Would it be OK to feed my adult JAG mainly krill he stopped eating pellets

[Damon0306]

Hey guys my adult wildcaught male Jaguar is doing well...

Had a rough start with 1st the damaged shipping box with almost no water, and then a fungus/fin rot tail problem.

But all is well and I just love this FISH..

When I purchased him from Rapps he was pellet trained and eating floating Hikari LARGE-pellets.

At the same time I was feeding him freeze-dried jumbo-krill..

Well he has now decided that he no-longer likes his pellets and only wants the krill! :irked:

I don't mind giving him whatever he wants, but is a krill only diet good for him?

He used to eat about 5-6 LARGE pellets at a time, now he just gums them up spits them out and makes a mess..

I have to stay right on top of the water quality, with massive 50% water changes daily, because his tank is a bit small.

So when he makes this mess with the pellets I have do gravel/vac/water/change right away.

What else can I feed him besides pellets and krill? I've tried frozen beef-heart and he hated it..

I want to bulk him up and get some nice size on him. I'm keeping the water in the high 80's around 86-88...

[freeskierrocket]

Krill is a wonderful fish food, It'll color your fish right up and highly nutritious!!:)

[nuth88]

I have had the same issue with my GT, O, and my JD.

I add the sticks first, and now they don't even bother, the wait me out for the Krill. Is it enough vits, etc??

[big train]

My jags love nightcrawlers get them at walmart 2.88 for 2 dozen hikari makes a vitamen enriched bloodworm frozen flats i like to feed them that once a week but don't dissolve it in a cup throw it in frozen a big chunk he will eat it up.

[rallysman]

Try market shrimp, beefheart, and smelt as well as night crawlers krill and pellets.

I feed mine the above and he looks great and eats like crazy

[Damon0306]

I've dug some worms for him when I received him and he loved them.

They were small normal worms... Nothing to big... But after the first few he ate the rest like a monster, hit them harder then the freeze-dried krill..

Market shrimp? I have this bag of LARGE shrimp from Cosco in my freezer in the basement, they are normal large un-cooked and un-shelled.

To be honest it was the first bag we purchased many months ago just for some reason its still in the basement freezer with the frozen pizza.

Maybe I will defrost a piece? Would it be better then freeze-dried krill?

Thanks for all the quick replies as always...

Loving this warm weather I get to fart around with the koi longer.. :headbang2

[dougefresh]

i think feeding mostly krill is fine.......that is the main diet of my juvie jag.......i'd be careful digging up worms and feeding them though.......they could be subject to pesticides and fertilizers before you dig them up and you don't want your fish eating that!

[skjoldhus]

Superworms, occasional crayfish, goldfish, earthworms, hopper mice, crickets, ghost shrimp, orfs, tadpoles and frogs etc. The added advantage of crickets and superworms is that you can pre-feed them with foods you want to use as nutritional suppliments for your fish. Your Jaguar looks good. Best of luck with it. - Erik -

[roliva]

Krill is a good staple, expensive but good. If worse comes to worse, just soak the krill in liquid vitamin before feeding. In the long run, I would try to have the patience and get him on varied diet.

What type of pellets have you tried? Some pellets seem more pleasing to the palate than others, if you know what I mean.

[Damon0306]

Hopper mice?! WOW!! I use to breed mice when I kept ball pythons.. Hoppers just have there eyes open and hence the name the hop and pop in the tank :)

I would be afraid to try a hopper, I think that is just to big with the fur and stuff.

Years ago when I had the mice, I use to feed pinkies (newborn blind) to my large tiger-oscar, he loved em! He ate em up like popcorn I felt kind of bad though dropping a blind live pinkie in the water.

I was using Hikari Cichlid Gold large-pellets and he WAS eating them no problem, but not anymore.

I went out last night before the stores closed to pickup some Prime, and I also picked up a small container of the large-size pellet Omega brand cichlid food. Glad I bought the small container, because he wont even touch them.

I am wondering if the warmer water is having something to do with his now fussy eating.

I cranked the water up to around 87-88 when I was treating the fin rot and I've kept it that temp since.

He likes to mouth the gravel and pile it up in the corner of the tank. And after he clears a spot in the gravel, he likes to scoot his underside of his body on the empty glass bottom.

I think he wants a girlfriend :naughty:

[skjoldhus]

Well I have 30+ snakes of all sorts of species ( plus many other herps ) so I raise mice and rats. In the wild small rodents can and do fall into the water and are eaten by large fish when afforded the opportunity. They are VERY nutritious, but also contain more bulk. Digestion takes longer.

Managuense have been a favorite cichlid of mine for the last 20+ years or so. Do not be afraid to try hoppers. They enjoy the occassional mouse. BUT do not do it all the time. It is a suppliment or treat more than a staple. Since they are primarily designed to live on other fish, crustaceans, invertabrates, and moluscs. They do consume a number of amphibians such as salamanders, frog, and certain types of sirines and ampheuma. The odd small reptile such as small snakes or lizards are also consumed with gusto.

BTW have you ever seen the skull of a large adult Jaguar Cichlid? The teeth remind one of a saltwater snapper! These fish are pure predators and made to catch and hold a variety of prey items. In mine the lower canines can be easily seen even with the mouth closed as the fish faces you in a head on view! The tips pointing up like reverse vampire fangs just above the gum line. They are eating machines!

As for temperature, THAT is quite a factor. I have lost a batch of fry due to mild temperature increases and I am betting that dropping the temp down a bit will spur on feeding behavior. Also a tip, drop the temperature right during/after a water change, but not by too much. The reason? It simulates a fresh rain and often fresh rainfall in the wild stimulates a lot of insect and "prey creatures" into movement. Also amphibians and small animals are often washed into water by strong rainfall. Thus it is a natural time period for these cichlids to want to feed. An increase in water speed for a bit from an existing powerhead will also help simulate the additional flow of water during such a period.

Again best wishes with your Jag! Take care!

- Erik -