# Rummynose Tetra: What to feed?



## motifone (Nov 21, 2004)

I've added some Rummynose to my tank last night. Seem healthy, actively swimming and nice red noses. They don't seem particulaty in love with the flake food. I've broken it up but they spit it out.

Is this pretty typical of new fihs in general, adapting to taste? What do you feed yours?

thanks


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## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

I started of feeding mine the same flake food (Omega One) the the LFS used. I've since supplemented with Hikari flake and micro pellets. Occasionally I feed them frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp. I had more problems getting my Cardinals acclimated to new food than my Rummies.


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## trenac (Feb 15, 2004)

I would give the fish a few days to adapt to your tank, Rummynoses are sensitive and easily stressed, sometimes it takes them a few days to start to eat. Mine except all types food: frozen, flake, pellets etc.


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

trenac said it... they're a little touchy, but worth it once they settle in! mine have always accepted every type of food after a couple of days break in time... interestingly, my mother's new discus (got it tuesday) was eating frozen beefheart and sinking pellets on the second day, and colored up like nothing i've ever seen. I had expected it to be finnicky for the first week or so. so it goes...

Oqsy


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## motifone (Nov 21, 2004)

good information to know, thanks

the rummies have been schooling nicely and the red is quite strong on all their noses. not bad from petco. the angels in my tank have lost interest chasing them/trying to eat them, which is cool. i will still eventually probably parr down my angel population (4 in the tank now), to allow for more fish like cardinals, congos, corys, etc.


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## trenac (Feb 15, 2004)

Sounds good, the redder the nose the less stressed they are.


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## WolverineFan (Dec 15, 2004)

Hi motifone, Do you currently have Congo's in with cardinals? My experience is that this is not a good mix. The Congo's can be pretty aggressive. Same goes for Congo's and rummynose's.


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## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

WolverineFan said:


> Hi motifone, Do you currently have Congo's in with cardinals? My experience is that this is not a good mix. The Congo's can be pretty aggressive. Same goes for Congo's and rummynose's.


I've had Congos (6), Cardinals (14) and Rummynose (8) Tetras in my 40 since March. If anything, the Congos have been the most timid of the three. Even when they're spawning they're not agressive (which means the Cardinals and Rummynose get a fresh caviar meal).


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

Mine are not agressive eaters, some mornings they come to the top to feed and other mornings they stay mid tank and catch the leftovers or they are not interested at all. I have noticed the get really red if I give them live brine shrimp from the LFS, but I don't do that to much because of the bacteria that you might get with LBS. They are great indicators for water quality or the general heath of your tank, every time I've every put something in the water that shouldn't be there, their color lets me know.


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## trenac (Feb 15, 2004)

My Rummynose Tetras are very timid eaters and peaceful toward other fish, however they do chase each other.


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## WolverineFan (Dec 15, 2004)

I am lucky enough to have an lfs that is really on the ball. The owner is maybe the second most knowledgeable I've ever met. He brings in cardinals and rummy noses 2000 at a time and ends up with less than 5% losses. His supplier down in Florida treats them somehow as soon as he gets them in. Out of the tap our water Ph is 8.2-8.6 and very hard to boot. I have lost one rummy nose and no cardinals since I began buying from him. They are never shy and are very aggressive eaters.


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## motifone (Nov 21, 2004)

I only lost 1 of my 5 rummynoses that I bought from Petco of all places. I bought them over 3 weeks ago and the death occured when I was gone on vacation for two weeks -- so, all in all, not bad.

I have noticed they are still touchy about the food now and then, spitting it out. I use Wardley flakes and break it up. They must be eating something as they are healthy, active, with bright red noses.

Wolverine, no Congos Tetras in the mix yet. Just Angels and the Rummies. There was a little aggression at first from the Angels toward the Rummies, but that has passed. I still have not ruled out swapping out my Angels for Congos -- because I want to add shrimp and Cardinals (which I think will fall prey to the Angels). As bharada pointed out, Congos played nicely in his mix. Who knows, sometimes it's the luck of the draw.


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## eums (Sep 16, 2004)

my rummy nose's like diapha(go crazy for it), tubifex worms and blood worms. 
they get those every few days and mostly eat flake food with the rest of the tank.


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## shalu (Jan 16, 2003)

My Congo never bothered Rummynose or Cardinals either.


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

I put 8 rummynose in my 75 gallon with 2 Angels and 6 Congo's about 2 weeks ago... not a problem to be had. The rummynose would not eat anything I gave them for the first week, now they eat everything I give them.
A great schooling fish... of course its the "safety in numbers" rule in my tank... :icon_bigg


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## motifone (Nov 21, 2004)

as an aside

any of you keeping cherry or amano shrimp with your congos? are the congos eating them, if so?


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## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

No problems with Congos and Cherry Shrimp here. Even baby shrimp small enough to be eaten are left alone, but the really tiny ones (1-2mm) stay hidden in the plants and don't venture out into the open until they're around 5mm.


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## motifone (Nov 21, 2004)

good to hear, bharada


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## Georgiadawgger (Apr 23, 2004)

My congos and cardinals will eat just about anything they can fit in their mouth now...the first couple of days they were timid, but now they eat right out of my forceps when I give them frozen foods (mysis shrimp, brine, blood worms, etc). Fat little buggers!!


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