Aquarists, UNITE!!!

[mtolypetsupply]

Tami,
My only advice is, since you are planning to feed them to your snakes:

DO NOT NAME THEM.

It will be very difficult to put "Speckles" or "Floaty" on the menu.

Maybe name them like they named the cows at the farm where I keep my horse- there's Sirloin, Rib-Eye, Filet, and Chuck. Call them Sushi1, Sushi2, etc.

Okay, the only *serious* advice I can give about your areas of concern is the one about the current/filter outflow. I don't know your setup, but its good to provide still areas and fast moving, etc. Some fish like to play in bubbles from an aeration stone, some like to swim against the current, some just chill in the still waters, and some like to experience the wide variety available.

See if you can make some calmer waters with some plants (plastic is fine for this) and see where they pick to hang out. They're basically fine, however, so long as they don't look like a towel in a laundromat washing machine.

If you discover they like calmer waters, use plants and structure to create that. Don't forget hiding spots for the young ones, grass mats, etc.

And fish are weird, you have to go with what they like. I have a loach, reportedly, and morphologically, a bottom feeder. However, he likes to hunt crickets that are *above* the surface, meant for the FireBelly Toad in the viv. No one apparently told him he's supposed to eat the stuff at the bottom. Darn thing launches a good 2-4 inches out of the water.

I have weird animals.

[Garter_Gertie]

A pinch every third day will do fine. Don't over feed. Daily feeding is not necessary.

[infernalis]

A pinch every third day will do fine. Don't over feed. Daily feeding is not necessary.

Someone tell my Oscar that

She sucks down the food, and destroys her tank if I don't give up the groceries!

[jitami]

Thanks again guys!!! They do have calm spots and they really don't seem too stressed by the current, so I think we're ok there. Really, Gertie, not even every day? I already fed them this morning and they didn't eat at all...checked the food out and occasionally put a piece in their mouth before spitting it out. Everything still ok?

Oh, and no names... except maybe the male... he's Purty Boy The girls are all "Little Momma" Am I in trouble? LOL

[Lori P]

Gertie, I feed all my fish twice a day!! Omg, if I tried to cut back to once a day or, heavens forbid, skip a day, they'd jump out and mutiny!! lol Seriously, I've always fed twice a day... but I also do frequent partial water changes.

[jitami]

See, and I read that guppies have high metabolism and can be fed as much as they'll eat in 2 minutes several times a day? I just hope I don't kill Purty Boy & the Little Mommas! LOL

How often do you do water changes Lori? And how much at a time? I was thinking a gallon a week(a little less than 10%)? I could do that twice a week? I could do two gallons once a week? I dunno!!!

[Zephyr]

See, and I read that guppies have high metabolism and can be fed as much as they'll eat in 2 minutes several times a day? I just hope I don't kill Purty Boy & the Little Mommas! LOL

How often do you do water changes Lori? And how much at a time? I was thinking a gallon a week(a little less than 10%)? I could do that twice a week? I could do two gallons once a week? I dunno!!!

Small, frequent water changes encourage growth.
A gallon three times a week will optimize growth with out stressing them too much.

[jitami]

Sweet! Thanks Kyle! Any thoughts on their not eating today?

[Zephyr]

Sweet! Thanks Kyle! Any thoughts on their not eating today?

Probably a little stressed. Or they might want a different food. (Live =best.)

[jitami]

Live... brine shrimp... baby brine shrimp.... something else?
They chowed down on the flake food yesterday.