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Feeding Cockle.

Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 12:50 pm
by Adam
Watch out for this one if you feed Cockle to your zebras.

I feed cockle to my zebras twice a week and as usual they were given a feed last night just before lights out.

While checking the tank this morning I noticed that a large male had managed to get a piece of cockle stuck on his gill plate and was looking quite distressed. I managed to catch him and remove the cockle and he seemed to be ok as he immediately went into hiding.

For those of you who feed cockle it might be an idea to cut it up first before feeding it to your zebras. It may well have been a freak accident but I'm not taking any chances.

Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:06 pm
by Tristan
Hi Adam, yep, i always chop up cockle for the smaller fish as i am not too sire how good their teeth are. Scobinancistrus and royal plecs have fairly formidable gnashers and can deal with the tough cockles but smaller fish do tend to struggle. I only learnt this when i say a cory with some beef heart sticking out of its operculum, i thought it was a gill plate or something, quite a relief afterwards.

Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 9:22 pm
by Des
Adam,
Hi.
I have never fed cockle but find that all my fish never have any trouble with (the large green lipped new zealand) mussel. They chew on all the soft bits and I remove the remainder the next morning(or evening).
I however a couple of weeks ago, had a cory that managed to get a whiteworm stuck in it gill cover. After removing the whiteworm it was as right as rain.
Des. :lol:

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 3:21 pm
by Adam
Des,

I got some of the large green lipped new zealand mussels at the weekend and the zebras seem to like it. The piece that I put in for them was well chewed by the next morning. I'm still feeding the cockle but it's now cut into small pieces.

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 5:59 pm
by DANthirty
Does any body here feed mussels to there fish, as i have put several inn in the past but they dont seem to touch it ?

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:45 pm
by Adam
Dan,

I've just started feeding mussel and my zebras have taken to it straight away, perhaps it's because they are use to the cockles I feed them. My zebras get a predominantly meaty diet, I am trying to change this but they just will not have anything else.

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 8:52 pm
by Rodrigo
I usually feed my zebras with mussels.
Previously I open the live mussel in boiling water and cut the two sides of it, removing the hard parts.
Tying it in a stone I put it in the aquarium.
The next moorning I remove not eating mussel.
It has lots of proteins but, on the contrary, much phosphate too.
Bye.