# diverting fish off of feeder minnows to healthier foods.. HELP!



## ChuckRum (Sep 11, 2010)

recently got 2x 2.5" peaocock bass and a 3" Datnoid at big als about 3 weeks ago. both the datnoid and the bass were fed on feeders only and i know this isnt too healthy for them. ive tried mysis shrimp, bloodworms, NLS pellets and dead mealworms and they dont even go near it. one baby peacock occasionally picks up a blood worm and spits it out immediately. 

what can i do to try and get my fish to eat one of these other foods? 

i would really like to feed them mealworms, cause i know these will getem growing real quick.


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## ryno1974 (Dec 6, 2009)

Just leave them on live food but pick the most appropriate food for them. Live is OK, as long as you are using healthy fish and feeding them fish they would naturally eat in the wild.


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## xr8dride (Feb 24, 2009)

Having kept predator fish myself I have found that weening them off the live food is next to impossible without almost starving them. Reduce their feedings over time, til the live food is almost just a treat...in between feedings try supplementing the live food with your next food of choice, be patient tho....this could take a long time!


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## bcarlos (Nov 19, 2009)

Datnoids are notoriously difficult to wean off feeders. IME, it helps to have them with groups of their own kind or other predatory fish, as all it takes is one to try the new food, and the others usually follow suit. 

Mealworms/Super worms are very easy to switch to provided they are of course live and moving. I would recommend starving for a few days before trying the switch. If the fish do not take it the first time, remove the food, and try again the next day. Be patient, and do not cave in. If your fish are healthy, they can go weeks without food should they have to.


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

It's not always possible with datnoids as I known a few cases in which the datnoid just refused to eat pellets until it starved to death. As bcarlos said, they are notoriously stubborn. Like he said, there's cases where they will follow suit if you have a group of them and even one starts to eat the pellets the rest may attempt to as well. 

You can try superworms. They sell those at most LFS especially the chinese ones. I would really be suprised if they won't eat live superworms.

Be resiliant and show them who's boss!


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## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

*first step*
You can slowly convert them to take frozen by killling your feeder goldfish and then drop it into the tank. If they take it, GREAT! If not, try it again when your fish are hungry.

*second step*
If they have a habit of taking dead / frozen fish, then slowly convert them into other frozen fish such as frozen smelt (defroze it first)

*third step*
After the fish got use to the frozen food, you can stuff pellets into your defrozed fish. Usually, the fish will consume the pellet along with your defrozed dead fish without any problem.

*forth step*
After the fishes are fat and healthy, then starve them a couple of days. Drop in Massivore sinking pellet (it have a very strong smell for predator fish) and usually they will just take it. If they don't, and they are starting to get thin after a few days of starvation, repeat third step. Then try again when they are fat and healthy.


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## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

or you can follow this person's method! If he can do it! You can too!



http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33661


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Whats so hard about keeping live fish around? Keep one tank for a breeding pair of Convicts, and you should have a nearly endless supply of feeder fish.

The feeder fish are unhealthy because of how poorly they are treated in the retail and wholesale supply process. So you grow your own.



W


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## taillight (May 19, 2009)

go get some earth worms,(Bass pro. bait shop)clean and dry them. not from your yard.(pesticides) cut them into 1 inch chunks and feed them to your bass. at first i used a needle nose tong, and waived the worms around infront of the bass. now that they know what they are, i just drop them into the tank. mine dont eat the meal/super worms. wont go near them, but i read you need to crack them in half and let the bass taste the inside, then they will eat them. i havent tried it yet. mine love freeze dried plankton, plus different dry pellets, i weaned my nile pearch off of live, on to worms and that is all he willl eat(worms and live) i very rarely feed live. i find if i feed live for a few days, the tank gets aggressive, everyone is in hunt mode


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## ryno1974 (Dec 6, 2009)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> Whats so hard about keeping live fish around? Keep one tank for a breeding pair of Convicts, and you should have a nearly endless supply of feeder fish.
> 
> The feeder fish are unhealthy because of how poorly they are treated in the retail and wholesale supply process. So you grow your own.
> 
> ...


Agreed, but I now have a hundred convicts, and my RBP have "friends" in their tank with them that they refuse to eat


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## ChuckRum (Sep 11, 2010)

bigfishy said:


> *first step*
> You can slowly convert them to take frozen by killling your feeder goldfish and then drop it into the tank. If they take it, GREAT! If not, try it again when your fish are hungry.
> 
> *second step*
> ...


i must thank you once again sir, my pbass eat dead minnows from my hand at the surface as soon as i pop em in, hopefully they wont even notice if i switch for some frozen smelt .. any ideas on what exactly minnow sized smelt would be called at thw grocery store?


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

I think they're called silversides if I remember correctly


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## ChuckRum (Sep 11, 2010)

gucci17 said:


> I think they're called silversides if I remember correctly


great thanks a bunch man


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## ChuckRum (Sep 11, 2010)

bigfishy said:


> *first step*
> You can slowly convert them to take frozen by killling your feeder goldfish and then drop it into the tank. If they take it, GREAT! If not, try it again when your fish are hungry.
> 
> *second step*
> ...


they eat dead minnows, and i got my datnoid onto strictly smelts but my peacocks spit them out AH!


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## vinjo (Dec 8, 2010)

People on the MFK forums have reported using fish oil on pellets and other dryed food working wonders on switching off from live foods.


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

If you cant get them of of live you can set up an old tank in the coldest room in the house, buy you minnows at the bait shop. I get a huge bag for 11.99. also I buy earthworms there. hope this helps.


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