Sherm wrote:

If I were to dump a whole container of food into his tank (10g until he
grows a bit more) he would probably eat it in 20 minutes. Voracious is
an understatement with him. I feed him once per day, starting with
Tetra mini pellets, then a few flakes, then some freeze dried blood
worms. I know that you should never feed more than they can eat in a
few minutes, but does this include when he's eating like a starved
lunatic? I put in the food in small amounts, of which he always eats in
about 10 seconds flat. Several small pinches (5-6 at a time) of the
pellets, a couple of flakes, then a few bloodworms at a time. Although
sometimes he slows down during the bloodworms, he usually is clamoring
for more when I end the feeding.
YOU'LL CLOUD THE TANK VERY VERY FAST, AND BE CHANGING THE FILTER A LOT!

PLUS UNKNOWN DESISAS WILL BE ADDED B/C OF THE FDB. WHITCH GIVES OFF A LOT OF
JUNK IN THE FIRST PLACE, I'D STICK TO THE PELLETS.UNLESS HE DOSEN'T EAT
THEM, THEN FEED HIM THE FDB.

The tank hasn't ever clouded in the slighest, and the gravel gets
regular cleanings. The filter media normally gets changed once a month.
He'd probably gobble down a cheeseburger if I threw it in there

Question 5: In a case like this, how much is too much?
IF YOU OVER FEED, HE WILL BECOME BLOATED, AND GET SWIM BLADDER DESIAS, AS

YOU CAN IMAGIN, THIS IS VERY STRESS FULL AND UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE POOR
FISH.

He has been feed as I listed above for some time, and if anything, he
has gotten MORE active. This is not a choppy stressed active either..
His movements remain very fluid. There has been no sign of bloat
whatsoever. He's healthy, energetic, and full of personality.

When I am cleaning the smaller tanks, it is hard for me to do a proper
cleaning without removing too much water. Specifically, cleaning the
gravel in the 10G is a royal pain. Normally I only get half the gravel
done before I hit the water limit. This is with a manual siphon. Using
a Python is not an option, as I can't get suction running the hose down
a flight of stairs, and the sink on the same level doesn't allow me to
get a good seal to get any suction.
GET A LONGER HOSE, DON'T BE TO LAZY LOL

The hose is long enough.

THe problem is, if I go down one level below the only sink I can get a
solid hookup to, there isn't enough suction to counter gravity and make
water flow upwards.

Question 6: Any recommendations on better ways to clean the gravel? I
ask because this problem may be magnified with the 5g tank coming later
today. Should I look into a lower powered battery operated siphon?
Should I rotate scooping portions of the gravel out and rinsing it? The
10g has a little under 1" of gravel at present, with some areas deeper
than others, thanks to Marty's hole digging and plant rearranging antics.

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE FISH OR SOMETHING? IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A
CICHLID!!
HOLE DIGGING AND PLANT REARRANGING??? WHAT???
NOW I'M LOST! LOL

Marty is the buttikoferi with the huge appetite.