Pink Tail Chalceus

[fry_lover]

I am wondering if i could go down the route of feeding live insects (every now and then) to my Pink Tail Chalceus. I know this is something they eat in the wild, although i am not sure what type of insects.

My local pet store has a lot of different lizards and stocks boxes of insects as food's. I am not sure what type yet, i haven't been there in a while.

Was just wondering about the pro's and con's of using live insects that have been purchased from a pet store?

Is there any specific type of insect to avoid or favour?

My Pink Tailed Chalceus is about 7" now.

Thanks

PS - i've had a look around on Google, can't really find anything that helpful in terms of this query.

 

[Zawiha]

for insects meal worms and crickets work a treat.
And if you gut load them with fish food then they're geat!

For insects in the garden, as long as it hasnt been sprayed its fine.

As its part of their natural diet go for it. Just dont over feed

p.s when meal worms turn white and start to go into a cocoon, they have no mouth piece,
so they're perfect.

 

[Esfa]

go with meal worms, crickets are a nightmare!

 

[Zawiha]

go with meal worms, crickets are a nightmare!

im gona guess your crickets keep dying or escaping esf

 

[fry_lover]

thanks guy's, definitly tempted with meal worms, but also wanted things that stay on the surface, i think meal worms sink to the bottom don't they?

 

[Zawiha]

thanks guy's, definitly tempted with meal worms, but also wanted things that stay on the surface, i think meal worms sink to the bottom don't they?

nope. when i feed my Ornate polypterus i have to drown them for them to sink (yes im evil )

 

[fry_lover]

thanks guy's, definitly tempted with meal worms, but also wanted things that stay on the surface, i think meal worms sink to the bottom don't they?

nope. when i feed my Ornate polypterus i have to drown them for them to sink (yes im evil )

lol, okay so basically just thrown in, meal worms will sit on surface?

will see if this pet store has any, if not i will just order some i guess

 

[Zawiha]

thanks guy's, definitly tempted with meal worms, but also wanted things that stay on the surface, i think meal worms sink to the bottom don't they?

nope. when i feed my Ornate polypterus i have to drown them for them to sink (yes im evil )

lol, okay so basically just thrown in, meal worms will sit on surface?

will see if this pet store has any, if not i will just order some i guess

yup thats all you do.
If you feed the worms food they last longer.
and if you leave em a while they become beatles

 

[Esfa]

yeah, mine kept escaping, and they're so loud

some of my mealworms sank, some of mine floated... lol

 

[Zawiha]

yeah, mine kept escaping, and they're so loud

some of my mealworms sank, some of mine floated... lol

shame, mine dont get a chance
Ah, dont know why mine always floated.
With meal worms youcan hand feed anyways

 

[andywg]

I used to feed my Chalceus crickets and they loved it.

Good to see someone else keeping Chalceus spp on the forum. Have you taken the time to be sure whether they are pink tailed chalceus (C. maculatus) or the gold finned chalceus (C. erythrurus). In my experience the latter are somewhat more common in the hobby, but the shops tend to label them as the former.

 

[fry_lover]

I used to feed my Chalceus crickets and they loved it.

Good to see someone else keeping Chalceus spp on the forum. Have you taken the time to be sure whether they are pink tailed chalceus (C. maculatus) or the gold finned chalceus (C. erythrurus). In my experience the latter are somewhat more common in the hobby, but the shops tend to label them as the former.

I've always believed it to be a Chalceus Macrolepidotus (which i think is Pink Tail?).

It's the spitting image of the one here <a href="http/badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile77.html" target="_blank">http/badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile77.html</a>

I didn't do my research and got 3 of them quite some months back, didn't work as i am sure will not suprise you. Re-homed two. Kept this one, it's a 5x2x2 and is only skittish during water changes, bright pink/purple tail. I have quite a few recent picture's but am on a lap-top right now. Will upload some later tonight Andy and perhaps a video clip and you can let me know what you think.

It is in with Parrots (which may offend, lol), Rope Fish, Rainbows and a 3" Datnioides Microlepis


UPDATE on the foods

Well i purchased x8 locusts at 15p each and also a small tub of "wax worm" for £2.50

The locusts are about 1 inch and the worms about half-inch.

I aware feeding locusts is not unusual for certain fish, but not sure of wax worm so will research / ask around before i use them

So i far i have dropped three locusts in one at a time. The Pink Tail got two of them and one of the Rainbow's munched the other one.

Actually it's the first time i have ever seen the Pink Tail take food from another fish (he snatched one locust from a posse of Rainbows) so this is encouraging as usually the Pink Tail is very passive at feeding, a very polite eater maybe a bit too polite sometimes.


EDIT:

from a quick look about on net, Wax Worms seem pretty safe for fish, high in protein, although a little fatty so be used more as a "treat" from what i understand

.............okay some wax worms have gone in, Chalceus has eaten a few of them, and actually i saw him pursuing a wax worm that a Rainbow spat out and it's very rare to see the Chalceus in the bottom half of tank, even for prawns or bloodworm he wont go past the upper half level of tank but he did for the wax worm.

Rainbows are munching quite a few, so larger worms like meal worms might be better here?

Parrot's showing no interest in worms or locusts which is good as they are dominating too much at feeding time generally.

 

[fry_lover]

Here is a recent video clip Andy (and others interested). The Chalceus makes an appearance at the end of the clip, although you may find the lighting unhelpful.

Clip may cause offense due to man made fish

Pictures to follow....................





Chalceus also seen here, during feeding (prawns)




actually tell a lie from further up in thread, Chalceus is chasing for prawns in above clip

 

[fry_lover]

the last picture is about 4-5 months old, others are more recent



Interesting thread here about insects as food (specifically for Archer fish, but still useful)

http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/19...For-Archerfish/

 

[andywg]

I believe that website is wrong. The rounder snout and yellow fins are C. erythrurus and not C. macrolepidotus (my bad on the wrong species name, getting frogfish mixed up). I would say you have the former. Some reference pics are found on fishbase for C. erythrurus and C. macrolepidotus.

Why would I not be surprised you had issues with 3? I started off with about 3, before upping the numbers to 9 in my 6x2x2. At my height I had 3 C. macrolepidotus and 6 C. erythrurus, but I have lost a couple over the years. I found the former to grow slower but be more aggressive.