Oh no! Do I need to exchange my fish?

[turtle10]

So I have had my three goldfish for almost a month now, and everything is going great. They are eating their Mazuri, growing, and staying active. I am also saving up for a filter to complete the 550 gph that they need. My only concern is that I might have to exchange my telescope for a different fish. I noticed under the goldfish compatibility thread that Orandas should not mix with telescopes, which is exactly my situation; I have two orandas and a telescope. The orandas do move faster and are more active than the telescope, and they do get to their food faster. I love my little telescope but would it be best for him if I exchanged him? I worry that he doesn't get enough food. Although what concerns me with that is that if they let me buy him with an oranda they might let someone else get him with an oranda, putting him in the same situation he already was (or worse). I am willing to do what is best for him but I can't afford to get him his own tank.
 

[Lolafish]

My opinion is, keep your babies.      For now, just watch to make sure everyone gets enough to eat, even if it means trying to coax the smaller/slower fish to one side, whilst keeping the others on the other side.  Feeding them on opposite ends, example.

I like to feed gel food because the fish can consume it rather quickly, and I can make sure everyone gets a bite or two or three.  With pellets sometimes, one fish will hog them all, while another one might prefer to suck on one pellet at a time.  The gel food breaks down quickly and they can eat it quickly, giving time for everyone to eat.

Unless the whole situation is too stressful for you.  Do what your heart tells you. I'm sure you've become attached to your tele by now.  But yes, in a perfect world, some varieties just go better with certain others to make the playing field level.

[turtle10]

Hmm I do feed gel food, but it seems that by the time the little guy comes around it is already gone. In the past few days I have been trying something new that I hope will help. After reading articles of goldfish having good memories, I decided to feed them in the exact same spot everyday. I have a small, very shallow ceramic tart dish that put at the bottom of the tank, and when I feed them I put the food in the bowl so it doesn't go between the river rocks and also so it is easier to see. The problem is, it really helps the orandas as well so the little tele is still lacking. I do see him get a bite and sometimes a second, but he is still very slow to get to the dish. The orandas find it within 10-15 seconds but it can take him like 25 or more. I have ended up overfeeding the orandas sometimes just so the tele can eat. I have some live plants in there so I know he isn't starving, but he is tiny and I want him to get enough protein to grow normally. Would it be too stressful to put him in his own container every day or every other day so I can be sure he is getting enough?

[JG]

If it were me... and it were my fish... no, I would not move him.

It stresses fish to move them. Being moved constantly, basically every day so he can eat, would be a problem.

In the past, I've been able to train other fish to a certain place in the tank. I am feeding a tank of fish right now that belonged to a friend who has passed on, and in that tank I feed the main occupants at the surface, and then place food in a different place in the tank (sinking food) so that the other occupants of that tank can eat. Personally I would never have put these species together but it was done by someone else and now it's my responsibility to see that all get enough to eat. It seems to be working very well: what was once thin fish, all sucked up in the belly and hunched in the back, are now very fat fish. So I know this strategy can work in certain circumstances.

If this does not work for you, what about getting a smaller, separate tank for this one fish? Perhaps to set by your desk or somewhere else special?

[turtle10]

I can't afford another set up right now, I have to save up for their new filter as it is. I can't feed them surface food because they gulp up so much air trying to get the food. I will try to train them, hopefully it works. He doesn't seem skinny though, he has the same roundness as the orandas, he is just about half an inch smaller.

[zookey]

I had a telescope (black more) with a mixed up batch of fish (one was an oranda, one was a "fantail" that kinda grew a wen, a couple Ryukins)  The More did just fine.  He was slower, but he also learned to hand feed easily.  I would hold the gel food in the water and when the rest of the piglets would try to steal his portion I wold just turn my hand to discourage them and block them from the food. 

You could adapt this practice to keeping the orandas busy with your gelfood dropped in the tank and hold food in the water for the telescope....

I would definately not move him daily for feeding, as JR said it is very stressful to get caught and moved.  You could use something to separate the fish from each other and feed them on separate sides of the tank, removing the divider when the tele has eaten his share.  Just an idea!

Good luck with your babies!!

[turtle10]

I figured something out! I had part of a siphon that was just the tube not the larger plastic part. I cut it so it is about 1.5 feet long. I hold the tube in the water, aiming the end near the telescope. I drop small pieces of gel food in and it sinks down slow enough that I can aim it to fall right in front of it (still can't tell if it's a boy or a girl). I have even used it to drop a tiny piece right of front of the snail so he could get some before the goldies finished it.

Sort of off topic, I have noticed the lighter colored scales on my goldies have gotten shinier and more vibrant, but it doesn't look like velvet. Do you think it is just their coloring improving after being fed Mazuri for a few weeks? I have no idea what the lfs fed them.

[Lolafish]

I figured something out! I had part of a siphon that was just the tube not the larger plastic part. I cut it so it is about 1.5 feet long. I hold the tube in the water, aiming the end near the telescope. I drop small pieces of gel food in and it sinks down slow enough that I can aim it to fall right in front of it (still can't tell if it's a boy or a girl). I have even used it to drop a tiny piece right of front of the snail so he could get some before the goldies finished it.

There ya go! Where there's a will, there's a way.   :clap:

[bumblebee]

Since getting a new fish tank is not an option, what I would suggest is that in order to ensure that your telescope gets enough food, try to reduce the feeding size/amount but increase the frequency of feeding. Thus this would mean there's higher chance for the fish to end up getting the share of foods. Don't worry too much because in the past, I had a collection of common goldfish (fast swimmers) and long fin veiltail as well, and they are doing just fine.