Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Well, I dont know whats going on with these guys, but I have 11 medium to larger size barras from golden ponds last week, my tank temperature is about 28 degrees celcius and its been over a week since I picked them up and they still wont feed, any tips or tricks to get them started, there active no doubt about that, I have the 6mm pellets supplied by golden ponds, I crush some and let them sink and lets some others float but the fish compleltey ignore them

Ideas

Hi Simso,

Mine have only just started feeding yesterday for the first time since I picked them up 2 Weds ago. My water temp is 22 and the stress lines on some have virtually disappeared. Others are still stressed. I fed them earlier today (water temp 20) with a few 4mm pellets to see if they were hungry but they ignored them. I threw a few in late afternoon yesterday when the water temp was about 22 and those that were no longer stressed came and took them from the surface. Not sure why yours are not feeding yet as I assume 28 is optimal but I guess just keep offering a little and see what happens.

Hey guys, I hope you are not circling the tanks like hawks when you throw the food in... Mine are feeding...

What I found was these fishes are very shy and timid fishes... I initially threw the food in and walked away, not feeding...
Threw the food in from a distance, not feeding... BUT since my tank is constantly covered with a tarp and I have remove it to put the food in. I put the food in, cover the tarp and walked away... Seconds later, I heard from in the tank, fishes going at the food. Gulp Gulp sound... and sure enough after a few minutes, open the tank and no food left floating... I use floating pellets...

So conclusion, they don't like being watched... and they can see quite well in the dark... Try putting on the tarp and see...

Well...yes....I can't help but watch just a little bit. They are so fascinating.
How much should I be feeding 18 med sized Barra? A handful?

I think the bigger the fish the longer it takes to settle in a new tank, I got mine at 35mm and they fed 20min after coming out of the bag now 6 weeks later I am feeding 7 or 8 times a day and as soon as I open the covers on the tanks they all dash out toward me waiting to get fed.
Until you now that they are taking the food I would only be offering a small amount at a time (just a pinch) once they start then lift the feeding rate.

Cool, I threw some food in, its floating as well, covered it and walked away, had a peak 30minutes later and not touched, tommorrow Ill check and vacuum the bottom of any uneaten food and keep doing that until they start feeding. May even go to the local worm warm and grab a icecream container full of worms and give em a couple, see if that stimulates there appetite, they dont freak out when I have my hand in the tank, in fact there curious and swim sideays up to my hand and just glide by, have even managed to have them slide through my hands with no spack attack, however drop a small stone out of the plant containers I have in there and look out they go ballistic

I went through this last year with Large barra from golden ponds.Try cutting up some mulies and throwing them in from a distance or where they cant see you.
Took quite a few weeks (3-4) for them to settle in.

The constant increase in water temp over the past week could be keeping them stressed. Stop fiddling with the water temp, toss a small amount (milk container lid full) of food in each day and leave them be, they will eat eventually.

Sticking a vacuum in there every day will also be stressing them out, stop doing that as well, you need a fair bit of food build up for it to get bad, and the amount of food I suggested above won't do it.

The barra at school are feeding cautiously on food as it sinks, theyu won't take it from the top and don't like you hanging around over them while they feed, you need to stand back and stay still.

Cool, thanks for that, I have no idea on fish, having never even raised a goldfish before, so its all new the aquaponics side. Ive read lots on this forum about not leaving uneaten food in the tank, some even quote that if its not eaten within the hour get it out of the tank as it becomes poisonous. ""so I have no idea how poisonous it can be and how fast it happens""

If you are giving them minimal feed you should be right, increase the feed as soon as they start taking it. If the feed does build up you could vacuum it off once a week if you want but with minimal feeding this should not be necessary. Throw a couple of big goldfish in with the barra and they should keep the tank pretty clean.

What feed are you giving them?

I find it interesting with different fish how they react to people.

The catfish and tilapia in my outdoor tanks are pretty timid and most of them tend to freak out when I open the covers to the tank. If I sneak up and carefully peak under the cover without them noticing they are fun to watch. It is important to note that my outdoor tanks have automatic fish feeders set up so the fish don't associate me with food so much.

The baby tilapia in the aquarium are very interested in me when I walk into the room and never try to hide. They definitely associate me with food since they have never been fed without a person present and they can see out quite well.

Also, the hungrier the fish, the more quickly they will start associating the person feeding them with the food they want. Young fish tend to be far hungrier all the time. I suppose this is part of why young fish are easier to transport. They are too hungry to stay scared and stressed out.

Barra are funny creatures that is for sure. Barra IMHO are surface feeders. I have had these Barra for 10 months, and in the begining they would eat from my hand, but as they got older they grew shy'er.

Even in good water temps, I have found they aren't big eaters first thing in the morning, but as the day goes on, they smash the food with big tail flicks and splashes.

Stand back maybe a meter or 2 and throw the food...liturally to make it splash. They also seem to feed more rapidly when the return water is splashing into the tank, it seems to ge them going from all the splashing.

Any way good luck, keep at it. It could probably pay just to ignore them fora few days, their fat store in the gut is huge.

The problem feeding them pilchards is because it is so high in fat, and it was really hard to ween them of the pilchards in the end onto pellets, but we got there .

What brand of food are you using. ??

Thanks folks, the food Im feeding them is floating pellets as supplied by golden ponds. Will simply do as people say, drop a few onto the surface each day and leave it at that, was just concerned about the old food becoming toxic, but if its safe for a week, then Ill go with that. Nice idea about making the return water break the surface, may put a diversion in the pipework for this to happen.

There definetly not hungry, I found today that one of my larger silver perch about 2 and half inches had accidently wandered through the connection tube between thetwo tanks, didnt think it would be possible but he was in there with the barras who are about 30 times bigger than him, he was hiding amongst the plants and didnt mind me netting him and putting him back, the fact that he was alive I think saids it all

My Barras that I got first ate after about 9 days.
I found that its best to stand back a bit so they cant see you and thow a few pellets at a time in.
Also best late in the day in the last hour of daylight.
Once they start eating I was surpised how long they kept taking the pellets.