my clarkii won't let my nem eat...

[maxheadroom]

what should i do? every time i feed my nem, the clarkii is all over the food and eventually pulls it away from the nem. Any suggestions?

 

[Sk8r]

THat's a clarkii for you. Don't panic. The nem partially eats light [the algae in its tissues photosynthesizes and helps feed it] and also continually sucks in small bits floating in the water: fish poo is perfectly nutritious, and forms a large part of the diet. THe fish won't generally allow large potentially rotting things to sit on his nem.

 

[Arati]

I feed my nem by placing a Silverside over its oral cavity and gently letting the nem take it. I then keep my hand or the net, kinda over the Nem to keep my femal clarki back till the fish is 1/2 swallowed or more. It takes about 5 min. I dont think she would take the silverside, but she always crashes into the nem hard when my hands been in the tank, and I dont want her to mess him up eating.