Red Terror Won't Eat Dry Food

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pocketlama

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 13, 2014
10
1
0
Seatac, WA
My Red Terror, Greta, has been with me for well over 13 years and a couple of years ago she just stopped eating her daily dry pellets (Hikari Staple and Hikari Gold mixed together for some variety) completely and without warning. No changes in the tank water, or the bog-wood. She's alone in a 55 gallon tank and seems otherwise content. I regularly go a week or more before breaking down and giving her the live food. I know it's dangerous but it's all she'll eat. I waited a month once and she still wouldn't have it.

Any ideas? I feel like I've tried everything I've read about so far.

Peace,
Mac
 
I've heard garlic is very enticing to cichlids, possibly soaking pellets in some may be an option, maybe someone else can confirm this

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You have a 13 year old Festae? WOW . Can I see pics :>) Fish tend to do that once every while how long has she not eaten for. 2 weeks with out food is not a big deal to a fish.
 
All live food is not dangerous, insects and worms are fine, its the aquatic animals like feeder fish and some crustaceans that are carriers of fish disease and fish parasites.
The other problem with feeder fish is they are not nutritionally complete.
But a 15 year old fish, may be a lot like my mother, who at 88, barely eats at all, and when she does, shes very selective, a small piece of chocolate can be an entire meal for her.
 
But a 15 year old fish, may be a lot like my mother, who at 88, barely eats at all, and when she does, shes very selective, a small piece of chocolate can be an entire meal for her.
Click to expand...

That's funny, I was thinking the same thing. A 13 year old RT is a senior citizen and she probably simply no longer requires the nutrient levels of years past. And as Duane mentioned not all live foods are dangerous, there are ways to minimize the risks - such as raising your own feeders, worms, etc. To maximize nutrient levels simply gut load directly before feeding to your RT.
 
CANAMONSTER said:
You have a 13 year old Festae? WOW . Can I see pics :>) Fish tend to do that once every while how long has she not eaten for. 2 weeks with out food is not a big deal to a fish.
Click to expand...

This is Greta but the colors just aren't showing up here. She is such a beautifully red/black stripey fish but I haven't been able to capture it fully yet.

greta-head-on.jpggreta-side2.jpg

greta-head-on.jpg

greta-side2.jpg
 
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Good point, I can see that. I've been wondering how old she's going to get, she just seems to keep going and going.


duanes said:
All live food is not dangerous, insects and worms are fine, its the aquatic animals like feeder fish and some crustaceans that are carriers of fish disease and fish parasites.
The other problem with feeder fish is they are not nutritionally complete.
But a 15 year old fish, may be a lot like my mother, who at 88, barely eats at all, and when she does, shes very selective, a small piece of chocolate can be an entire meal for her.
Click to expand...
 
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