# Guppies won't eat - why?



## tamalematt (Jul 24, 2008)

Hello - I have four guppies, and the three most recent ones I picked up won't eat the flakes that I feed them. They love the blood worms and the chopped/diced peas, but they won't even move for the flakes.

I feed them 'Nutrafin Max - Complete flake food for all tropical fish.' It was the one recommended by the people at Big Al's, and there is even a picture of a guppy on the label!

Can anyone recommend something else? Are there any small sinking pellets that guppies will eat? They seem to like food that goes to the bottom.

THANKS!!!


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

looks like they're just accustomed to some richer food!

they ARE eating, and that's the important part. If you really want to get them on flakes you could try holding off on feeding for 1 - 3 days, then go in with the flakes. that might get them going. it's what I did when my betta wouldn't switch to pellets.

there are sinking pellets of various ingredient you can purchase.

also, are the flakes in small enough pieces for the guppies to eat?


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Welcome to the forum!

If they are new to your tank, they will often not eat for a few reasons. One is that they are stressed from being moved from shop to home, so they will not eat until they are settled into their new homes. Another is that they are not used to your prepared food, and will take a few days getting used to it. Try only feeding the flakes to force them (cause they'll be hungry and have to eat it...kind of like being at a service station on the highway and eating macdonalds). Eventually they will take to it.


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

tamalematt said:


> Can anyone recommend something else? Are there any small sinking pellets that guppies will eat? They seem to like food that goes to the bottom.
> THANKS!!!


There is Hikari Tropical Fancy Guppy but I do not know if it sinks. 
*http://www.hikari.info/tropical/t_01.html*


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

You might want to try Hikari micro pellets. I feed them periodically to my CPDs and they seem to like it because it hangs mid-level, as they do not seem to like surface-feed.


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## Rodzilla (Jul 4, 2008)

I use the Hikari Tropical Fancy Guppy pellets and they eat it right up. It sinks slowly.


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## tamalematt (Jul 24, 2008)

Thank you! I bought the Nutrafin equivalent of the micro pellets and they LOVE it! Took about a minute for them to realize it is food, but after that it was a full-out feeding frenzy.

Thanks again, you guys have been most helpful!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

No problemo, that's what we are here for 

(Oops, I wrote "that's why we WERE here for"....too much writing up methods in thesis proposal...if it's funny, you're a nerd of a certain variety. You know who you are)


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