View Full Version : Chinese Perch and live food
rallysb1tch
01-13-2006, 9:49 PM
As some of you already know, rallysman and I recently purchased a Chinese Perch. He/She is about 17 inches long. The only thing it has been fed is live food. I don't think it's healthy for it to eat feeders all the time but it ignores anything that isn't live. I've tried starving it by only putting in non live foods and I've tried soaking the food in garlic. No go. Any other ideas? I'd really like to give it a variety. :confused:
Cyclop3000
01-13-2006, 9:52 PM
Have you guys tried commercial shrimps? Like the ones you buy at your grocery store...I give those to all my fish and they really like them. I just chop them up a bit. Never know might like it...
rallysb1tch
01-13-2006, 9:55 PM
Have you guys tried commercial shrimps? Like the ones you buy at your grocery store...I give those to all my fish and they really like them. I just chop them up a bit. Never know might like it...
Yep. All of our other fish love them and the perch ignores them.
dapike1979
01-13-2006, 10:03 PM
Worms?
rallysb1tch
01-13-2006, 10:05 PM
Worms?
Tried it. He snubbed 'em.
dapike1979
01-13-2006, 10:13 PM
Weird?? His way to fussy for me!! I guess his a newbie in the tank?
rallysb1tch
01-13-2006, 10:30 PM
Weird?? His way to fussy for me!! I guess his a newbie in the tank?
We've had it for about a month.
Try feeding him him some mosquito fish they are live food but at least they are not feeders.chinese perch ONLY eat live food in the wild and are hard or almost impossible to ween onto non live food.
here is a link on some info.
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=28054
Pout
Oddball
01-14-2006, 12:34 AM
I started feeding my chuatsi every other day. For several feedings in a row, it was given gut-loaded shiners. The shiners are dropped in one at a time and always in the same part of the tank. The perch quickly got used to this regimen and waited by the top of the tank for a shiner at that one spot. I dropped in a thawed raw market shrimp at that spot and the perch nailed it and swallowed it. Now, I feed it an alternating diet with gut-loaded shiners one day and market shrimp the next. If it misses the shrimp, it'll ignore it. But, the perch has never spit out a shrimp once it nailed it.
Mahseer
01-14-2006, 12:03 PM
It will take time, but it isn't impossible. The advice Oddball posted is exactly what you need to follow.
ice-dragon
01-14-2006, 12:18 PM
try threading a shrimp thru fishing line and then dangle it infront of the perch. make it look alive and the perch will get the idea. works well for predatory fishes. ;)
redtailfool
01-14-2006, 4:15 PM
starve it. A good sized fish like that ( if healthy ) can go a few weeks at least of not feeding. Just keep on throwing shrimps or silversides in front of it and it will eventually break down.
I have an 16 inch arowana right now thats the same way. Its even worse in fact. This is the only aro ive ever had that doesnt know how to hunt feeder fish ! It only eats worms that i buy from our seller here McGavin. It even ignores california nightcrawler ( except when chopped and soaked in worm juice). Its been fasting for almost a month now and it just ate 4 large pieces of shrimp last night.
I also add this since i think this helped. . . I added salt to the tank last night. It might be a coincidence but theres no harm in trying.
EMERGENCY!!!! my 2INCH CHINESE PERCH.... hasnt ate anything for almost 2 weeks. ive been starving it till it eats market shrimp...... u think itll die on me? the fact that its only 2 inchs and havent ate for almost 2 weeks? i dont want to give it a feeder then i will prolly have to starve it again.
rallysman
03-09-2006, 6:15 AM
I havent had any luck getting mine off of feeders:(
rallysman
03-14-2006, 6:28 AM
UPDATE!!
I got it to take cocktail shrimp last night. I used a fishing line and made it move a lot and he nailed it. I'll keep that up for a while and hopefully he'll start taking it on his own.
JD_MAN
03-14-2006, 7:29 AM
UPDATE!!
I got it to take cocktail shrimp last night. I used a fishing line and made it move a lot and he nailed it. I'll keep that up for a while and hopefully he'll start taking it on his own.
Congrats...Maybe that little guy will start growing :ROFL:
That would be nice not to have to buy all those feeders.
rallysb1tch
03-14-2006, 3:23 PM
try threading a shrimp thru fishing line and then dangle it infront of the perch. make it look alive and the perch will get the idea. works well for predatory fishes. ;)
You know what? Levi did that last night and the perch took it. Woo hoo!