Feeding Mid Dwelling Fish

[Jack]

I have been preparing to get a mid dwelling schooling fish and was wondering how to feed a mid dwelling schooling fish. I have seed some foods like the Sera O-nip tabs but was wondering how to control how much food the fish ate so they didn't overeat. Is there any sinking foods for mid dwelling fish?

 

Thank You!

Edited September 11, 2020 by Jack

[KBOzzie59]

What kind of fish and what are they competing with?

[Jack]

A male betta fish would be in the tank to along with a Pigmy Corydora

[Ben Ellison]

I use frozen brine shrimp and they seem to work

[Nataku]

So when I have piglets that like to outcompete other levels of fish for food I usually break up how the food is delivered.

In my tank with rainbows, I just drop their food in and not a bit of it makes it to the ground - but they'd do the same to the sinking pellets or other food I feed the corydoras if I did that. So, I just have a length of pvc pipe that goes in the tank to the floor of the tank. Drop food into tube. Food sinks inside tube where rainbows can't  see it or get to it. Lift tube slight and there it is, all sitting nicely on the bottom for the corydoras to come eat. The rainbows don't really seem to recognize its food when its already sitting on the bottom. I imagine the same tric could work for mid level fish, just hold the end of the pipe where you want it in the water column and drop food in. If you have a betta that only stays at the top, that's  and easy way to get the food past him without him trying to pig out in it. Although... betta are usualy smart enough and food motivated enough to figure that trick out after a bit. Have you ever considered teaching him to go into a breeder box for feeding time? I've had to do that with a couple bettas in community tanks over the years.

For mid level fish I'd find a food that sinks but not super fast. Vibra bites would probably be my main go to. I love how it floats for just a bit and then sinks slowly,  giving plenty of hang time in the water column for fish to go after it.

[Jack]

Thank You!

 

[RyanR]

Bug Bites Tropical works great.  The sink very slowly and sometimes hang around mid level in the current.

[Aquatic Journal]

Most mid dwelling schooling fish will come to the surface to eat. I feed my tetras flake food and fluval bug bites! As long as you use a quality enough food that they can smell once it hits the surface you should be fine!

[Ben Ellison]

I use a pipet with frozen brine shrimp and submerge it to get it lower in the column.

[Ben_RF]

In tanks where the water circulation is pretty good, often I like to add freeze dried or frozen daphnia to the mix.  They are light enough to be carried around in the current.  If you are using a HOB, then often the HOB will push the freeze dried daphnia down and it will eventually float back up for a good while.