food trap

I've used my new feeding station/fish trap a few times now, very pleased with it. This was the best I could do for pictures, when I gave kuhlis one cooked pea, halved. While the tank was dark for medication.

So these images are poor- reflections from pictures across the room and such. There are a few things I would do different if I make another such trap someday- I think I overdid it on the flow holes, and I'd want to be more careful making them so the edges are very smooth. The kuhlis got a few scratches going in/out the first few times, they go kind of crazy looking for the exit hole at first and can't quite find it until calm down a little.

Also I accidentally got the soldering iron too close to the side once and it melted slightly, which made a curved shallow dent. It just looks funny.

Here's a barb on the outside behind the trap, two black kuhlis inside. The one on the right is slightly thin- see how the body is narrower behind the head. I found two other benefits to using the food trap- besides getting extra food to the fish I want to favor. The barbs get hungry smelling food they can't reach, and then they go off and pick hair algae off the plants. And I can actually see how much the kuhlis eat. Even the two striped kuhlis finally entered the trap to eat peas. They're feeling much better now- very active again. One pea half would be enough for all of them, I see. Two shrimp pellets are plenty and they absolutely stuff themselves- probably one of those would be sufficient as well. Betta micropellets on the other hand, they easily eat several of those apiece.

I didn't expect this, but the cherry barbs seem to be in better health after the round of levamisol. Someone told me on the forums that it boots their immune system. A few of my barbs- especially the two biggest males- have flat pale patches on their bodies (not fuzzy), and some of the females on the top of the head. It really shows in the blue moonlight. I've been thinking to dose them with an anti-fungal (which might mean pulling certain fish to put in QT) but after the levamisol the white patches are smaller and on some fish gone altogether.