Roger refusing food :(

[Hadla]

So over the past week when I've given Roger his shrimp piece, he'd grab it and go into his cave... About an hour later I look in the tank and the whole shrimp piece is sitting out, tried to give it back to him and he wouldn't take it. I tried to give him a clam half an hour ago and he wouldn't touch it! When I've given him clams before, he'd grab it and swim off to start punching it.

Maybe he's getting ready to molt? He's only molted once for me and I didn't notice any changes in his behavior... I only happened to look one day and see an exoskeleton lying on the sand!

[Calappidae]

I would say up coming molt.

Don't over feed them either as they may reject food if they're full. 3 times a week is usually efficent. Their stomache is around as big as their eye too so they store leftover food.

[Hadla]

And here I was thinking he wasn't getting enough! Is feeding every other day ok? That's when I feed all my fish

[Hadla]

Thanks for the stomach info! I'll remember to cut smaller pieces out of shrimp for him :)

[Martini5788]

I would say up coming molt.



Don't over feed them either as they may reject food if they're full. 3 times a week is usually efficent. Their stomache is around as big as their eye too so they store leftover food.


Yes that is wonderful info. Thanks. I have definitely been overzealous with the food :)

[Calappidae]

And here I was thinking he wasn't getting enough! Is feeding every other day ok? That's when I feed all my fish

Yeah that's fine. Mine gets fed every other day as well.

Just I recall roy emphasizing their pea sized stomache and how much they really need to eat. Leftover food is usually stored in their burrow (which becomes pretty messy, reason why some of us install pumps for their burrows).

[Kharn]

Their emotional feeders in aquariums where they pick up on routine...

What is willingly accepted one day can often be refused the next on the simple grounds that the animal knows it can get something else by 'sulking' depending whether or not their offered a diversity of foods.

I have found that it is best to limit their intake which in tern increases their interactivity due to them constantly foraging and searching for food, this will make them more aggressive too...

To keep one as "safely" as possible in a community tank it's best to keep them full as often as possible so they expect the hand out rather then turn their eyes to other inhabitants.

It's the simple logic of energy conservation and when these animals are basically little nukes that expend great amounts of energy, the conservation OF that energy is quite important and because their not so stupid and pick up on routines well simply put...

They would rather get what food requires less energy then food that requires more energy, hence they can be "keeled" in that manner of "Expectation:Energy Conservation".

[Hadla]

Thanks :) lol at the sulking

[Martini5788]

Yeah that's fine. Mine gets fed every other day as well.



Just I recall roy emphasizing their pea sized stomache and how much they really need to eat. Leftover food is usually stored in their burrow (which becomes pretty messy, reason why some of us install pumps for their burrows).


Sorry to hijack your thread hadla, but can you show a picture of what kind of pump you put in the burrow and how you go about doing that? I would greatly appreciate it

[Kharn]

Sorry to hijack your thread hadla, but can you show a picture of what kind of pump you put in the burrow and how you go about doing that? I would greatly appreciate it

Pretty sure he got that from me and my large O.scyllarus burrow :)..

There were 2 Eheim 300's at either end of the burrow with a soft anti crimp tubing that was feeding the flow from pump into burrow via a cut hole in the burrow.

http://i.imgur.com/RfGVkqpl.jpg

[Calappidae]

Exactly^

Mine was more lazily done with just a random vinyl tube stuffed in a drilled hole in the center of the PVC burrow. The pump kinda just sat there dangling from the power cord 8 inches to the left of the hole, since positioning the vinyl was pretty hard. It's not as flexible as you would think with only 2 inches from the glass available lol.

I do not have it installed currently, after a pipe upgrade (or in this case down grade for a smaller gal) I didn't bother to get specific with the pipe. When I know I won't be tearing the burrow apart again for awhile I'll probably insert another, but more professional looking.

But like kharn said, I mostly got everything from the idea, to the pump model from him.

[Martini5788]

I think I am going to do that when I set up the 40 b. I picked it up yesterday and am trying to research all the specifics. Unfortunately I won't be able to connect it to my main display so I am gonna have to come up with another plan.

[Kharn]

Thanks :) lol at the sulking

You would be surprised, like I said they pick up on routines/patterns and are very emotional feeders...sulking comes from the discarding of 1 food that was often frequently accepted and then when another food is introduced they will greedily accept it.... :headwally:

[Hadla]

Ha it reminded me of how puffers have that sulky look sometimes!

Also, update on Roger: I haven't seen him in three days so it must be a molt

[Martini5788]

Ha it reminded me of how puffers have that sulky look sometimes!

Also, update on Roger: I haven't seen him in three days so it must be a molt


Exactly!! That's why my puffers are obese. They are fantastic beggars. Hadla are you a member of pf? Your username looks familiar

[Hadla]

Ha yeah! I use Hadla on all sites I join lol

[Martini5788]

That's so funny, I recognized it the first time I saw it but wasn't sure. Then you said puffer and I knew it! What kind do you have again?

[Martini5788]

If you lived closer I think we would be good friends. I have an African grey, puffers, and a peacock now lol. Similarly minded I suppose

[Hadla]

A gsp, valentini, dps, and an irrubesco... Love African greys! Who are you on tpf?

[Martini5788]

Same name minus an 8. Haven't been on there in months though. I just have a ridiculous memory for random things like this haha. I have a f8 and a valentini

[Hadla]

Yeah I also remember things that other people don't :/

I had an f8 two years ago but I couldn't seem to get the brackish thing right so I gave her to someone

[Martini5788]

Yeah I'm about to do the same thing. My reason is that I am sick of breeding snails, they are so messy! Mine will only eat live snails and bloodworms now [emoji34].

[Hadla]

Lol my snail tank has my betta and Kuhlis in it. I couldn't have a tank just for snails!

[Martini5788]

Believe me I wish I didn't. I have so many of them I don't have a choice. They destroy water quality

[Hadla]

Assassin snails are your friend then ;)

[Martini5788]

Haha that sounds dangerous...

[Martini5788]

How is roger btw?

[Hadla]

I saw him peeking out of his burrow but haven't seen him come out... I think I'll try giving him a snail when I get home to see if he's hungry

[EI Gringo]

They love snails, go crazy for them (live snails)

[Hadla]

Yep that's why I have a breeding tank set up for ramshorns