Marbled Hatchet Feeding

[DutchKiwiCowboy2 0]

Hi All

I have been studying my Marbled Hatchets for the past few days at feeding time. I feed them JBL Gala flakes which also contains what I have always assumed were dried Melafix? worms. I also supplement them with frozen Brine shrimp.

I have noticed that they tend to eat the dried worms and the orange flakes only. The yellow and green flakes are left for the other fish in the tank. They also eat the brine shrimp but as most of this seems to sink to the bottem they don't get a big share of the shrimp.

I was wondering if anyone could suggest another type of dried food that they might like. I'm hoping that the dried food will stay afloat longer giving the Hatchets a bit more variety in their diet.

I also try to catch insects from around the compost heap as often as I can, but I have to be careful how I put these into the tank as they can escape if they get out of the water. (wify's not so happy when that happens.)

[Slightly Blue Dalmation 0]

what about those pellets that can stick onto glass? if stuck them right at the water level they may have a look at it?

[Tsarmina 0]

i think you mean tubifex worms

[Charlie 0]

Feed them any floating flak. I use SERA foods and they are great! I mean you can get flakes that are designed for surface swimming fish, SERA do them when I am at the LFS next I will get the name.

Anyway and floating pellet will work.

[caserole 5]

Have you thought of culturing wingless fruit flies?

[Matthew 0]

You could try white worms using a feeder - the worms slowly escape from the holes in the feeder hopefully the hatchets would be aware of this and wait by the feeder

[DutchKiwiCowboy2 0]

Tubifex. Thats what I meant :oops:

Melafix was that stuff to fix 'em up. Probably should try to not confuse them in the future.

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys, I'll look into them.

[tHEcONCH 0]

Tubifex. Thats what I meant :oops:

Melafix was that stuff to fix 'em up. Probably should try to not confuse them in the future.

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys, I'll look into them.

They are actually dried blood worms (red mosquito larvae) - my (Silver) hatchets behave similarly and have a strong preference for any small dried insect, and love wingless fruitflies.

[DutchKiwiCowboy2 0]

I have bought a container of dried blood worms, (which are a lot darker than the ones in the flake food), and have ordered some wingless fruit flies. However, at nearly $10 for a pottle of 50 they may have to stay a treat for now.

Thanks again for the suggestions

[Ira 59]

I have bought a container of dried blood worms, (which are a lot darker than the ones in the flake food), and have ordered some wingless fruit flies. However, at nearly $10 for a pottle of 50 they may have to stay a treat for now.

Thanks again for the suggestions

You're supposed to use them as a starter culture.

[DutchKiwiCowboy2 0]

How would you go about that? I can do infusoria and catch insects and larvae from outside but I wouln't know where to start when it comes to breeding insects. Please advise....

[Zev 1]

Here you go, the gorey details!

http://www.killi.co.uk/drosophila1.php

You can use apple cider vinegar as a mould inhibitor.