I recently picked up a 3 inch juvenile from maidenhead aquatics ready for my 120g that I will be getting in the next month or two.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I had a small black molly that had somehow survived my pig of an angelfish only to be swallowed whole by a tiny pike cichlid. This Molly was roughly the same size as the pikes head.
It was amazing to watch the pikes predatory instinct in action but I am a bit worried that eating something that size may be bad for him? Should I be concerned or am I just not used to predatory fish such as these?
Before everyone gives me a lecture about feeder fish, I certainly don't make a habit of it. These fry were left over from when I used to keep black mollies in the tank and were disease free. I do however feel that it is important to occasionally (monthly) offer live food to predatory fish to keep them healthy and happy, I'm not talking about nutritional value but rather giving them the chance to act as they would in the wild.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I had a small black molly that had somehow survived my pig of an angelfish only to be swallowed whole by a tiny pike cichlid. This Molly was roughly the same size as the pikes head.
It was amazing to watch the pikes predatory instinct in action but I am a bit worried that eating something that size may be bad for him? Should I be concerned or am I just not used to predatory fish such as these?
Before everyone gives me a lecture about feeder fish, I certainly don't make a habit of it. These fry were left over from when I used to keep black mollies in the tank and were disease free. I do however feel that it is important to occasionally (monthly) offer live food to predatory fish to keep them healthy and happy, I'm not talking about nutritional value but rather giving them the chance to act as they would in the wild.
