I'm curious how others are able to wean their livestock onto prepared foods. I'm still having trouble getting my Banggai onto frozen anything. The only thing they will eat are live blackworms and/or live copepods. They're pretty lazy about it too. If the blackworms are not in the water column (ie they've fallen to the sandbed/bottom of tank), they won't eat even if they are still alive. If worm is dead, they won't touch. They go crazy for live copepods but don't actively hunt them like my mandarin does. Frozen brine will only solicit one bite at most (at least they aren't spitting it out).
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Weaning Fish off live food
- Thread starter calaxa
- Start date
calaxa - this is not directed in any mean-spirited way towards you. I know you were told yours were captive-bred. But in case anyone just reads this thread and not the other posts - I just wanted to remind everyone:
Buy captive-bred.
Buy tank-raised.
If they are wild-caught, have the LFS keep them in the tank and prove that they eat prepared foods.
Do not buy wild-caught Banggai cardinals - they are endangered.
Now to answer your question - I think you have to stop feeding them the live foods and just keep trying with prepared foods. Try different kinds - chopped shrimp, chopped silversides, chopped clams. Hopefully they will cue on the other fish going nuts (if you have other fish).
Buy captive-bred.
Buy tank-raised.
If they are wild-caught, have the LFS keep them in the tank and prove that they eat prepared foods.
Do not buy wild-caught Banggai cardinals - they are endangered.
Now to answer your question - I think you have to stop feeding them the live foods and just keep trying with prepared foods. Try different kinds - chopped shrimp, chopped silversides, chopped clams. Hopefully they will cue on the other fish going nuts (if you have other fish).
I'm just worried they wil starve. Right now, they haven't gone more than a day without food (I'm also worried blackworms aren't nutritious enough). I'll try to feed only prepared the next few days and see how they fare. I would put up with this if it were a CBB or Moorish Idol but never expected Banggais to be this difficult.
Any other suggestions out there?
Any other suggestions out there?
I've thought about that but wasn't sure if the brine shrimp would actually be filter feeding the liquid garlic and hence, actually have a scent. I stopped feeding black worms 3 days ago because I haven't been to the LFS. Today I put in some frozen spirulina brine and they took more than 1 bite (think 3-5) so it looks promising. I then tried some regular frozen brine and they would go after it, touch with their nose and not bite. At least it looks promising. I did try the chopped shrimp. No interest. Just another reason why captive bred is better. You don't have to frustrate yourself for weeks on end trying to get this supposedly easy fish to eat frozen food. I feel bad for all those people buying this fish and expecting that they will take flake or pellet. Thanks for advice Hawkeye. I think I am seeing a light at the end of this tunnel.