Outcome of spotted bristle-nose catfish

[Rooivlerkie]

Hi

This is the conclusion of the drama with my britsle-nose catfish.
Even the two feeding sites wasn't effective so we attempt the cathing for quarentine. After several attempts she slipped into a hole in a ornament.
When she slip into the hole again my dad closed the hole with his hand.
She was trapped!!! Quickly my dad lifted the ornament out of the tank and put it the gourami tank.Then he put the ornament back.
After being releasedand within half an hour she was munching away on the algae that was in the gourami tank.
I did put a peace of bogwood in the tank as well.

Thanks for the advice, you have saved me from starving her to death.


Rooivlerkie

[Rooivlerkie]

Hi
My bristle nose-catfish has cleaned the gouramis tank and now she is busy cleaning the betta`s tank(the betta`s is about 2.5 cm long.
She really is doing a great job
Rooivlerkie

[boebie]

So in conclusion, she was just hungry then. Good thing you didn't medicate her.

[Rooivlerkie]

TRue isn't it.

THe 2nd tank is now as clean as a mirror.

But now I am at the place of wanting to know how much food do I need to feed to her each day. Algae only accumelate over a long period so will that plus the one tablet per night be good maintenance for her or do I need to add something more. Someone mentioned blanced cucumber: how much and how many times per week?

Thanks for the assistance

Rooivlerkie

[tracyp]

I don't know about the cucumber - i've never tried it because I CAN'T figure out what food value cucumber can offer fish! Roughage sure but... anyway, I've been feeding mine blanched courgette/zucchini/baby marrow. They love it! Bring enough water to the boil to cover the amount you're cooking. I slice the marrows lengthwise into strips about half a centimetre thick, chuck into the boiling water until the marrow changes colour, then put into a bowl of iced water. I cook enough to feed for a week, and freeze the rest. Defrost before I put into tank. I put a slice in most evenings weighted down with a small pebble, and remove whats left over next morning. I've tried carrots, but without much success, and they haven't shown any interest in spinach at all, but they do nibble at blanched peeled frozen peas. But that's just my experience! Trevor Pleco microwaves the marrow, maybe he can add as he's raising babies? I feed mine algae tabs too, but not every day. I'm NO expert, just sharing the little i've been experimenting with. I think that like with most things fishy, you must judge your feeding according to your individual fish... try some marrow and watch the fish chomp!

[Dirk Bellstedt]

Hi Tracy and Rooivlerkie,

Out of interest I checked my Laurels Kitchen vegetarian cookbook to see what the content of cucumber versus courgette/Zuchini/baby marrow is and there is just about no difference. They are both very low in protein and carbohydrates as a result of which they actually are very poor in terms of nutritive value except that they do contain a significant amount of minerals and vitamins, and the content of both does not differ. So, cucumber and baby marrows are largely there for their roughage, minerals and vitamins, and this means that you must also feed something that does contain enough protein, granulates or something.

Another tip I can give you is to cut the cucumber or baby marrow into strips and then to stick a fork into them and then put the fork and baby marrow directly into the tank. It means the baby marrow does not drift around and the ancistrus can get a hold onto the baby marrow better.

Kind regards,

Dirk

[Firefly]

Hi Tracy and Rooivlerkie,

Out of interest I checked my Laurels Kitchen vegetarian cookbook to see what the content of cucumber versus courgette/Zuchini/baby marrow is and there is just about no difference. They are both very low in protein and carbohydrates as a result of which they actually are very poor in terms of nutritive value except that they do contain a significant amount of minerals and vitamins, and the content of both does not differ. So, cucumber and baby marrows are largely there for their roughage, minerals and vitamins, and this means that you must also feed something that does contain enough protein, granulates or something.
Another tip I can give you is to cut the cucumber or baby marrow into strips and then to stick a fork into them and then put the fork and baby marrow directly into the tank. It means the baby marrow does not drift around and the ancistrus can get a hold onto the baby marrow better.

Kind regards,

Dirk

+1
My plec's love it, even more when blanced.

[Rooivlerkie]

Thanks for the advice I will try it. JUst to add, I am so relieved that my catfish is on the road for the better. Was afraid I am going to loose her.


Rooivlerkie

[Rooivlerkie]

6639HI

Just to show you how hungry!6638

[tracyp]

I'm reviving this old thread, because I've been working at this, and am hoping to share what I've learned. Observing my ancistrus, they only seemed to eat the green skin of the marrows- which made sense, because thats where vegetables store most of their vitamins/etc. I experimented, and after blanching, scooped out the seeds and pulp with the back of a butter knife:
http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j325/tracypumpkin/aerating%20pump/pump056.jpg
fish eating happily:
http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j325/tracypumpkin/aerating%20pump/pump045.jpg
and what's left next morning, easy to remove, no worrying about excess bioload on your filter:
http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j325/tracypumpkin/aerating%20pump/pump038.jpg

[Big G]

Sorry for my ignorance, but I'd have thought that cooking the Veg would actually remove a large proportion of the vegs vitamins and minerals?

Surely it would be better to just put them in raw? Also, I always thought the idea of using 'raw' cucumber and other such veg was to allow the fish to rasp away, keeping their 'teeth' sharp? If the veg is all soft and cooked, then does the husk not become too soft for this purpose?

Regards
G!

[tracyp]

I'm in complete logical agreement that blanching the marrows must remove nutrients, especially water soluble ones like Vit C. However, raw veg are treated with complete disregard by my ancistrus! I've tried! Might be only mine that are so ignorant...

[Firefly]

By blanching you are removing some starch, making it easier for them to east it.

[Dirk Bellstedt]

I indicated earlier that baby marrows contains minerals and vitamins and are low in proteins and carbohydrates. Firstly, firefly this means that there is hardly any starch and blanching therefore does not remove this.

Secondly, Big G mentioned that you were removing a large amount of the minerals and vitamins such as vitamin C. G, you say removing them, which is correct. However, I want to clarify whether by saying removing you are implying detroying the vitamin C because this is not the case, the vitamin C is not destroyed, what happens is that it is released as you correctly indicate. What I want to add is that the length of the blanching/cooking decides how much of the minerals and vitamins are released. If you cook them for 15 minutes with water, then just about all the minerals and vitamin C are in the cooking water. So, the trick lies in literally just touching them really with boiling water for 1 or 2 minutes. This still breaks cells and when the baby marrows are added to the aquarium these will leach out so the faster the bristle noses eat the baby marrows the better. So the bottom line is that you have to careful with this blanching process or else you will loose all the nutrients.

Kind regards,

Dirk

[Firefly]

Thanks for clarifying Prof.

[tracyp]

just in case anyone's confused:

from Wikipedia:

Blanching is a cooking term that describes a process of food preparation wherein the food substance, usually a vegetable or fruit, is plunged into boiling water, removed after a brief, timed interval, and finally plunged into iced water or placed under cold running water (shocked) to halt the cooking process.
The meaning of blanching is "to whiten", but this is not always the purpose of blanching in cooking. Food is blanched to soften it, or to partly or fully cook it,

I heat the water to boiling point, add the marrows and as soon as they begin changing colour (+-2mins) submerge them in a bowl of ice water. They are still firm and easy to handle without breaking.
:p and regardless of nutritional value, they absolutely love it, arriving within minutes of the marrow entering the tank! So, call me indulgent, I'll continue to give them what they like!

[Dirk Bellstedt]

Hi Tracy,

Point taken and to each his own. I think (note think) that if the bristlenoses eat your blanched baby marrows they are obviously getting something out of it, so there is no reason not to continue.

What I want to reiterate though is that anyone feeding bristlenoses like this must not forget that they do need additional proteins in the form of granulates, and as long as this is fed then all is fine.

Happy blanching and when are we going to see the first baby bristlenoses?

Kind regards,

Dirk

[tracyp]

Hi Dirk!

need additional proteins Agreed!
I should perhaps have made it clear that the marrow is only a small part of a varied diet - they love your GS granulates, thanks!

Babies? Rest assured, I'll announce any granniedom!!! But, as yet, no bristles, so perhaps I have only girls!!! Time will tell!!

Thanks for your input!
Tracy

[Dirk Bellstedt]

Hi Tracy,

I cannot quite assess how big your bristlenoses are but I would guess around 10 cm? By then you should see bristles if you have males. I have posted a pic of a dad with babies (not my fishes, but a friends) which give you are idea of what you should be looking for in the males.

Kind regards,

Dirk

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