apisto cacatuoides let food sit?

[Drewsuf82]

Hey everyone!

Still pretty new to these beautiful fish and they're healthy and enjoying the tank but I've noticed they will go nuts when I feed them and then they'll spit it out and let it sit on the bottom only to find a few hours later they're eating it? Is this normal behavior? I've never seen fish do this before. After its sat for a while I'll watch them and they'll eat and swallow it no problem at all. I just don't want any issues with potentially fouling my water parameters by leaving food for the MTS snails I have in there with them.

Thanks!

Oh here's a pic of my boy

And one of my ladies

 

[Mike Wise]

Apistos are geophagines. Like species of Geophagus they sift food from the substrate, so it's a normal behavior. My guess is that you use dry foods (flakes & pellets) for the most part. Apistos aren't especially interested in these food when put in the tank. Live and frozen foods are normally taken right away.

 

[Drewsuf82]

Apistos are geophagines. Like species of Geophagus they sift food from the substrate, so it's a normal behavior. My guess is that you use dry foods (flakes & pellets) for the most part. Apistos aren't especially interested in these food when put in the tank. Live and frozen foods are normally taken right away.

Thanks I want to feed them a mix of live and dry, I mix my own dry food so I'm trying to figure out what they like and then I'll come up with a ratio. I breed cherry shrimp too so they will be getting the color culls since some said they like them. I'm going to be starting brine shrimp soon and always have micro worms at the ready for fry. I did notice the blood worms they let sit for an hour or so before eating those as well.