Dwarf Gourami Too Slow For Food

[kuzyaburst]

So I bought a Flame Dwarf Gourami and he is VERY SLOW to get to the food that I give, the faster fish (danios/neon tetras) eat the food before he even gets to it. So since he's hungry he nips at my plants and I tried feeding him while he is in the top level of the tank by himself but he fears me and swims away when I add the food.  Grrrrrrr he is so stubborn, he eats some food that gets to the bottom but come on! my plants are special to me :'( don't eat them! How can I get this little jerk to eat like the rest of my fish and make him stop eating all my plants, please help! He also claimed the back part of my tank where almost ALL of my plants are, which is expected since he loves to hide but he occasionally eats my Cabombas... by occasionally I mean every 10 minutes He also doesn't bother anyone in the tank and swims around the tank by himself but he sometimes joins the Neon Tetras to swim around. 

Also I feed my fish 2x a day with flakes and Blood worms 2x a week (Sunday/Thursday). 

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Gourami are 'omnivorous', so if they aren't satisfied with the food they are getting, and plants are available, they will eat them.  They also will eat small inverts that can be found on the plant leaves.  So, just because you see them nipping at a leaf doesn't mean that they are actually eating the plant.  

 

[Byron]

Very true.  The biofilm on plant leaves is rich with infusoria, microscopic critters, etc.  Gourami species by nature will browse/graze surfaces especially plants looking for food.
 
To your original point, on the gourami being out-competed by danios and tetra...this is one reason why gourami should not be combined with more active species.  Neons on their own would probably not be much trouble, but danio are very active fish and this can unsettle sedate fish (angelfish, gourami, etc).
 
You might want to reduce feedings to once a day.  Except for fry, fish do not need much food to be healthy; they will usually eat if food is present, but this causes health issues.  The more a fish eats, the harder the internal physiology has to work.  Not to mention that what goes in must come out, and this is an impact on the water conditions which in turn affects the fish more.  A hungry fish is generally a healthier fish.
 
Byron.

 

[kuzyaburst]

Very true.  The biofilm on plant leaves is rich with infusoria, microscopic critters, etc.  Gourami species by nature will browse/graze surfaces especially plants looking for food.
 
To your original point, on the gourami being out-competed by danios and tetra...this is one reason why gourami should not be combined with more active species.  Neons on their own would probably not be much trouble, but danio are very active fish and this can unsettle sedate fish (angelfish, gourami, etc).
 
You might want to reduce feedings to once a day.  Except for fry, fish do not need much food to be healthy; they will usually eat if food is present, but this causes health issues.  The more a fish eats, the harder the internal physiology has to work.  Not to mention that what goes in must come out, and this is an impact on the water conditions which in turn affects the fish more.  A hungry fish is generally a healthier fish.
 
Byron.

ok, should I feed them in the evening or in the morning? Because in the morning I would have to feed them at about 7:00 am and in the evening I feed regularly at 8:00pm

 

[Byron]

ok, should I feed them in the evening or in the morning? Because in the morning I would have to feed them at about 7:00 am and in the evening I feed regularly at 8:00pm
 

 
There are factors that affect this, the prime one being light/dark.  Fish should not be fed too soon after the tank light comes on because it takes them time to adjust their eyes and system to the light.  Half an hour is the minimum to wait, to allow the fish time to adjust to the brighter light and settle down again before food is offered and digestion begins.  And it works at the other end too, when the tank light goes out.  Fish should not be fed immediately prior to this.  This is similar to the advice not to feed new acquisitions for a day.  The fish may not eat when under shock or stress, or if they do, the digestive process will be under strain. You also should never feed prior to tank disturbance like the weekly water change; do this work in the earlier part of their "day," so they have time to settled down before dark, and provided there is sufficient time, this could be the day when you feed the "treats" a couple hours after the water change.
 
Morning is preferable to evening, all else being equal, as fish (like most animals) are more alert and active in the first part of the day.  However, some fish are twilight feeders and some are nocturnal (or both diurnal and nocturnal), and most all of them will soon adjust to a feeding in the latter part of the day.  I had to do this years ago when I was working and after I moved I had to leave the house some time before daylight and the tank lights were not even on yet; I altered the light period so that I was able to feed the fish in the early evening once I was home, around 6 pm, and the tank lights remained on until 9 or 10 pm.
 
It is beneficial to observe the fish during feeding, at least some of the time.  Feeding is the only chance I have to see some of my catfish species that otherwise remain hidden.  So consider this when setting up the lighting period.  Fish will learn to expect food at a certain time if you adhere to a regular schedule.
 
Byron.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

They will be fine with the food at whatever time you make it available. Fish don't care when they eat, as long as they get to eat.

 

[Munroco]

Avoid fast food