# Live feeder for 8" Rhom



## Whall Banner (Nov 25, 2004)

Right guys I know feeders are bad for our fish, but I never feed my rhom feeders and now I want to see some action and hopefully record it to share with you guys.

To get the best aggression out of my Rhom and to ensure he busts up the feeder quickly when the misses and kids have gone to bed, how long do you think I should starve my Rhom for?


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## oscar119 (Nov 26, 2005)

Starve him for like a week and then stick your hand in there to see if he takes the bait..









J/K honestly though there are other ways to get it to show aggression..


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## ITsPennywise (May 26, 2005)

Well you know what I'm gonna say...I would say...starve him from a week and a half to 2 weeks...since he is living by himself...you can afford to starve him for 2 weeks...I've always wanted to do that with my reds/caribe...but I know if I did...I'd have some dead P's on my hands.


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## kingsnar (Nov 17, 2005)

starving for that long will mess with your bio chemistry


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## Whall Banner (Nov 25, 2004)

((( J2 ))) said:


> Well you know what I'm gonna say...I would say...starve him from a week and a half to 2 weeks...since he is living by himself...you can afford to starve him for 2 weeks...I've always wanted to do that with my reds/caribe...but I know if I did...I'd have some dead P's on my hands.


Thanks J2 I'll give it a try.


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## ITsPennywise (May 26, 2005)

Whall Banner said:


> Well you know what I'm gonna say...I would say...starve him from a week and a half to 2 weeks...since he is living by himself...you can afford to starve him for 2 weeks...I've always wanted to do that with my reds/caribe...but I know if I did...I'd have some dead P's on my hands.


Thanks J2 I'll give it a try.
[/quote]

No problem...and if you are filiming this...I can't wait to see it.


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

No need to starve your Rhom - it's questionable he will go after a feeder immedeately anyways if he hasn't seen one before, regardless of how long he was starved. When not being fed live foods for a long time, piranha's usually need some time to regain their instinctive senses.

Starving to get a piranha to eat non-live foods is a good practice (if the situation requires such drastic measures), but intentionally starving a fish to just make it eat live foods is border-line cruelty imo. (as it's completely needless, and thus serves no real purpose).


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## Whall Banner (Nov 25, 2004)

Judazzz said:


> No need to starve your Rhom - it's questionable he will go after a feeder immedeately anyways if he hasn't seen one before, regardless of how long he was starved. When not being fed live foods for a long time, piranha's usually need some time to regain their instinctive senses.
> 
> Starving to get a piranha to eat non-live foods is a good practice (if the situation requires such drastic measures), but intentionally starving a fish to just make it eat live foods is border-line cruelty imo. (as it's completely needless, and thus serves no real purpose).


I know what your saying Jud, but the mrs and kids would go nuts if they woke up in the morning and found a feeder in tank. Thats why I want to make sure he eats its quickly.

I'm not really giving him the feeder to make him aggressive, I mean, this fella constantly tries to attack anything that moves through the glass and is really interactive. I just wanna see him hunt something and take live prey.


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Whall Banner said:


> No need to starve your Rhom - it's questionable he will go after a feeder immedeately anyways if he hasn't seen one before, regardless of how long he was starved. When not being fed live foods for a long time, piranha's usually need some time to regain their instinctive senses.
> 
> Starving to get a piranha to eat non-live foods is a good practice (if the situation requires such drastic measures), but intentionally starving a fish to just make it eat live foods is border-line cruelty imo. (as it's completely needless, and thus serves no real purpose).


I know what your saying Jud, but the mrs and kids would go nuts if they woke up in the morning and found a feeder in tank. Thats why I want to make sure he eats its quickly.

I'm not really giving him the feeder to make him aggressive, I mean, this fella constantly tries to attack anything that moves through the glass and is really interactive. I just wanna see him hunt something and take live prey.
[/quote]
LOL, gotta spare the kids and the misses, huh?









Ok, in that case I'd put him on a diet indeed: but I think 5-7 days would be more than enough. But maybe it's an idea to start of with small tetra's or barbs (fish he can swallow in one bite, which means no left-overs or traumatized relatives







), so your Rhom figure out that tank mates are actually tasty chew toys - maybe he'll attack larger fish instantly too once he got the hang of it...


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## C0Rey (Jan 7, 2006)

Judazzz said:


> No need to starve your Rhom - it's questionable he will go after a feeder immedeately anyways if he hasn't seen one before, regardless of how long he was starved. When not being fed live foods for a long time, piranha's usually need some time to regain their instinctive senses.
> 
> Starving to get a piranha to eat non-live foods is a good practice (if the situation requires such drastic measures), but intentionally starving a fish to just make it eat live foods is border-line cruelty imo. (as it's completely needless, and thus serves no real purpose).


I know what your saying Jud, but the mrs and kids would go nuts if they woke up in the morning and found a feeder in tank. Thats why I want to make sure he eats its quickly.

I'm not really giving him the feeder to make him aggressive, I mean, this fella constantly tries to attack anything that moves through the glass and is really interactive. I just wanna see him hunt something and take live prey.
[/quote]
LOL, gotta spare the kids and the misses, huh?








Ok, in that case I'd put him on a diet indeed: but I think 5-7 days would be more than enough. But maybe it's an idea to start of with small tetra's or barbs (fish he can swallow in one bite, which means no left-overs or traumatized relatives







), so your Rhom figure out that tank mates are actually tasty chew toys - maybe he'll attack larger fish instantly too once he got the hang of it...
[/quote]

i have to agree with judazz. Dont starve him..


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## Whall Banner (Nov 25, 2004)

C0Rey said:


> No need to starve your Rhom - it's questionable he will go after a feeder immedeately anyways if he hasn't seen one before, regardless of how long he was starved. When not being fed live foods for a long time, piranha's usually need some time to regain their instinctive senses.
> 
> Starving to get a piranha to eat non-live foods is a good practice (if the situation requires such drastic measures), but intentionally starving a fish to just make it eat live foods is border-line cruelty imo. (as it's completely needless, and thus serves no real purpose).


I know what your saying Jud, but the mrs and kids would go nuts if they woke up in the morning and found a feeder in tank. Thats why I want to make sure he eats its quickly.

I'm not really giving him the feeder to make him aggressive, I mean, this fella constantly tries to attack anything that moves through the glass and is really interactive. I just wanna see him hunt something and take live prey.
[/quote]
LOL, gotta spare the kids and the misses, huh?:laugh: 
Ok, in that case I'd put him on a diet indeed: but I think 5-7 days would be more than enough. But maybe it's an idea to start of with small tetra's or barbs (fish he can swallow in one bite, which means no left-overs or traumatized relatives







), so your Rhom figure out that tank mates are actually tasty chew toys - maybe he'll attack larger fish instantly too once he got the hang of it...
[/quote]

i have to agree with judazz. Dont starve him..
[/quote]
Cheers Jud, good point. Giving him smaller fish will also mean I can introduce more feeders, which in turn means more action


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## Pyri (May 26, 2005)

I have never, ever have to starve piranha before feeder. Every single time it will take about 10 seconds and feeder is gone. Even if I have feed piranha with frozen food *at same day*.

I think it's more important that piranha feels himself secure and comfortable so he doesn't have to scare for himself. If you understand what I mean...

How big is your fish? I think tetras can be to fast for it. I would rather give a small and clumsy goldfish or something like that.

WB, dont forget to take it on tape


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## Whall Banner (Nov 25, 2004)

Pyri said:


> I have never, ever have to starve piranha before feeder. Every single time it will take about 10 seconds and feeder is gone. Even if I have feed piranha with frozen food *at same day*.
> 
> I think it's more important that piranha feels himself secure and comfortable so he doesn't have to scare for himself. If you understand what I mean...
> 
> ...


My Rhom is 8" and I was considering the goldfish (like you said "slow & Clumsy). I know the goldfish is not healthy but I don't feed my Rhom feeders, so I won't be making a habbit of it.

Interesting view and thanks for the reply.


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## Pyri (May 26, 2005)

One goldfish wont kill it


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## 33truballa33 (Oct 18, 2004)

there is a difference between starving and "prepping for a feeder".. with starving to get on non live foods you can go weeks without having the piranha eat. but with "prepping for a feeder" you just go off of your feeding schedule. if you feed daily then wait like 3 days prior to feeding. if you feed 2 times a week wait till the end of the week and do the feeding.

you are not in essence starving the fish but making it want food a bit more than its accustomed to so that when food is introduced it is taken quickly and aggressively which in most cases is what occurs. and u can do bigger fish. i have owned a rhom around 6 inches and the one i have now is just shy of 14 inches.. they can take big bites and dispose of fish taht are quite large. mostly depends on their appetite. worse case u have a net and can just remove the remainding scraps


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## ITsPennywise (May 26, 2005)

Just so you know...when I say starve a piranha for a week n half to 2 weeks...Technically...Its really not starving them...In the wild...they only eat about every 2 weeks or so...That's their normal diet...which is why they're so damn aggresive when anything is thrown into the amazon as food, or when an injured fish/animal appears.

Some of you may think its cruel...but in reality...its normal. I think its cruel that a lot of people on here feed their Piranhas daily and they look obese as hell...Now that's cruel.


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## Pyri (May 26, 2005)

((( J2 ))) said:


> Just so you know...when I say starve a piranha for a week n half to 2 weeks...Technically...Its really not starving them...In the wild...they only eat about every 2 weeks or so...That's their normal diet...which is why they're so damn aggresive when anything is thrown into the amazon as food, or when an injured fish/animal appears.
> 
> Some of you may think its cruel...but in reality...its normal. I think its cruel that a lot of people on here feed their Piranhas daily and they look obese as hell...Now that's cruel.


In the matter of fact I disagree with you. Rivers are full of dead and living fish and piranhas get food daily EXCEPT when comes a dryseason and water is lowering. Piranhas gets stuck in small ponds and when food is running out, then comes piranhas important skill to survive long periods without food. Dryseason is caimans festivals so piranhas have another problem as well...


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## ITsPennywise (May 26, 2005)

Pyri said:


> Just so you know...when I say starve a piranha for a week n half to 2 weeks...Technically...Its really not starving them...In the wild...they only eat about every 2 weeks or so...That's their normal diet...which is why they're so damn aggresive when anything is thrown into the amazon as food, or when an injured fish/animal appears.
> 
> Some of you may think its cruel...but in reality...its normal. I think its cruel that a lot of people on here feed their Piranhas daily and they look obese as hell...Now that's cruel.


In the matter of fact I disagree with you. Rivers are full of dead and living fish and piranhas get food daily EXCEPT when comes a dryseason and water is lowering. Piranhas gets stuck in small ponds and when food is running out, then comes piranhas important skill to survive long periods without food. Dryseason is caimans festivals so piranhas have another problem as well...
[/quote]
Where are you getting your information from? From what I have read and seen...in the wild Piranhas only eat every 1 to 2 weeks. Not only has it been stated numerous times on this site...from Mods and the likes...but it was also on a documentary I watched on DVD.


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## 33truballa33 (Oct 18, 2004)

on wolves in the water i swear they were eating every 3 minutes


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## ITsPennywise (May 26, 2005)

33truballa33 said:


> on wolves in the water i swear they were eating every 3 minutes












Well yeah...that's what they show...just for some action...But I'm pretty sure in that documentary...they said it was common for piranhas to go weeks without food.


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## Whall Banner (Nov 25, 2004)

I still havn't fed him yet and I'm not going to until next week end when I introduce a large goldfish.

From the dvd I've seen "Piranha Adventure", it seems that Serras prefer to spend most of the time grazing on fins and tails. Unlike the Pygo's, maybe a Rhom's appetite just aint as large?

Saying that, the fella that does the documentry calls a Sanchezi a "Pointed Nose Piranha" or something along that line.

Anyway time will tell. I'll try and record this for you's but my tank is very dimly lit and even when dimly lit, my Rhom prefers to eat with the light off. I'll give it a go though.


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## Ex0dus (Jun 29, 2005)

Im telling the mrs
















Try danios. In my experience those are the stupidest fish (is that possible? lol). I say that because it seemed they swam to my irritans face, sat there and just begged to be eaten







In one evening my irritans destroyed my entire stock of danios. Yet i have lost no blk neons and only 1 blk skirt tetra.


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## Whall Banner (Nov 25, 2004)

[quote name='Ex0dus' date='Feb 10 2006, 06:12 PM' post='1360821']
Im telling the mrs :nod:


















Cheers Exodus. I'm not sure what Danios are?


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Danio's (and Rasbora's) are small tropical Barbs: lively little fish, and a good choice as an occasional feeder. They do contain Thiaminase, the growth-inhibiting enzyme, but if you feed these fish sparcely, it is no cause for concern.

Here's a picture of the Zebra Danio:


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## Ex0dus (Jun 29, 2005)

They are extremly fast little fish, always active. Yet they were somehow deciimated the 1st evening introduced to my 135. Later on I learned they wernt SA fish so I guess my irritans did me a favor by not having to catch them to remove them.


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