaller species of pleco. One that stays large enough to not get swallowed, but one that is small enough to not make the "poo pile" ;)
 

missdixie256

missdixie256

Large Fish
#36
Jan 2, 2007
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Crockett, Texas
www.dixieexpressracing.com
#36
BV and Katie,

If you guys plan on doing live feeder fish in the future breed your own :) Tropical live bearers are the best feeder fishes... Or CONS (as BV wants to feed) Goldfishes and white clouds are high in fat and another vitamin Thimasine (sp) which blocks liver function and causes fatty liver disease, so these should be avoided and anything else you feed home bred or quarantined.

BV I know I told you that LFS live foods will be fine but it didnt occur to me until this morning that you could be talking bout feeder fishes. :) 90% of an oscars diet should be quality pelleted foods. I feed a variety to my guy. Hikiri Staple, Hikiri Gold, Hikiri Bio-Gold, Shrimp Pellets,An Algae Disk sometimes.... Even a pinch of flakes. I have a gigantic jar like tub of mixed pellets. I add new ones that I catch on sale or I see that I want to try.

Mealies, Ghost Shrimp, Blood worms, Feeders ETC can make uo the other 10% of their diets. I find Drae likes a bite of mango from time to time too :)
 

Katie217

Katie217

Superstar Fish
#37
Jul 15, 2006
2,494
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#37
LOL
You're probably right, I should just nix the idea of a pleco, and just have Meaty in there eh?


Oh and Missdixie,
I dont plan on buying live feeder FISH from the LFS, maybe perhaps mealies in the future. I have a breeding pair of kribs that I think can handle the live feeder quota
 

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Big Vine

Big Vine

Elite Fish
#40
Feb 7, 2006
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#40
missdixie256 said:
If you guys plan on doing live feeder fish in the future breed your own :) Tropical live bearers are the best feeder fishes... Or CONS (as BV wants to feed)
Click to expand...
I've got a bunch of adult platies breeding in my 38 gal. tank...I've seen tiny fry swimming around in there. I've also got the dozen or so juvies that I've been raising; some of which are approaching the 1-inch mark.

Oh, and my cons spawned again, so I've got a bunch of wigglers that should become free-swimming any time now! I think I'm all set when it comes to live-feeder fish.

missdixie256 said:
BV I know I told you that LFS live foods will be fine but it didnt occur to me until this morning that you could be talking bout feeder fishes. :) 90% of an oscars diet should be quality pelleted foods...
Mealies, Ghost Shrimp, Blood worms, Feeders ETC can make uo the other 10% of their diets.
Click to expand...
I wasn't talking about feeder fish. I was thinking more along the lines of worms, mealies, crickets, etc. But I'm still glad you pointed this out. The vast majority of what I feed is HBH 'Oscar Grow,' which has a combo of floating and sinking pellets. I also supplement with Ocean Nutrition 'Cichlid Omni Formula' flakes on occasion. Frozen bloodworms, beefheart, and (in the future) feeder fish will be offered only a few times a week as a treat.

Feeder fish will be gut-loaded immediately before feeding to Triton.

BV
 

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