Loaches Online Forum

Our new sidthimunkis are (of course) very cute -- took them all of about 2 minutes to look happy in the q-tank (great color -- much better than in fish store, and very active) We have the Aquaclear 70 set up above the water level so there is a nice waterfall into the tank (and they can't swim into it, either) and they are so funny playing in the current!

A couple of them are REALLY skinny -- length but no width at all behind their heads. They seem to be happily eating as much as the others (and they are all enthusiastic eaters!!! Even for loaches!) I have read about "intensive feeding" but am not sure what thet means? I am trying to feed them 3 times a day as they are so small and active, a lot of daphnia, but today they were even scarfing down bloodworms that were nearly as big as they are! How do you fatten up skinny fish?

After some debate we are treating for ich first, they will get the levimasole after the ich treatment is done.

Try 5 times per day.
Keep rotating the foods.
Treating with Levamisol will help, in case they have worms.

Bloodworm works well for skinny sid's but also try white and black midge larvae which can also be got as frozen food and sid's love the stuff even more than the bloodworm, it is also a good idea to alternate dried and live foods and a couple of very good dried foods for sid's are Hikari micro pellets and Hikari micro wafers.

Live food does tend to bulk them up but can be digested very quickly whereas the dried food tends to take longer to digest and this helps a lot because of the fact that sid's are so active.

Thanks for the tips.

We lost one last night Sad. I was really thinking we could fatten him up!

Will keep trying with the other....