Hunger strike sturgeon

[theponderer]

Hard to believe these fellas are the same age! 15" and 9". The big one can't eat enough and the small is refusing to eat pellets. Seems to be surviving on what he finds on the pond wall.

[torma13]

I'm a bit nervous about giving my opinion on this as I am no expert. I am prepared to be shot down
I originally got 2 Siberian sturgeon at around 8inches (yes I know better now) 1 grew like nothing I'd ever seen and got named Dyson, the other , by now named Tiddles, did not eat or grow at all. I mean not at all. I had her out of the pond several times but she always became ill when I did that and I had to put her back into the pond. Good advice on here she was too small for a 6,000 gallon pond.
After 18months during a blanket weed explosion (my pond does this periodically) Dyson started to be motionless on the bottom, eventually rolling onto his back and staying there. Pulled him out he was 32inches long, my BD was blocked, water parameters shit. I lost Dyson.
Tiddles then started to thrive! and now 5 years later is just under 4 feet long

It could be the same thing, whatever that was, that is happening with your 2. The only difference I can see is that Tiddles was uniformly small, as in all in proportion, and your small one is big at the head and then very thin in the body. If I'm honest I think your bigger one looks slightly thin in the body.
But then I have a diamond with nitrite poisoning so ...............wtfai to give an opinion

[theponderer]

That's some really good info! In september I had the smaller one in a 400l pond feeding him bloodworm to build him up as it was all he would eat. I mixed bloodworm with pellets, made bloodworm/pellet paste but he just ate the bloodworm. I had to close that little pond and tbh didn't have the time to molly coddle the fish so he went in the main pond.

With your info torma13 I am hopeful at this moment. After reading your thread (to do with nitrite I think) I did wonder who Tiddles was. Now I know.

Really frustrating that he can't just eat like the others. Sounds sad but I don't think he'll see winter out.

[mel]

Hi all

I,ve a post on here re my sterlet will try and find it .....

[mel]

I'm a bit nervous about giving my opinion on this as I am no expert. I am prepared to be shot down
I originally got 2 Siberian sturgeon at around 8inches (yes I know better now) 1 grew like nothing I'd ever seen and got named Dyson, the other , by now named Tiddles, did not eat or grow at all. I mean not at all. I had her out of the pond several times but she always became ill when I did that and I had to put her back into the pond. Good advice on here she was too small for a 6,000 gallon pond.
After 18months during a blanket weed explosion (my pond does this periodically) Dyson started to be motionless on the bottom, eventually rolling onto his back and staying there. Pulled him out he was 32inches long, my BD was blocked, water parameters shit. I lost Dyson.
Tiddles then started to thrive! and now 5 years later is just under 4 feet long

It could be the same thing, whatever that was, that is happening with your 2. The only difference I can see is that Tiddles was uniformly small, as in all in proportion, and your small one is big at the head and then very thin in the body. If I'm honest I think your bigger one looks slightly thin in the body.
But then I have a diamond with nitrite poisoning so ...............wtfai to give an opinion

You are an experienced pond keeper and a valued member of the pond life forum your opinion helps everyone we are all learning with sturgeon

[mel]

Hi all

I,ve a post on here re my sterlet will try and find it .....

Found it ...............viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5051&hilit=sterlet+wasteing+away


Worth a read and plenty of in putt from the members .

Best wishes let us know how you get on

[theponderer]

You are an experienced pond keeper and a valued member of the pond life forum your opinion helps everyone

Damn right!

[theponderer]

Found it ...............viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5051&hilit=sterlet+wasteing+away

One of the reasons I joined up! I read your thread with great interest in September. Sometimes you have to let nature take its course when you have done all you can.

[theponderer]

If I'm honest I think your bigger one looks slightly thin in the body.

Yes the bigger one could be bigger Torma13. I feed at 1am via auto feeder so the carp don't steal the food. I might increase that to twice a night. I feed during the day also using a length of 28mm poly pipe to get the food down to him.

[theponderer]

Well it's about 8 months since I last measured my sturgeon. Little one still on hunger strike (pellets anyway) and the big diamond is now 24" exactly. I got a new addition early Spring a Sterlet and he has now put on loads of weight since being in the shop. He is half inch shorter than the big diamond. Both diamonds are the same age and a very good example of how feeding/eating properly has a massive impact on growth. The little one spends his time hunting for tiny fly larvae that exist on the pond walls. I didn't think he'd out last the Winter let alone the Summer. Hideously Underweight. Sorry about the poor image it was the best of 6 taken hurriedly.