Hello. I purchased a tadpole madtom recently. I have had him for about 5 days. I have a 10g with a few small fish I found In a local stream. I was worried about him at first but he has found a small clay flower pot I had put into the tank for him and has called it home ever since. I thought he was super stressed because I hadn't seen him leave the pot since I put it in, but I found out last night that he comes out the instant I turn off the lights to go to bed. My concern os that I can't tell if he is eating. How can I make sure he is getting fed?
I am also thinking about getting a black madtom as I feel it will be more at home in my tank due to the slight current that my filter produces than my tadpole madtom.
Thanks in advance for the help
Tadpole Madtom care help?
Started by
Guest_WhereWolfe_*
, Jul 04 2011 11:56 AM
14 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_gerald_*
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Posted 04 July 2011 - 12:16 PM
Tadpole madtoms live in both still water and flowing streams, so moderate current will not bother him. Feed him immediately before the lights go out (or after), so the food is fresh when he comes looking for it. Over time he might learn to come out in the daytime too. Some nocturnal fish do, some don't. Body shape will tell you if he's getting enough food.
#3
Guest_Skipjack_*
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Posted 04 July 2011 - 02:37 PM
To add to what Gerald said, think about frozen blood worms, and high quality sinking pellets (small). They are fairly easy to keep as long as they get a varied diet. Don't expect too much activity during the day from any madtom. Like Gerald said, watch body condition.
#4
Guest_jrhodo_*
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Posted 05 July 2011 - 07:48 PM
Frozen Glass Worms get our madtoms out every time.
#5
Guest_star5328_*
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Posted 06 July 2011 - 11:06 AM
I have an adult Brindled Madtom that I feed various food items through a double length drinking straw. Small minnows, bits of shrimp, shrimp pellets, blood worms, etc. I've also fed him minnows (yoy quillback lately) and crickets by hand. I have Northern Longear Sunfish in the tank with him, so I have no choice but to give him food directly, otherwise he'd never get a bite.
#6
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Posted 06 July 2011 - 05:42 PM
I have an adult Brindled Madtom that I feed various food items through a double length drinking straw. Small minnows, bits of shrimp, shrimp pellets, blood worms, etc. I've also fed him minnows (yoy quillback lately) and crickets by hand. I have Northern Longear Sunfish in the tank with him, so I have no choice but to give him food directly, otherwise he'd never get a bite.
Great point! This is a great way to feed bottom dwellers, though I have always used larger clear tubing.
#7
Guest_NVCichlids_*
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Posted 07 July 2011 - 07:01 AM
my tadpole madtoms are always out and about with any worm type food. I even have them taking earthworm flake food that the other fish love. granted I still feed them primarily live blackworms as this is a breeding attempt for a second year (found a couple fry randomly in the tank last year, but never witnessed any breeding or the such.)
#8
Guest_WhereWolfe_*
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Posted 08 July 2011 - 05:48 PM
To add to what Gerald said, think about frozen blood worms, and high quality sinking pellets (small).
when you say frozen blood worms, do you mean freeze dried blood worms. because i have some of those and tried to feed him some of em last night. and in regards to sinking pellets, i have some wafers for algae eaters, and i figured id try em to see if he liked em. not suprisingly he did not seem interested. so what sort of sinking foods can you (or anyone reading this) reccomend? thanks!
#9
Guest_Drew_*
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Posted 08 July 2011 - 08:15 PM
when you say frozen blood worms, do you mean freeze dried blood worms. because i have some of those and tried to feed him some of em last night. and in regards to sinking pellets, i have some wafers for algae eaters, and i figured id try em to see if he liked em. not suprisingly he did not seem interested. so what sort of sinking foods can you (or anyone reading this) reccomend? thanks!
I'm sure he means these : http://www.google.co...iw=1920&bih=961
Once thawed out, many fish will eat them.
#10
Guest_Irate Mormon_*
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Posted 08 July 2011 - 11:17 PM
One does not PURCHASE a tadpole madtom. A purchased madtom will surely die. They must be captured fresh. Lest they die.
#11
Guest_EricaWieser_*
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Posted 09 July 2011 - 03:45 PM
I agree with Drew's frozen bloodworm link above. Your local fish store probably has a freezer just for them, ask and they'll tell you. Also, the vegetably sinking wafer probably wasn't appetizing to the madtom. Use a meatier sinking pellet. It's usually easy to find ones designed to feed carnivorous cichlids. I've used Wardley® Shrimp Pellets in the past. Image: http://www.fosterand...24_FS13314Z.jpg
Edited by EricaWieser, 09 July 2011 - 03:51 PM.
#12
Guest_EricaWieser_*
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Posted 09 July 2011 - 03:49 PM
Don't listen to Irate Mormon here. My first native fish ever were orange throated darters that I'd purchased off of aquabid to eat my snails, and they did just fine.One does not PURCHASE a tadpole madtom. A purchased madtom will surely die. They must be captured fresh. Lest they die.
What you want to avoid is the completely sunken belly of a fish that is starving to death. If you read reviews for fish online, a lot of species (just google the mandarin goby or mandarin dragonette) will look okay in the pet store but will be so empty on the inside that they will never be able to eat again, and will waste away in the home aquarium. As long as you keep your madtom eating occassional meals, its stomach will not close completely and there is a good chance that it will fatten up again once it finds a food that it likes.
Edited by EricaWieser, 09 July 2011 - 03:50 PM.
#13
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 09 July 2011 - 10:13 PM
One should always listen to IM... its entertaining... but I agree with the other posters above... shrimp pellets are a good food for madtoms... it takes a while for them to dissolve on the bottom of the tank and the 'smell' brings out the madtoms... it is a good prepared food to switch them over to... and yes frozen foods at your LFS are even more likely to be taken from a wild fish... and I will say that one should definitely be getting out into nature and collecting ones own fish (whenever you are able and wheerever it is legal). You will learn much more about your fish by visiting his natuve habitat.Don't listen to Irate Mormon here.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#14
Guest_Irate Mormon_*
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Posted 09 July 2011 - 11:13 PM
My first native fish ever were orange throated darters that I'd purchased off of aquabid to eat my snails, and they did just fine.
Ah, but they aren't tadpole madtoms, are they?
#15
Guest_WhereWolfe_*
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Posted 11 July 2011 - 09:18 PM
Thank everyone for the input. I caught my tadpole eating some freeze dried blood worms immediately after lights out. I also have my black madtom now and I believe I caught him nibbling too. Both from the surface. Supprising! And I will give both the frozen blood worms and shrimp pellets a try and let you know how it goes. If anyone has something else to say fire away!
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