Jalil30 Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 I have a 75 Gallon Tank. 2 4inch Oscars, a 3inch Pacu and a Clown Knife fish about 5inches. My Clown Knife will only eat live food. my Oscars and Pacu have gotten used to a variety of foods from dried krill, pellets to occasional feeder fish. It's virtually impossible to feed the Clown knife without the Oscars and Pacu snatching the feeders first. I don't want to switch all my fish to an all live food diet. My clown knife will not eat anything different. WHAT SHOULD I DO?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 You might have to give the Knife Fish up - it will not do well in that company because as you've already noticed, the other fish are much more aggresive. Once the Oscars grow, you will have even bigger problems, so you should think seriously about what fish you really want to keep and select appropriate tank mates now, before things get worse - in the meantime, get a tank devider to segregate the clown at feeding time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 I've got a young clown knife, happily eats bits of shrimp/prawn and bloodworms (no live food at all), and it will push any cichlids out of the way (nothing gets between him and the meat!). I agree with above though, they do seem to have poor vision (well mine does), and it takes them a wee bit to actually find food, so you really want to consider giving the fish up or getting another tank. AFAIK Clown Knives would normally fight for their food, my guy eagerly comes to the surface whenever he sees me, and the severums know to keep out of his way. Could try starving him until he eats frozen shrimp. Oscars can only hold so much in their mouth before some falls on to the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalil30 Posted October 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Thank you.. Iam going to the pet store to find a divider now.. I seperated the clown knife into another smaller tank for fear he was starving... but it's so small 14 gallons.. I feel that is cruel to him as well... He did however waste no time eating the 2 feeders in that tank. I have 4 fish tanks already.. I am addicted dont know where I will find room for another one... but thanks that info was helpful.. By the way will starving him until he will eat somthing other than feeders really work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 By the way will starving him until he will eat somthing other than feeders really work? I often does, but I suspect I would lose the battle of the wills rather than the fish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia-15 Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 i never see my clown knife, i feed discus pellets and sinking pellets and bloodworm/shrimp/maggoty things every other day. i would say the worms etc are hardly enough for the clown as the oscar nabs most of it anyway, so it must be eating the pellets... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Firstly, your tank will be well overstocked in around 6 months time, and you'll be looking for a huge tank if you plant to house the pacu for long. I'd suggest trying to feed the knife after the lights have been off for a while and the other fish aren't as active. Try just using a dim red light so you can see what you're doing. Failing that then you'll need to seperate them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalil30 Posted October 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 2 things worked... feeding him after lights out, and I didn't realize how easy it was to distract his tank mates... I put pellets on one side while dropping feeders to my clown knife on the other. every now and then he misses out, but successful for the most part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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