3 replies to this topic

[rcb]

So what have others found for food for johnny darters? It spits out most bloodworms, brine and seems to ignore snails. Sometimes it looks like its eating but I can't see it actually eat anything. I see ours seem to lunge at things but nothing I can see with my eyes. Its growing and still alive after 2 months so I assume its getting sustenance but I'd like to know I'm giving it the best I can. Others places have said bloodworms but it spits them out if it happens to eat one. Any insight is appreciated.

Edited by rcb, 20 November 2018 - 09:07 AM.

[Fleendar the Magnificent]

Interesting. My darters ravage bloodworms and Mysis shrimp without hesitation, however, I have banded, rainbow and fantail darters. If you haven't tried Mysis shrimp, you might give that a try as well as blackworms and grindal worms. They also might like finely chopped up nightcrawlers, but you're going to have to get icky doing that.

That said, darters can be and tend to be finicky eaters. They prefer live meals but after they get hungry enough will *usually* take frozen worms and shrimp. It took about 3 days to get my darters to take the bloodworms and Mysis shrimp. Now they wait for me at the front of the tank and swim up to me to take the food.

 

Hope you can get them eating better!

[rcb]

Thanks! My banded darter is a pig and eats everything in site except brine shrimp. My wife says he's going to turn into a little football. He was pretty small when we first got the banded but has grown a half inch at least. I did get to see the johnny eat a couple brine shrimp last night. I am trying to find a source locally for blackworms hoping that might be more to its liking.

 

I'll see if I can't get some mysis shrimp. The local pet stores are somewhat limited on frozen foods, or anything fish related at all.

Edited by rcb, 21 November 2018 - 11:56 AM.

[Fleendar the Magnificent]

Try the Mysis shrimp if you can get it. You'll need to go to more diverse pet "oriented" stores to get the frozen stuff. Your typical Wal-Mart, Meijer, Kroger and other chain-type stores will not carry these items. Ours here in central Ohio do not, but we have a Pets Supply Plus store right around the corner from the Meijer and they carry the bloodworms and frozen Mysis. Right now I am trying to hatch brine shrimp, but it takes longer to hatch when the water is 69 F.

 

As for the banded darters, they're fairly easy to get to take frozen foods. Mine destroy bloodworms and Mysis. Here's a few photos of mine and one of my rainbow darters. The rainbows, like my fantail are fairly unsociable grouches and don't like cameras. They come front and center of the tank when I feed them, but as soon as they see a camera, POOF, they disappear. I had to sneak in this shot of the rainbow.

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