Trying to crack payara off of live

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frnchjeep

frnchjeep

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Aug 24, 2006
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I've had this guy for about a month now. I think he is a tat. Anyone care to ID?http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=275429

I think it is a tat, but I'm not 100%.

Anyway, when he was in QT, he ate about 2 dozen feeders and wouldn't touch anything that wasn't live. He is now in a 75 with some geos, red hooks, tt eel, etc... all peaceful tankmates. He is far less skittish than he was in the qt tank. I was hoping that being with tankmates would teach him to eat the krill, chopped up shrimp, bloodworms, etc that I feed that tank, but no luck. When I throw the food in there, everyone else eats and he hides. It has been about 1.5- 2 weeks, and he hasn't eaten since the move. I really don't want to put feeders in this tank. Will he eventually crack, or will he starve himself to death? How long can they go without eating? I'm starting to get nervous.
 
hes deff a tat.

it took my tat about 2 months of starving b4 he took to dead food. they can go exceptionally long w out food compared to other fish IMO

i wouldnt crack. the more u give in, the longer its gonna take

my tat eats worms, shrimp, and smelt now :D
 
Get yourself some fishing line and bend the hook, I've even used a staple. Bend to a shape similar to ^v^v. Just make is wavy. You want the food to stay on but at the same time it needs to slide off after hit.

All my Characins prefer smelt to shrimp. My Armatus nail smelt but shrimp is imidiately spit out.

Either smelt on a fishing line or freeze dried krill tossed into the filter output is your best bet. I have yet to own a Payara or other toothy Characin that didn't cave by one of these 2 methods.

Teacher fish have seemed to always be a help.
 
Alright, thanks, guys. I'll refuse live, and try some smelt. I'll try some fishing line, too.
 
Nice tat you have.
The fishing line method should work out for you, but I don't think Payara eat blood worms, well that's only from what I've seen.
 
mshuangchao;3583469; said:
Nice tat you have.
The fishing line method should work out for you, but I don't think Payara eat blood worms, well that's only from what I've seen.
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i meant earthworms :D

mine ate earthworms the day i brought him home. then he got stubborn for 2 months but i didnt give in....
 
Yeah, I've tried earthworms, too, but he wasn't even interested.
 
vamptrev;3583576; said:
i meant earthworms :D

mine ate earthworms the day i brought him home. then he got stubborn for 2 months but i didnt give in....
Click to expand...
Right, well I was actually referring to what frnchjeep said about feeding blood worms. lol
But it's all cool, I never knew they took earthworms.:)
 
i will be watching this closely...beautiful fish by the way.. i am getting saber tooth barracuda so i will be weaning him off live food too...
 
Red Devil;3584222; said:
i will be watching this closely...beautiful fish by the way.. i am getting saber tooth barracuda so i will be weaning him off live food too...
Click to expand...
Liz that name covers quite a few different fish so look into them and decide which one you want to try,but then you can only get whats available when you are ready.They are beautiful fish,my favorite of all are the Tats then the Armatus.They may eat bloodworms but it would be a waste because most of it would probably get sucked in by the filter.
 
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