Odd Feeding Behaviour

[starsatnight]

hi there - i have had 4 cherry barbs and 3 golden barbs in my fishless-cycled tank for 2 weeks now.

all has been great - the fish are lively and sociable with each other. they all love to eat (i add approx. 6 flakes per fish once a day) and they all come to the surface to eat initially but after a few moments, i've observed that the goldens tend to like to go to the bottom and wait for flakes to fall to them and then they go after those.

this morning when i fed them, this behaviour happened again - however there was a new element to it. two of the golden barbs looked like they were hunting for food along the gravel. meaning that they were swimming quickly back and forth looking for food - but their heads were defiinately tilted downwards. they kept eating while in this position and after a while they began to swim normally.

is this regular behaviour - or is this perhaps an early sign of something going awry in my tank?

they've all had good appetites and have all been growing. obviously the goldens are growing faster than the smaller cherry's.

any suggestions? should i be concerned?

finally - i haven't yet done my first water change - the lfs had told me to wait for 1 month if all of my levels have been ok. and my pH hasn't changed and my amonia has been at 0.0.

thanks!

 

[celaeno]

don't listen to your lfs. if you don't change the water for a month, the nitrates will build up to toxic levels and your fish will die. i do a 25% water change twice a week in my tanks.

 

[doresy]

LFS should, on the most part, only be treated as a supplier and not a source of trustful info Until you find one you can trust maybe through recommendation, it would be prudent to take note of the experts on this forum (not me!) So yes, first bit of info you have already been given....DO do water changes and certainly don't wait a month

Your fishes feeding habits are not a problem. Maybe try cutting down on the flake then add some sinking food like a few catfish pellets OR Tetra Prima. My Gouramis sometimes wait down the bottom even though they are happy to take floating foods. Don't forget that the food you give them is only part of thier diet, there is natural food within a tank as it matures so it is very hard for a fish to starve
Don't worry they will work out eventually

 

[starsatnight]

thanks dorsey and calaeno - i appreciate the advice. i will change the water this weekend - is 20% enough? the lfs also told me that would be enough, but now i'm suspicious!

thanks again!

 

[celaeno]

20% is fine, no more than 25% at once.

 

[highfire]

Don't worry about your barbs' feeding behaviour. From experience, my three golden barbs eat absolutely anything you care to put in the tank!