On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 12:27:53 -0800, "LM" wrote:

Hi,

I have 4 SAE's in the tank. they're all very active and healthy, but they
are such hogs, they're starting to look like they're carrying small balloons
in their belly (meaning, very fat.. sort of a fish-version of waddling).

I've tried reducing food.. then they're so fast ,they'll eat all the other
fish's share and other fish ended up starving. also, when I reduce food,
they start eating my Amazon sword and Java ferns, so they start looking like
strings (only the hard veins are left on the Amazons, and the ferns are
nibbled to the stump)

so.. to protect the plant, I end up giving the more food, and they continue
to get fat.

I dont' knwo what to do. I know it's unhealthy, but if I don't feed them
enough, they starve the other fish and eat all the plants while they
continue to get fat. also, they're starting to harass other smaller fish
(chain loachs) and I'm afraid they're going to end up as their snack
someday...

any thoughts? may be I should trade in 2 out of the 4 with some other
not-so-voracious fish?

linda


Hi Linda,

I have 8 SAEs in a 75 gallon community tank which includes 3 Plecos
and 6 Clown Loaches. I also have 3 SAEs in a 29 gallon community
tank and 1 SAE in a 10 gallon community tank. I feed all my fish
flake food. After almost 2 years only problem happened when I tried
cutting back on the food by going from 2 feedings a day to one. I
noticed by annubias leaves were getting lacy. I went back to feeding
twice and the plants are recovering. I am pretty sure the SAEs were
doing it. My 12 SAEs are about 3 inches. I can't say their stomachs
ballon, but definitely are full.

I use air in all my tanks, the flake food disperses quickly. I put in
large helpings so food is available throughout the tank rather
quickly. All the fishes, large and small get a pretty good shot. In
the 75 gallon some of the smaller fish stay away from the heavy food
concentration and wait for the current to bring food to them.

dick