Clown knife feeding? And Ornate attack.....

[REEVESTA]

Hi guys, I have recently obtained a 6-8cm clown knife fish. I am well aweare of the size they get to and was planning on keeping it with my Ornate................. and well the ornate had a better idea he tryed to eat him. (the ornate is only oround 13cm)

Even though he was way to big for his mouth. It looks like he managed to get the head in his mouth, so now the knife is in a small tank by himself with what looks like a bite mark on his head with a badly damaged eye. At first he was sort of floating on his side, then floating vertical. This morning he seems to be swimming more naturaly and looks like he will pull through.

And now this gets to my Question. What to feed him? Google says they are picky eaters and sometimes will only eat feeder fish. I expect them to be more like bgk's? Eating blood worm, prawn and maybe pellets.

The ornate cleaned me out of convicts so i currently have no feeeders so i should get some guppys? Anyone had any experience in CKs?

Thanks Reevesta.

[snookie]

my clown knives have always ate pellets , and uncooked prawn etc.. I also used to have an ornate that bite first and asked questions later , got worst as he grew

[REEVESTA]

what kind of pellets were you using?

[Fruju]

Hikari works fine, hikari cichlid gold/sinking carnivore, feed shrimp/prawn - all these will be eaten. Plus they go nuts for feeders, my old clown ate like 3 small goldfish and about 5 tiger barbs within a week once .

[snookie]

JBL Cichlid /and Hikari you will be amazed by ck growth rate cut the feeders until pellet/dead trained

[REEVESTA]

Cool I have cichlid gold, sinking carnivore pellets and prawn. Do you guys know what size an ornates groth rate slows down?

[snookie]

Cool I have cichlid gold, sinking carnivore pellets and prawn. Do you guys know what size an ornates groth rate slows down?

at about 30cm imo but that would depend on space food and water conditions

[REEVESTA]

I might try the clown on some pellets now

[REEVESTA]

He has shown no interest in pellet, blood worm or prawn?

[snookie]

they are nocturnal , patience grass hopper 8)

[REEVESTA]

looks like he ate some cichlid gold

[henward]

i have two ck living together, 1 is stunted wtih a buster jaw from when young (broke it striking food) the other is a highs pot one that is already overtaking it in growth and is much younger. 32cm now and growing. going for 40plus cm

anyway, they are hardy at a good size and WILl accept pellets so dont believe what you read on them about food, i read that too.

they easily accept food that is dead or pellets. Mine eat discus mix beef and pellets. gorge on it.

feed it pellets, good quality pellets, like hikari c gold or sinkiing caRNIVORE or massivore. massivore you will be astonished at the growth rate and HEALING.

if may survive, make sure you give it good water, maybe melafix to avoid infection if not already healed.

dont gfeed it live food. pellets is the way.

[REEVESTA]

Ok thanks I will be doing water changes everyday and feeding him a good anout of cichlid gold and sinking c pellets to get him bigger untill hes big enough for the big tank again.

[henward]

funny thing, some ornates are agros ome are not.

i think if they have been alone for awhile or no other large fish they become like that.

my ornates are peaceful. very peaceful.

make sure small wc daily, not big ones

[snookie]

introducing the ornate last helps

[REEVESTA]

It looks like he could be going blind in one eye

Any ideas? its gone white and cloudy would water changes help?

[Fruju]

I find that cloudy eyes generally clear up soon, if not, blindness shouldnt affect the fish too badly.

[REEVESTA]

wouldn't it make him more skitish? Well they alreay have bad eye sight :lol:

[Fruju]

The knifefish? No shouldnt be too bad, give it a hide spot, nocturnal anyway.