Another ATF starving question

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Charney

Charney

The Fish Doctor
Staff member
Moderator
MFK Member
Nov 15, 2005
3,702
741
150
42
Somerville NJ
I got a TATF last week. He is about 4.5 inches and in good body condition. I am trying to switch him over to pellets. I have him in a 75g and using thin bar silver dollars as the training fish. How long can I comfortably starve a fish this size. It has been one week and he is definitely hungry but no interest yet. I was going to go to three weeks before picking up some feeders. Thought I would check with others experiences first.
 
Typically people try for prepared/dead foods before switching over to pellets, it just seems to make the transition a little less time consuming and frustrating. As for starving, at that size I wouldnt be comfortable going longer than two weeks.
 
they can survive for around 3 weeks without food. It's the hunger that breaks them.
 
I would go two weeks for sure. If he's showing signs of breaking such as actively watching the dither fish eat the pellets or better yet making swipes at the pellets, don't relent, he's about to break.
 
Oxymus said:
First check out this thread http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...nt-your-new-African-Tiger-Fish-to-eat-pellets Secondly, it can be hard plus frustration to train your ATF eat pellets. It took me almost a month to get my GATF on pellets.
Click to expand...

I have read it. In the past I have switched a lot of fish over just been a while. I normally do it with krill and market shrimp but want to give the carnivore pellet thing a try. It would make it easier i the long run. This way I don't have to break him off krill and shrimp to pellets.
 
Chicxulub said:
I would go two weeks for sure. If he's showing signs of breaking such as actively watching the dither fish eat the pellets or better yet making swipes at the pellets, don't relent, he's about to break.
Click to expand...

still got another week to go, but if he is not showing signs then how long do extra would you wait? Also my dither fish are considerably bigger then he is so he really might not try stealing from them.
 
You need to go to a lfs and either trade your dithers for smaller ones or go out and buy smaller ones and relocate the larger ones, I went through two triplets of tinfoil barbs because the first one set outgrew my tigers
 
Jazmin said:
You need to go to a lfs and either trade your dithers for smaller ones or go out and buy smaller ones and relocate the larger ones, I went through two triplets of tinfoil barbs because the first one set outgrew my tigers
Click to expand...

I am going to give it some time for now. I think he is adjusting to the thin bar SDs. Right now he is just very spastic, I think that should settle some. It has been about a week now, so hopefully he will start to eye the pellets soon.
 
Chicxulub said:
I would go two weeks for sure. If he's showing signs of breaking such as actively watching the dither fish eat the pellets or better yet making swipes at the pellets, don't relent, he's about to break.
Click to expand...

When I first got my Armatus, I only offerd talapia. Hes was reluctant to eat the first week with me, then during the start of the second week he would strike the food, but spit it out. By the end of week 2 he was eating talapia but still seemed a little unsure of it. After another couple feedings though he was sucking them down like candy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom