22 replies to this topic

[Evan P]

Well, I just tried feeding my darters earthworm flakes, and I'm glad to say that several of them really enjoyed the flakes and went after then like they do brine shrimp! It can be done!

[Sean Phillips]

It can definitely be accomplished. A friend of mine has his pair of Rainbows on pellets actually. The thing to consider is long term health and nutrition. I'd say if you can get them to eat it then go for it but don't skip giving frozen for more than 2-3 days. That's just my opinion and observations.

[Matt DeLaVega]

Well, I just tried feeding my darters earthworm flakes, and I'm glad to say that several of them really enjoyed the flakes and went after then like they do brine shrimp! It can be done!

Funny, I have had better luck with basic tropical flakes than I did earthworm flakes. Different brands?

[NotCousteau]

My darters are crazy pigs that will eat anything I throw in their tank. Half of it is that they don't want the dace and shiners to get all the food.

[mattknepley]

My swamp darter got so he'd eat anything that hit the water; tropical flake, frozen bloodworms, used razors. (He was t.o.u.g.h.) (OK, so I made the razors part up...)

After months of pushing it on them, some of my Christmas darters will eat earthworm flake if they are really hungry; many others will just not touch the stuff no matter what. My turquoise will eat earthworm flake, but not as aggressively as he does frozen chow. My blackbandeds, piedmont, Carolinas never took flake. Haven't tried my seagreens or fantails on it yet.

[littlen]

I have to say Mr. Knepley, the earthworm flake you shared with me is the only flake I've ever seen or had any darters eat. "Taste" would actually be a more applicable term. The will hurry to it, gobble it up and spit it out a few seconds later. There are a few that have probably kept a piece or two down. I can only imagine them being upset that something that smells so delicious [like earthworms] has a horrible texture?....[flake]. Not sure what it is about it, but texture is what I'm guessing. Anyone agree or disagree? Tropical flakes get ignored. It is my P. evides that are the first to taste the flake. I spoil my darter-children with frozen and live foods and admittedly haven't worked too hard to get them flake trained.

[Matt DeLaVega]

I deduced that the earthworm flake I had was probably from the commonly cultured red wriggler Eisenia fetida. My fish liked neither the flake nor the worm. A quick google search revealed that they may be toxic. Ever bought redworms for fishing because they were out of night crawlers? I have, and had much less interest in my bait. Now I know why. Well anyway that is the excuse I have for the worm flake not being of great interest to any of my fish. A lot of mouthing and spitting and little swallowing.

Look them up. It seems like some are toxic/foul tasting, and some are not. People speculate that it is how they are cultured, and what they are fed.

[Michael Wolfe]

I fed this evening. Brown darters, Christmas darters, blackbanded darters all ate flakes, as did the juv jumprock and juv hogsucker in the tank with them. I won't try to maintain them on this alone, but it's nice to know that they get some nutrition when I don't have frizen for them.

[mattknepley]

Kinda interesting note to add to this thread. Finally tried earthworm flake on my fantails and seagreens. Not sure about the fantails, as they hardly ever show their faces anyway, but the seagreens absolutely tore the stuff up. They loved it; especially the biggest male. He even swam up in the current so he could scarf stuff off the top- and on several occasions out-competed two decent-sized bluehead chubs for it! Even more notable, the Christmas darters seemed to follow the seagreens' lead; they started eating it heartily, too. They've behaved like this for two days now. I'm curious to see if it continues, and if I might be able to get them taking other flake.

[littlen]

You can add Snubnose darters to that list of darters that eats your earthworm flake. Witnessed it yesterday as well. I'm blowing through 16oz packs of bloodworms, mysis, and adult brine shrimp--mostly due to the shiners. So I've been trying to partially fill them up with flake and pellets. The darter army takes much more notice when I feed those items now. Pellets are still a no-go, but the EW flake is now on the menu for a few individuals.

[Sean Phillips]

I actually tried this myself this morning in my 30L, tossed in some custom made flake made with a growth formula (actually smells like caramel corn, I've been tempted to taste a small piece!) and every fish went for it including Rainbows, Greensides, Variegates, and my single Banded. The mimic shiners and banded killies in there also took to it pretty quickly as well. I think I'll still stick to frozen for their health though, they expend so much energy fighting the powerhead daily that they actually look a bit underweight with heavy feedings twice a day so I like feeding high-fat foods.

[Evan P]

This is all some great news! If anyone has any other success stories, add them to this thread!

[Markart]

I had three Rainbows a couple of years ago, initially they would only take (enriched) frozen food. Took me eight months of patient feeding (and I think they cottened on to the Shiners 'eat anything as quickly as possible' policy) but they eventually took Tetra Prima. I couldn't, however, interest them with any available flake having tried three or four different brands.

[L Link]

This is a question on the general topic of this thread. I'm considering getting myself a few fantails but worry, as I do with any fish, that I won't be able to provide adequate food/nutrition. What general suggestions do you all have on the subject? What is the "normal" darter food? What specific eating habits do fantails have?

[littlen]

You're likely to get a few responses to your questions, but I think you'll find a lot of similarities in our answers.

Most darters do NOT take to eating flake (or pellets) though there have been a few exceptions.
Most do well on mysis and [adult] brine shrimp, blood and blackworms.  All of which are commonly found at pet stores.

 

Fantails, like other darters typically feed on the bottom, so floating foods are a no-go.  However as they become more adjusted to life in the tank, they'll venture up into the water column to grab food.

[Michael Wolfe]

Frozen foods (thawed out) and a little current

[JasonL]

If you can't consistently provide frozen or live foods to darters then I wouldn't recommend keeping them.

[L Link]

This is an update on my post from October...I have acquired a large male fantail darter, which I initially gave live foods, but now am able to feed flake foods. He mostly takes the flakes only if they are in motion and on the bottom, so it's a good thing I've got some current in the tank. At this point, he get's quite excited along with the other fish in the tank when the flakes are put in, and actively cruises the bottom in search for any that get past the minnows

[olaf]

Banded, Johnny and Rainbow darters in my tank all take flake (just some sort of Tetra flakes probably meant for tropicals). Most of them will swim almost all the way up to the surface to grab it. I always feed frozen bloodworms and/or brine shrimp at the same time, and the flake was originally intended to keep the topminnows and fathead minnows busy while the meat sank to the darters. Now everyone eats everything.

[Fleendar the Magnificent]

Never have had any luck getting any specie of darter to take flake foods. Only frozen bloodworms, live fish fry, Mysis shrimp and snails.