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Just another little concern about my open-top setup...


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#1 Guest_Joshaeus_*

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Posted 04 July 2013 - 04:44 PM

...and it involves food. The open top is quite shallow: after the gravel and leaves are added only about 4" of swimming space would be left for the sunfish, leaving little room for the sunfish to grab frozen food pieces in the water column before they sink. Will pygmy sunfish eat frozen food that has already hit the bottom?

#2 Michael Wolfe

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Posted 04 July 2013 - 06:59 PM

I have for sure seen them pick a frozen brine shrimp off the surface of a leaf. Can't say for sure that I have ever seen them eat from the substrate. But the snails will clean those up for you.

You will just have to make sure that you introduce the frozen food carefully to the surface of the water, so that it falls slowly. And if you feed at the same place consistently, the pygmies will learn and be ready to eat.

I don't think the depth will be too much of a problem.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#3 Guest_Joshaeus_*

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Posted 04 July 2013 - 08:48 PM

OK. Thankx. My concern was semi-unfounded...

#4 Guest_EricaLyons_*

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Posted 05 July 2013 - 09:35 AM

If you are concerned about substrate depth you could always use a half inch of pure clay (for example fragrance free clumping chemical free kitty litter). It's very good at growing plants, and you skip the inches of substrate you would get if you had soil capped in gravel.

In my experience Elassoma prefer to eat from the bottom than from the surface.
Here is a video of an Elassoma gilberti eating a grindal worm from off of the ground:


#5 Michael Wolfe

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  • North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 05 July 2013 - 09:45 AM

I think the important part there is that the food was alive and moving. Elassoma are stalking, stealthy predators (usually of very small prey, but still predators). They are attracted to movement, which is easy for live food... but for frozen, they seem to be attracted to the falling food.

And (I have never said this before) but I think the thinner layer of clay might be the best solution here for the shallow tank.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin




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