Rope Fish eatin issue

[G.Moore]

Hey all

Wanted a quick bit of advice if anyone has some thaughts. We recently got a ropefish around 12 inches or so. Have been dropping in blood worm and the odd earth worm but he doesn't seem to notice food in the same way other fish do... just swims right past it without even a sniff! Perhaps he needs some time to find it but by then the other community fish have eaten it... doh, suggestions / thaughts?

thanks in advance

[Stan193]

Might take time if you have only just got it, I think they like the company of other ropefish/reedfish as well so might be more at home with some more of their own kind. You could try live bloodworms then when it starts eating those try frozen. I have 3 of reedfish, I got the first one by itself and it just used to hide away but I got 2 more and they spend a lot of the time swimming about and playing in the jet from the filter. Mine eat hikari lionhead pellets and frozen bloodworm no problem. I bought a 12" fire eel one time that wouldn't eat for the first month or so, think i got it going on bloodworm then eathworms and prawns, once it got going it was a greedy pig and ate from my hand, if I put my hand in without food it used to bite my hand instead lol.
Where are you from? I saw some of these in paws for thought in Leeds yesterday upto 12" and they were only £4.95.

[Mikeysm]

Ropefish are realy dozey fish and find they're food by using they're sense of smell. Iv found mine eats a lot better if I drop the bloodworm in just before I go to bed and all the lights are off.

Gives him a much better chance of finding the food before the other fish as he has better smell than them when its dark

[daftlassieEmma]

as above

try feeding them at night, that way they'll get a chance without loads of other fish all rushing for a nibble - never known of a shy ropefish myself but it's possible all the other fish just put it off

[oddball8]

ropefish do best in groups i had a group of about 12 in withg polypterus and all fed on prawns.

[Esfa]

mine just kind of headbutt the sand and hope they've got some bloodworm... they're not the most accurate of feeders haha.

Try feeding all the other fish at one end of the tank and then put the bloodworms in the other.

[G.Moore]

Thanks all for the input, from what you have said and some more info I dug up seems dropping the food in before bed is a safe bet. I baught some prawns today and broke them into small enough bits, he sniffed and bit at one but hasnt eaten as of yet. Perhaps he will eat the bits over night... also ordered some sinking foods I hear they might eat.

Im based in Derby and annoyingly my local stockist is world of water nottingham, so another hours drive tomorow toget him a play mate for 12.99 >.<

Also its not that he is shy, swims around plenty, jsut doesn't seem to want to eat. But again thanks for the info and hopefully he will be munching in no time.

Also awesome on the fire eel! funny enough my fire eel ate like made from day one, still a tad shy though

[LDP]

I used to put some bloodworm in a glass bottle and sink it to the bottom of the tank. Non of the fish in my tank were slim enough to fit through the bottle neck and the reedfish could swim in and out for a meal at its leisure.

I think once they get used to being alone they don't tolerate there own kind.

[G.Moore]

that bottle idea isnt bad, shall give that a try thanks and yea I have also read that after being alone they get territorial... but its only been a few days so shall see. thanks

[G.Moore]

thaughr Id add he finally started eating earthworms from my hands today Only thing he will eat and only when i dangle them in his face lol, but happy enough!

thanks all