Hi! New! Need Some Help With Halfbeaks

[scottyj]

Hi, new to the forum!

Just started getting into tropical tanks after having a family tank for years ive finally got my own tank set-up...

Anyway, ive got a pair of halfbeaks and 1st wondered if anyone could ID them?

and second, the smaller one has a funny looking lump in his back, it slightly protrudes his body but not by much and is a pink colour. It's not food as he's had it while and has been eating fine on the odd blood worm bu mostly river shrimp.

Any help would be great.

 

[nmonks]

Those aren't halfbeaks; they're needlefish, Xenentodon cancila. There's some basic information on my brackish water FAQ, even though they don't need brackish water to do well.

I'm glad you have two: they're quite sociable, and rarely do well kept singly. They are nervous and finicky feeders. As with any predatory fish, it's one thing throwing feeder guppies, minnows or goldfish their way, and quite another thing giving them a healthy diet that will keep them in good shape.

Cheers, Neale

PS. The reason they look odd is they're half-starved.

 

[scottyj]

oh! thats cool, thanks for the info. theve eaten a few shrimp each today. The main concern was the pinky lump on his back near the front..

Ive left one on his own in the shop so may have to go and rescue him at the week end

thanks for the info

 

[nmonks]

Yes, they like shrimp. But don't use shrimp exclusively. Once the fish are eating freely, vary what they offer, and read up on thiaminase. Over the long term, thiaminase (which is common in shrimps, mussels and some fish and squid) causes vitamin B1 deficiency, and there's good reason the believe this is a major cause of problems with predatory fish. A good staple is tilapia, which is cheap and easy to buy. I use tilapia fillet to feed my Ctenolucius pike characins, and they love it.

Cheers, Neale

oh! thats cool, thanks for the info. theve eaten a few shrimp each today.

 

[Paradise3]

I've heard about thiaminase before isn't it the main reason all thoses crocs died? when fish have to much thiaminase in their system they kind of go like a zombie. I watched a program and it was called zombie crocodiles, the crocodiles were eating fish with to much thiaminase and it was slowly making them brain dead so they couldn't float themselves anymore so they drowned.

Xxx~misscosmo~xxX

 

[nmonks]

Yes, this precisely the thing. It's been seen in the wild, where for example salmon are stuck eating just minnows, and they go screwy and lose their fertility. In aquaria there seem to be a lot of problems keeping things like moray eels healthy for long periods. The lab work seems to confirm that thiaminase-rich foods, especially frozen ones, can cause the thiamin (vitamin B1) deficiency.

In the wild predators eat a variety of things, if they can, and more importantly, the prey will usually contain some plant material. Since the vitamins are in plants, a prey animal with a belly full of algae or whatever is good. But if we just feed our fish frozen prawns, that doesn't happen. There's a good article by Marco Lichtenberger over at Wet Web Media that lists what's safe and what's not, here:

http/www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_6/volume_6_1/thiaminase.htm

Cheers, Neale

I've heard about thiaminase before isn't it the main reason all thoses crocs died? when fish have to much thiaminase in their system they kind of go like a zombie. I watched a program and it was called zombie crocodiles, the crocodiles were eating fish with to much thiaminase and it was slowly making them brain dead so they couldn't float themselves anymore so they drowned.

 

[scottyj]

Oh right! That's worth a look into then, ill start reading up. I tries worms and woodlice last night but they don't move enoungh it seems..

So you don't think the tumur looking lump on his back is anything to worry about?

Thanks for all your help btw, much apreciated

 

[nmonks]

It's likely physical damage from colliding with the hood of the aquarium, whether in your tank or the retailer's. In either case, treat as per Finrot, and hope for the best. If the damage is superficial, it should heal in time.

Cheers, Neale

So you don't think the tumur looking lump on his back is anything to worry about?

 

[scottyj]

Okay, ill see how he goes. Thanks for all the help.

 

[nmonks]

You are most welcome!

Cheers, Neale

Okay, ill see how he goes. Thanks for all the help.

 

[scottyj]

Sorry, one more thing! Ranther than me starting a new thread. I'm trying to breed cherry shrimp to give as part of their diet, is there anyway to reduce the amount of thiaminase in the shrimp?

 

[nmonks]

I'm trying to breed cherry shrimp to give as part of their diet

Waste of time. You won't breed them fast enough. You'd need something like a tank 200 gallons in size filled with shrimps to produce enough to feed just one needlefish.

is there anyway to reduce the amount of thiaminase in the shrimp?

Gut-load the river shrimps you buy from the shops, by maintaining them in an aquarium for a couple of days, while feeding them Spirulina flake. But realistically, you have to work on switching them to wet-frozen foods as quickly as possible. Use forceps to "dangle" strips of tilapia enticingly. Throwing morsels of food into the water current can also work. If you don't train them, they *will* starve.

Cheers, Neale

 

[scottyj]

Okay, ill give that a go!

They take the odd frozen bloodworm the half float and spin in the current, so I guess that's a start