What size to get your Hystrix onto shrimp?

Joshmac8

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Dec 9, 2008
1,274
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Coon Rapids, Minnesota
I have 3 hystrix and they are all on Crawlers but dont seem to even want to try shrimp....What size were your hystrix before they took shrimp?


Female - 5 inches
Male - 6.5 inches
Male - 8 inches
 

PeteLockwood

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Sep 20, 2009
1,204
2
38
Westfield NJ
Mine were about that size. I don't think it's a size thing, just a question of their needing to acquire a taste for it.

Cut up shrimp and crawlers small, mix the two and leave in the fridge for an hour or two then offer the shrimp pieces first and come back 1/2 hour later with the rest. Or mix the two and freeze the mix in small amounts in ice-cube trays. Drop in the frozen lump - the rays will haveta pick apart the frozen blob to get the crawler.

These were the methods I used to switch my Hystrix and Motoro (combined with patience and perseverance).
 

spotfin

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Jan 2, 2006
4,728
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Maine
My first pair were 3.5" or so, and the other pair were 6" when I bought them. They all took to shrimp soon after.
 

Just Toby

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Apr 22, 2010
2,434
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Guildford UK
I agree totally with pete, it is just a case of mixing the new foods with the old, they tend to take a little time to swap to most new things....little worms to big worms is easy, worms to pellets may take a little longer. Just add the new food a little at a time and not every time...they get the idea in the end.

Mine will not take tiny pellets, they sift them out as much as I try though.
 

Tor-Eriik

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Jan 3, 2010
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Norway
I did what pete said with all my new arrivals, worked like a champ on most of them. But 1 yepezi i had tro struggle with for a half year. Patiens is a friend you need in these cases, but it is soo worth it when theytake it. Its like christmas all over again when they take their first piece of frozen food. Bulk it really heavy, so it looks like it is going to blow up, and then do the mixing, only feed the shrimps, try this 1-2 times a day in 3-4 days. If still not, bulk it up again, and start all over. Your gonna waste some crawlers, but who cares when its over with :)
 

wg666666

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Jan 20, 2009
136
32
61
Philly
My three hystrix are pains and will only accept nightcrawlers........I am going to try Petes method and try to get them on shrimp......my two smaller females were a pain to get on crawlers from blackworms, but like everyone said, patience!
 
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