Scleromystax barbatus juveniles - feeding enough?

[edds]

I have recently got some Scleromystax barbatus. They're currently in quarantine and eating well but they still seem to have pretty flat stomachs. They're not looking unhealthy IMO but I thought I was spoiling them with granular food and chopped bloodworm and was expecting nice round bellies.

But now I'm beginning to wonder if Scleromystax ever get that and I should be happy with how they currently look. The biggest are between 4 and 5cm long, the smallest a little over 2.5cm.

In the photo above the one under the one hovering off the bottom facing right is the most rotund and one of only a few that has a convex belly at all. The rest are all flat, none look concave to me and a worry.

As juveniles should I be feeding more often so they are grazing regularly instead of 2 bigger feeds a day?

[bekateen]

They look great to me. Unless you start losing any, I wouldn't change what you're doing. You can feed them more often if you want, but then you need to stay on top of water changes more.

If you can get live blackworms, which don't drown and will live in the sand, get some and add to the tank. That will allow your fish to "graze" at their leisure.

Good luck,
Eric

[edds]

Thanks Eric. I am doing 50% water changes daily so have been feeding (what I thought was) fairly heavily. Will try feeding smaller amounts more regularly over Christmas and see if that helps. Never seen live black worms for sale over here but will keep an eye out.
Thank you.

[bekateen]

Never seen live black worms for sale over here but will keep an eye out.
Thank you.

Michael Kirkham cultures them. He's in the middle of England, I believe. If you don't know him, check with members of the CSG or look him up on Facebook.

Cheers, Eric