Pierced Soul Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 Got a Bullrout a week or so ago (maybe longer ago my memory fails me). He's in a tank by himself with a few guppies for food...er for friends. Nevertheless He hasnt even made an attempt at eating. I know he'll eat when he gets hungry enough, but has anyone ahd experience with keeping this fish and what did you feed them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Morelia Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 I had one i caught myself, for about 4 weeks, and it loved mealworms, in fact it even started coming to the surface to be fed, and then it just keeled over for no apparent reason. it was about 15cm. What size is yours ? you might need to try mini-mealies. I don't think i'd feed them mealies all the time though, but it might be what you need to get him feeding at first. They're certainly an interesting aquarium fish aren't they ? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benn Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 What size is your bullrout? I got a bullrout around 2 months ago now and he was about 6cm. Try and get the smallest size feeders you can source, or look for the largest live brine shrimp, even though they are small, he will just keep munching on them. Mine was also picky the first week or two I had him, but now, I get up each morning to find that another couple of feeder fish are missing in action. At the moment I am getting different type of small barbs as my feeders.HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierced Soul Posted June 14, 2004 Author Share Posted June 14, 2004 He's actually quite large, about 15-20cms. Comparitively the guppies actually look very small for his mouth I knew they didnt move much but jeez.... I'll leave in the morning, come home at night and it looks like he hasnt moved laziest fish ever.... ok i know thats how they are but it's still interesting. My friend actually picked him up for me, and he reckons the bullrout went really skitz when they put it in a bucket.... so different to how he is now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E4G13M4N Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 Bullrouts dont move much and at that size would be better off having at least 5cm uncoloured goldies.. Ambush feeder so if the guppys are hanging out round the surface he is not likely to have ago at them with goldfish the ones i have had would just sit and wait till one swam close enough to grab they would never chase anything for a feed.. As for mealies a few now and then may be alright but not very filling for one that size.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierced Soul Posted June 14, 2004 Author Share Posted June 14, 2004 yeah I thought the guppies on the surface may be the prob, but they ignore him and actually go swimming down the bottom looking for food. Whadda 6ya reckon bout gambusia as food? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E4G13M4N Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 Gambusia is about the same as feeding guppys, they would have to basically swim into his mouth. I have only fed the ones i had with goldies shrimps, and small clawless yabbies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierced Soul Posted June 15, 2004 Author Share Posted June 15, 2004 are goldies dumber and swim lower in the water column? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducksta Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 I dont know that they are "dumber" but they do swim lower in the water column, guppies, gambusia, all livebearers in fact are surface feeders, and spend most of their time hovering about the surface. Active predators, like cichlids, will chase a fish at the surface, but ambush predators, like the bullrout, wont really rise to take anything. Being "lazy", they also dont expend as much energy so dont need to eat as much, or as often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaz1986 Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 i rang the place where you bought it... they feed silver perch pellets- they sink infront of them, and then they eat them... Maybe try sinking cichlid food... or go to kenthurst fish and filters ($4/Kg)... silver perch food is a good staple for the larger americans too... especially at that price Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierced Soul Posted June 16, 2004 Author Share Posted June 16, 2004 I may try the cichlid society pellets. I rang the place, and the girl there said they fed them shrimp and gambusia, though she admitted they didnt seem to eat very much and wasnt sure if they even ate the live foods they threw in the tanks with them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspector rex Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 How big do they grow? and has any one train them to accept chunks of beef? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspector rex Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 How big do they grow? and has any one train them to accept chunks of beef? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaz1986 Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 you can train them to accept anything that they thinks moves... i have even seen them being fed spaghetti before.... you could wobble a beef heart strip infront of them too i would imagine.... but you have to start young... if they get hooked on live food... then you have no chance of switching them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaz1986 Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 BTW... the place where you bought it is owned and run by a man called Rob, his only farm hand is a man called dave... if it was a female who answered the phone it was probably his 16y.o daughter... who comes in occasionally to check out the farm hand- dave I would be trusting Rob... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierced Soul Posted June 17, 2004 Author Share Posted June 17, 2004 ahhhh ok, that would explain why she wasnt too sure what they ate I dropped a pellet right in front of him last night. he didnt move. interestingly, the guppies (who are starving) where actually tentaively picking at this pellet which was literally 5cm in front of the bullrout. twas quite a funny sight cos they were hungry yet scared of this guy. hunger won out and they ate the pellet and survived Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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