# What I Call "cave Feeding" Good Way To Feed Pellets



## pakman777 (Mar 11, 2010)

Alright, as you all know, It is best to feed a high quality pellet(hikari, nls) to your p's since high quality pellets offer nutrition needed for growth and coloration. Piranhas in general are skittish fish, but beautiful and elegant at the same time. I have a 4 inch mac in a 55g by himself, who is very aggressive, loves to eat (lol), hates light, likes to hang out by plants, and in a cave that is made with slabs of limestone and other rock. I feed him silversides, raw shrimp, nightcrawlers, hikari cichlid gold pellets, and tilapia (all food soaked in kent zoe)at 9pm every day. I've noticed that he doesn't like to eat pellets when they are floating at the top of the tank and if light is present. I usually drop a few pellets before I go to bed (lights out in room and aquarium) and ill wake up in the morning to discover that my p ate a few pellets (like 1-3 hikari cichlid gold mini pellets). I made a cave like structure out of slabs of rock (2 horizontal, 1 vertical slab for support and balance). 
So what I do is;
1.) Turn the lights on in the aquarium (my p usually hangs out by the plants in the dark, but immediately seeks shelter in the cave when the lights are on)
2.) Wait about 10 minutes so my p gets used to the light (by this time he is in the cave chillin)
3.) With my handy tong (http://www.bizrate.com/fish-supplies/aquarium-plant-tank-aquariums/) I place 2 pellets at a time at the top of the cave
4.) He eats the pellets and I keep doing this until he stops (about 14-16 mini kikari cichlid gold pellets)

Ill post a video of the whole process very shortly.


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

Cool but wouldnt it just be easier to buy sinking pellets?


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## JP3778 (Jan 7, 2010)

I use Nutrafin sinking pellets on my reds. Soak em for a few mins to soften them and feed. Have my reds 2 weeks and they'll eat anything i put in...

Nice to see your setup...pics or vid soon?

JP


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## pakman777 (Mar 11, 2010)

Ive tried sinking pellets, but they create too much mess and are a [email protected]#$h to clean up, check out the video





heres another one


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## HGI (Oct 27, 2009)

Wow, if my piranha stayed in a cave like that 24/7 I would tear it down so quick.... I love how my P's have barley anywhere to hide, took a month but now they always swimming upto the glass to see what's going on. And they also enjoy watching t.v


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## pakman777 (Mar 11, 2010)

HGI said:


> Wow, if my piranha stayed in a cave like that 24/7 I would tear it down so quick.... I love how my P's have barley anywhere to hide, took a month but now they always swimming upto the glass to see what's going on. And they also enjoy watching t.v


Haha, good one. Tell you what, post a video of your ps watching tv and Ill post a video of my p lifting weights. Even though my mac has a place to chill in (less stress)he still attacks the glass everytime I put my finger near it and I can actually feed him with tongs (as you can see in the 1st video i posted that my p tries to eat the pellets from the tongs). So Ill post another video of my mac attacking the glass and eating from tongs and you can do the same, make sure your ps are watching the Simpsons lol.


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## HGI (Oct 27, 2009)

I so would just to prove it to you, but the gf lost her camra I bought her for Christmas and I lost the charger for mine during the move across the island :S

I used to feed mine sinking pellets but when I went to pick up more pellets for them I grab floating ones by mistake and they didn't have a problem adapting to them, it's just my bigger rescued one doesn't gasp the concept of going to the surface for the food.


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## pakman777 (Mar 11, 2010)

HGI said:


> I so would just to prove it to you, but the gf lost her camra I bought her for Christmas and I lost the charger for mine during the move across the island :S
> 
> I used to feed mine sinking pellets but when I went to pick up more pellets for them I grab floating ones by mistake and they didn't have a problem adapting to them, it's just my bigger rescued one doesn't gasp the concept of going to the surface for the food.


That would be awesome if you can post a vid. I've tried sinking pellets but leftover pellets get all soggy and its a pain to clean up as they break apart and stuff. Thats why I stick to floating and put them on top of the cave, just my own preference


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## Soul Assassin (Nov 21, 2006)

im pretty sure limestone raises the PH


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## THE BLACK PIRANHA (Dec 8, 2003)

My mac eats sinking pellets but he is 6" + and is very active and does not like to hide. But thats a nice little trick you have tought him.


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