Loaches Online Forum

I was dangling a shrimp pellet by the finger trying to get my G. flavatra to eat from my hand when one of my two Schistura cf. balteata came and bit me in the finger: "Don't be an ass, drop the pellet!"

Didn't hurt but for a small fish I really felt it. Reason of happiness is that they have so far been extremely shy and hardly ever seen. So this braveness of biting the hand that feeds is a positive thing.

Can't wait until 13 Sid's hang on my finger

The G. flavatra actually let me touch its head with finger though. And one Rosy loach allways comes and nibbles on fingers, the one hanging with the Pseudomugils.

Similar happened to me. My Y.modesta are vicious buggers and so are my S.robusta, however the prize has to go to my Puntius tambraparniei who physically rip my hand and arm hairs out.

Ive found my B.striata to be quite feisty when I feed by hand-they nip my hand more than they eat the food

My Uaru are nasty little brats aswell when they want to be!


13 sids feeding from hand, now that would be a sight


Ashleigh

So if G. rufa is the doctor fish, the P. tambraparniei must be some sort of pedicure fish.

I hope the Sid's will get braver too, they have had huge progress from what they were. Hopefully the other fish tell them to relax a little

Very nice report Janne, it's an exciting experience, to "get in touch".

I got bite by a S. cf.B. too last week, it jumped about 1/2" out of the water to bite and I was surprised how hard the bite was. Those are the first at food and good hunters.

Some clowns started about 1/2 a year ago, to come to the hand. The 2nd larger one did try to "suck" the finger ones but backed off right away as if noticing a mistake. It was far less than the S.cf.B in strenght. Since that the clowns are very carefull trying to get their food with the barbles only - they do that to the shrimp too (take their worms out of the shrimps claws) - appears very responsible.
Garras come between my fingers, they are almost too careless, others don`t come really that close.

Yes it was exciting, especially when the fish in question was extremely shy before, hardly never seen.

It surprised me too how hard the bite was, fish is only 5cm long. When its fully grown I have to get chain mail glows or something.

Just reminds me, I started try "calling" them for feeding time by a special knocking sequence with my fingertipson the cover, before putting in my fingers - many, including some S.cf.B. (not all, pecking order?) are coming to the top right away. My new Tigers (hymenophysa) are not smart on getting food at all, I actually worry a bit and need to spray masses of bloodworms, so that they get their belly full too. Others are like selfdetecting vacuumcleaners and the tigers get left out, as they don't go to the top to look for food in the plants, like the little and slow fish do. They also don't return to their former Q-tank anymore...

I too do a tapping/drumming at one corner before feeding, they know whats coming or at least most do.