(I know this is the general aquaria forum but I didn't know where else to post.) I recently acquired an African Pike from my LFS, when I got him the guy down at the store told me he only eats live fish(which I kinda of expected) so I ended up getting some feeders along with the pike. Now, I hate using feeders from the store but I didn't wanna starve the pike. So I dropped in some feeders with him but he didn't even bother with them, they would swim right near his jaws and he wouldn't even budge, however, when I wake up in the morning I notice the feeders are gone; the only other fish in the tank is a parrot cichlid and while I see him chase the feeders I doubt he's the one eating them so I assumed the pike ate them, but I want to get him onto another food. I tried frozen shrimp but he didn't even bother with it. I feed my parrot cichlid pellets but the pike ignores pellets too and I've never seen him eat the feeders there only gone when I check the tank in the morning. I used to have a pike cichlid that would only take live but then started taking pellets after a while, but with him he showed interest in pellets, with the pike they just go right by him. So I guess my question here is what foods do you recommend me try? And I am concerned with the parasites that might come with feeders, how can I reduce the odds of introducing things I don't want in my tank if the pike continues to not accept other forms of food? Thanks!
African Pike Feeding Help!!!!!
- Thread starter Firenation1254
- Start date
You can get the African Pike to eat peices of Tilapia and also to eat pellets.https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...african-pike-off-feeders.601912/#post-7084903
HarleyK
has actually had his African Pike spawn.
He could just be shy with the new environment especially since they do better in schools from what I’ve seen. Def get him off feeders sooner than later though
How big is it?
See if he will eat live worms. Try frozen bloodworms, if he will eat frozen blood worms soak the pellets in the juice of the thawed bloodworms.
If he is big enough try frozen silversides.
Also agree that he may just need time to acclimate. I dont know a lot about them do they normally hunt at night? May be just how they live. You can change their habits but it takes time and you may have to be willing to "starve" them out. If its healthy it will be fine for a few days to a week without food. At that point try frozen meaty stuff. Then later on you can switch to a pellet.
For its first pellets try carnivore pellets from hikari. Fish usually love them they are kind of soft and they stink.
See if he will eat live worms. Try frozen bloodworms, if he will eat frozen blood worms soak the pellets in the juice of the thawed bloodworms.
If he is big enough try frozen silversides.
Also agree that he may just need time to acclimate. I dont know a lot about them do they normally hunt at night? May be just how they live. You can change their habits but it takes time and you may have to be willing to "starve" them out. If its healthy it will be fine for a few days to a week without food. At that point try frozen meaty stuff. Then later on you can switch to a pellet.
For its first pellets try carnivore pellets from hikari. Fish usually love them they are kind of soft and they stink.
With pike characins, I've had good luck getting them to take live crickets off of the surface. Once they take live crickets reliably enough to just nail it as soon as it hits the top, switching to pellets is as simple as letting it get hungry for about a week and tossing in a carnistick.
