Feeding Bristle Nose Catfish

[clarkeymaster]

Im wandering what sort of vegetables B/N's like to eat and what is the best way to prepare them?

[Snowman]

I feed mine courgette with the seed part cut out, i put it in hot water for a couple of hours before giving it to them to get rid of excess juice (seems to pollute the tank less). From what i've heard don't leave it in to long as this will also pollute the tank (24 or so hours), i put 2 pieces of lead through it to keep it on the bottom.

They seem to love shrimp pellets as well although they can disperse quickly making a mess in the substrate so i use a glass container about 120mm long 80 wide and 70 high to put the pellets in which keeps the pellets in one place and stops the messy substrate problem.

I know of others that feed them JBL Pleco chips but mine seem to prefer the shrimp pellets. They used to eat Nutrafin Bottom Feeder tabs as well but seem to have turned their nose up in favour of the shrimp pellets.

[MRSkz]

My BN is a strickt meat eater. I've tried a number of veggies, I'm sure hubby thought I was making a salad out of the tank, and turned his nose up at everything. However put some ox heart in for the guppies and it's the BN's cat nip. He must only go for algee and meat cuz he doesn't bother any of the plants, not even the broad leaf one's.

[Caryl]

Try bits of everything. Mine like peas (with the shell removed) and cucumber but don't like zuchinni. Lettuce and carrots would probably be enjoyed. Avoid veges that break up easily, like pumpkin, as they will foul the tank.

[Wok]

I feed my bn on a diet of JBL Pleco chips and a inch long piece of cucumber sliced into halves.

Cucumber goes in 36 hours and the pleco chips get eaten in 12hrs

they also like the odd discus tucker as well.

[Alan_au]

Blanched pumpkin is my primary food, the fish love it and it is inexpensive. Zuchinni, when I can get it under $1.50 / kg for a change, or chocko, or what ever is in season. They eat just about any veg that has been blanched.

[Caryl]

I have never tried pumkin as I thought it would make a mess but obviously not if Alan_au uses it. Will give it a try.

[CatBrat]

I use pumpkin quite often, but i just put it in raw (I get the firm flesh). The fish seem to like it, and it seems to last a lot longer in the water without going mushy. Other vegies that I feen my plec's are zucchine, cucumber (they don't seem to like it as much as zucchine), pea's, yams, potato, and even apple. So there are a lot of fresh foods that make good fish food.

Cheers, CatBrat.

[Snowman]

I've tried raw pumpkin but find it falls to bits (seems to be fibrous) and gets snagged on the back of the driftwood and clogs up the filter.

[Caryl]

Perhaps it depends on what sort of pumpkin you use. Remember in the wild fish will try and eat anything that falls in the water so fruit would be a part of their diet if they were lucky

[Alan_au]

Remember that if you have a couple of hundred baby BN in a tank and you are feeding to the max, they crap heaps. So cleaning filters is a continious chore, along with water changes.

Dosen't matter what you are feeding. Plenty of food in means that much waste out the other end and BN will eat all day and all night if the food is there.

Alan.