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ok now I have three pictus cats and I am loving them. Now I need to know what to feed them that they will really like. I was recomended goldfish crumbles but they dont really go nuts I have a feeling they are eating them just because there is nothing else. my cycle is starting I think! I checked my ammonia today and it came out a yellow so I did a 20% water change. The fish are doing well and getting along ok. One of them seems to like to lie on the bottom and then FREAK OUT and then lie in the same spot. is this ok and I am just being overprotective?

I dont know if anyone has told you this but pictus cats arent the best fish to be cycling a tank with, i will be very surprised if they live through the process
If you can i would see if the lfs will look after them for you until the cycle has finished and cycle your tank with something more appropriate like danios or goldfish.

But back to the question, pictus cats ore not known for their fussy eating habbits, generally if it fits in their mouth theyll eat it but i find that they go absolutely nuts over live bloodworms, feed them live or frozen bloodworms at least twice a week and a good quallity pellet food the rest of the time, JMC brand catfish pellets are a particular favourite.

ticklemepunk4739 wrote:Now I need to know what to feed them that they will really like.

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/pi ... 76_f.htm#5

They love frozen bloodworm or brineshrimp BUT if you are cycling the tank with them (ambitious...) then you really do not want to be feeding them much or such foods until the tank is more stable.

Jools

My pim pictus eat just about anything, but their absolute favourite food appears to be cichlid fry.

ok crap. Someone told me on this forum that they would not be a problem to cycle my tank with and they are pretty hardy. I guess they lied. The tank is planted, which from my understanding makes the cycle much less harsh. Also my friend gave me a scoop of gravel from his tank so hopefully my bacteria have gotten a jumpstart and I will be ok. I guess if the fish die I am screwed and I will be really sad because I definitely hate losing fish but I don't think taking them back will be and option. From my understanding the petstore takes them back dead but not alive in case they introduce some sort of disease from my tank to theirs. Should I move them to a smaller tank and hope that one doesnt cycle while I cycle my big tank or will this be pointless and the fish will die no matter what. Should I wait until the cycle really starts then take them out or should I just say good bye to them now and not get attached?

Is the smaller tank an established one? If not, there's no point moving them there as it'll be the same old story.

Well since it seems you are stuck with cycling the tank with the pims in it then all you can do is try and keep them alive, you say your friend gave you some gravel, could this same friend give you a sponge out of their filter? If you can add a filter sponge that has already been colonised by bacteria to your filter then the cycle will be so mild you wont even notice it, more like a bacteria transfusion than a cycle.

If not all you can do is daily water changes of around 10% of the tank volume, it will make the cycle take longer but may keep your fish alive, do not feed your fish at all untill the NITRITES have gone back down to 0 and the NITRATES have started to rise steadily.

thanks for the advice everyone! I think my friend has a much larger filter could I graft some of their filter sponge onto a plastic bit from a filter so it is the right size? I assume that will work as long as I don't let it dry out in the process? Sorry for my ignorance I am just in over my head and I didn't even know it. I am pretty naive about the whole thing and I made a lot of mistakes already. I hope nothing has to suffer because of my dumb ass and I appreciate your help and patience with me.

I think my friend has a much larger filter could I graft some of their filter sponge onto a plastic bit from a filter so it is the right size? I assume that will work as long as I don't let it dry out in the process?

Yeah, that'll work.

yeah i found out that he has a canister but I will get another scoop of gravel and that shoudl do the trick.

well done!

fastest way to cycle tanks is to add bacteria.
I've setup tanks in a few hours, fish and all (sometimes it must be done; busted tanks, calamities, you name it) when push came to shove.

Adding plants, lots of aeriation, 1/4 waterchanges every day or two days AND.....used filtermedium and some gravel or sand from another tanmk.

Of course we have very good quality tapwater here (hard, pH 8, but NO chlorine, NO nitrites etc) so that's a huge asset.

thank you so much for your help. I just needed to hear that I was doing something right. I have had the worst day, my car got broken into and all my 100 cds and my wallet were stolen and my drivers side window is in the parkin lot in piece so needless to say I am glad to hear that my fish won't die on top of everything else