Seed Eating in Hypancistrus

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 30 Dec 2005, 13:09

I read in DATZ that H.inspector was found by Armbruster (2002) to feed seasonally on seeds.

As an experiment i added some pumpkin seeds to my tank, and they were instantly accepted by Hypancistrus L262.

I know that due to the quantity of fat and protein, it's probably not a good idea to feed this on a regular basis, but once a week perhaps?

It's been mentioned before in this thread, but i wonder if anyone can add to this?

http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... ight=seeds

I would be interested to hear from people who have tried this, or think this a bad idea!

Thanks.

Yann · Post by **Yann** » 30 Dec 2005, 14:10

Hi!

Very interesting and glad to hear it.Would be interesting to see how it would work with other genus.
The seed being very rich it could make a nice way to fat up a group in a breeding purpose... that could be a good experiment as well

It would also be very nice to witness how the Hypancistrus actually open the shell, or did you open it before putting in the tank...

Cheers
Yann

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 30 Dec 2005, 14:48

I presume they've been shelled or hulled already at the factory. The seeds are surrounded by a thin fibrous husk though, which the fish easily chew through.

Only the Hypancistrus and Farlowella

were seen to eat them. The Panaque and Leporancanthicus were not seen to eat them.

The nutritional content on the packet is....

Protein 19%
Carb 14%
fat 46% (saturated 7%)
fibre 5%

Cattleya · Post by **Cattleya** » 30 Dec 2005, 14:56

Hi

are pumpkin seeds not too big?
lg Udo

bronzefry · Post by **bronzefry** » 30 Dec 2005, 15:08

Would pre-soaking the seeds help? How about making a bit of a paste and mixing it into other food? I'm trying to think of how the seeds would actually get to the fish in nature.
Amanda

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 30 Dec 2005, 16:03

are pumpkin seeds not too big?

No, I don't think so. They are only 10mm long and the fish just graze on them. They don't eat them whole.

Would pre-soaking the seeds help?

They didn't seem to have any problems with them, and they probably soften up a bit overnight.

I'm trying to think of how the seeds would actually get to the fish in nature.

I think the seeds would probably reach the fish in a variety of states. I doubt the fish are that fussy

It's worth just leaving them in the tank to see when if they do prefer them though. Mine have been in about 20 hours and they are still browsing on them.

kkorotev · Post by **kkorotev** » 30 Dec 2005, 16:22

I was very surprised to learn my Hypancistrus like rabbit food. Alfalfa and Corn are the two main ingredients. Seeds and buds are all ground up and forced out a press in the form of little "pellets". There are many varieties, but I stick to the cheapest "un-fortified" variety in the bin at the local pet store. Heck...there may even be pumpkin sees in it!

Kevin Korotev
Milwaukee, WI, USA

Kana3 · Post by **Kana3** » 31 Dec 2005, 07:28

I'd recommend you keep to seeds packaged for consumption, not for planting. Being a farmers son, I'd be concerned about the latter being treated with chemicals to keep insects at bay. The concentration would be far higher than on the skin of a Supermarket Mango.

powerfulpumpkins · Post by **powerfulpumpkins** » 31 Dec 2005, 19:10

I was so interested in this thread I had to join Planet catfish to post a reply.
You will note from my screen name I have an interest in Pumpkins. A number of years ago now I developed a cure for tapeworms in fish using of all things Pumpkin seeds.
I kept Discus at the time and was convinced a couple had worms and so using a Discus forum I found out the treatment was a product called Praziquantel which isnt easily available in the UK. I work with plants for a living and using herb books I did some experiments with my Discus having done some research into Marrow seeds which the herb book stated had been used for generations as an Anthelmintic which is worm removing in humans. I pushed this further by using it on fish but because Pumpkins seeds are more easily available but also in the Curcurbit family I used them. I powdered the seeds and blended them in frozen fish food. The results were amazing within hours a Discus passed three tapeworms. Later I used it to treat a floating Discus which also passed a worm on treating.
The active ingredient of curcubit seeds is Curcubitin which is an amino acid.
I suggest you check out my website http://members.aol.com/powerfulpumpkins
As my Plec collection has increased recently I was only thinking today of putting seeds in with my plecs-and then I saw this post. Knowing at times wild caught plecs can have types of worms I saw it as a natural progression of the seeds use.
Hope this helps

PP

Azmeaiel · Post by **Azmeaiel** » 01 Jan 2006, 06:15

Great work Pumpkin. Does the treatment also work for the much more troublesome roundworm camallanus though?

I was also wondering about the ancistrus preference for fruits (zuccini/cucumber/beans) rather than your aquarium plants, Do fruits dropped from the canopy of streamside trees make up a part of most loricards diets in the wild?

powerfulpumpkins · Post by **powerfulpumpkins** » 01 Jan 2006, 12:44

Must hold my hands up and say I dont know about that as the only experience I had was with tapeworms. A problem with some other worms-such as Capillaria atleast in Discus is you dont tend to notice the problem until they stop feeding and by then its to late to get pumpkin seed dosed food into them as I have no idea if the curcubitin chemical would travel in water.
If people are feeding with pumpkin seeds look on tapeworm control as an added bonus.

PP

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 01 Jan 2006, 14:08

Do fruits dropped from the canopy of streamside trees make up a part of most loricards diets in the wild?

Yes i'm sure it does in some species.

I was also wondering about the ancistrus preference for fruits (zuccini/cucumber/beans) rather than your aquarium plants

I think this is because there's more nutrition in the fruits of a plant rather than it's leaves.

Also, Thanks for the info powerfulpumpkins. Very interesting stuff!

Jon · Post by **Jon** » 01 Jan 2006, 19:57

I've had good reception with eggplant, mango, and other fruits.

Boots n all · Post by **Boots n all** » 01 Jan 2006, 20:54

H.Inspectors eating any veggie would shock me, mine wont eat alge or any plant based foods but having seen this l will try again, are those seeds in the photo dried? most seeds are dried using salt at best so l would pre soak also.
Feeding seeds to our other plecos is something that most of us do when we feed zuccini does any one here know what the composition of these seed are compared to the pumkin?

powerfulpumpkins · Post by **powerfulpumpkins** » 01 Jan 2006, 22:46

Zuccinni or Courgette to give its other often used name are immature vegetable marrows so the likelyhood is they do not contain the same amount of fats etc along with Curcubitin which as I suggested has worm removing properties. Pumpkin seeds come from mature plants.

PP

njfishguy · Post by **njfishguy** » 03 Apr 2006, 22:22

In reading this thread, I began to wonder about acorns... At this time of year in the Northeastern US, acorns that fell last fall are starting the rooting process. They are about the size and shape of pecans and as they shed their shells, they expose two large lobes of woody flesh. I think the trees they fell from are the "Poplar Oak" variety.

Does anyone know if panaques or other plecos would eat them? Does anyone know what benefits or detriments they might have?
Finally, does anyone have an opinion on the need for boiling them before feeding?

Jim

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 04 Apr 2006, 09:53

I know that Pigs and Pleco's aren't the same, before you say anything... But I've read that pigs get indigestion of some sort if they eat too many acorns... They are also VERY bitter (try some yourself)... Nutritionally, I think they would make good food tho'.

--
Mats

djw66 · Post by **djw66** » 04 Apr 2006, 21:28

powerfulpumpkins wrote:Zuccinni or Courgette to give its other often used name are immature vegetable marrows so the likelyhood is they do not contain the same amount of fats etc along with Curcubitin which as I suggested has worm removing properties. Pumpkin seeds come from mature plants.

PP

PP,

I've been using fresh garlic with WC fish in quarantine for many years, and have seen loricaria pass intestinal worms within a few days to a week or so. Garlic is well known as an immunity strengthener.

I'm wondering if adding ground, or in some cases whole, pumpkinseeds with garlic would add to the benefit? Your opinion?

Dave

Seed Eating in Hypancistrus

Seed Eating in Hypancistrus

pleco

how about acorns