I bought some Hikari Gold pellets for my cichlids, but they hardly even touch them. They tear up dried bloodworms or shrimp pellets. Any idea why they will not eat the pellets? Will they get their nutrition properly?
Cichlids not eating pellets....
- Thread starter African Dick
- Start date
your cichlids are being picky, and this is not unusual whatsoever.
Starve the bastards for 3-7 days, then throw some of your new food in, and they will obligingly eat and never give you trouble again. Might take 2 weeks, but I doubt it.
some fish take longer than others. I had a female JD and a senegal bichir who both went for a month without food when i switched pellet brands on them. They broke down though, yessir!
My fish pull that bs on me every time I've ever switched foods on them. But a little time and hunger will do the job.
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Starve the bastards for 3-7 days, then throw some of your new food in, and they will obligingly eat and never give you trouble again. Might take 2 weeks, but I doubt it.
some fish take longer than others. I had a female JD and a senegal bichir who both went for a month without food when i switched pellet brands on them. They broke down though, yessir!
My fish pull that bs on me every time I've ever switched foods on them. But a little time and hunger will do the job.
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ive never had a problem with cichlids rejecting hikari, they love that stuff. but p45 is right about starving, my midas finally accepted a non hikari food after not eating for 5 days.
i had to starve my baby clown knife so i could get him to take pellets, took about a week and a half, felt bad and was scared he was gunna starve to death, he gave in though and took em with delight. i soaked em in water to make em easier to eat for my fish, HAHA NOTHING LIKE SWEET SURRENDER!!!
Give them feeders (quarantined AND gutloaded) and/or their favorite food for a week or so, after that they will regard you as a source of food and eat whatever you dump into the tank. Initally they may spit the pellets out, but as time goes and they start to feel hungry, the pellets will be gobbled down.
They are eating well now. The starving thing worked good. I think I was feeding them a little too much.
Careful with feeders. They can carry allot of nasty things if you aren't careful, make sure you know the place you are getting them from keeps a clean tank.
Had that problem with my male JD..... Was feeding him shrimp and he was loving it! For about a week I put the pellets in and he would put them in his mouth and then spit them out...... 
Took about a week and a half to get him to eat them. Haven't given him shrimp since then!!! 
Took about a week and a half to get him to eat them. Haven't given him shrimp since then!!!