Well I am just now starting to "starve" mine, been a day and he's getting a bit aggressive towards my corys. Ive heard of tying fishing line to tilapia and then do a sort of fishing move to attract him everyday until he bites.
wow those look amazing! what size are they? And I like the idea of hiding pellets in the fish before feeding, ill try that....If he actually eats the tilapia
My problem was that I was too concern for him when I tried to starve him for a week at a time, I felt bad. It was in a tank full of other fish that were eating frozen tilapia so I was hoping they would teach it, but never happened. It was also about 10" when I started to try and train it. This go around I started early, around 5", bought two of them at around 3". I read something in a past forum that its easier to start when they are smaller. I figured 5" would be a good size. Not too small and fragile but not too old at the same time. At this size too they would have more body fat to loose. It took a good four weeks to train them to where they really started to like the frozen food. They were eating large goldfish prior to the training. To start I froze about 20 large goldfish and would only throw 2 in a day, every other day, thawed out of course. It only took about a week and a half to get them to eat the frozen goldfish. They would grab them here and there at the beginning and spit them out. When the 20 goldfish were gone I then used silver sides. This again took about 2 weeks for them to accept the new food. Same thing 2 a day every other day till they started to like it. Did that for about two months then switch to tilapia. Repeated the same process again, two small thawed chunks every other day till they accepted it. I also tried market shrimp with the same success as the tilapia. Just seems they like the tilapia better and silver sides the best. I had them eating tilapia up till recently when I went back to silver sides when I ran out of tilapia. Big mistake here, now they won't eat tilapia or market shrimp. Have to try and start the process again. Let me know if you have any questions. Been through this process a few times over my years keeping fish. They are all different.
appreciate the comment. I read on the Payara Sticky that "Teacher Fish" is the best way to train it. I can't do that bc of the size of the tank and the fear of my Arm eating the teacher fish. I like your method a lot and my arm is about 5-6 inches as well so maybe it will work. I also feel weird not feeding him either. I'm use to throwing 5 minnows everyday ever since I got him. But I will try to not feed him a whole week or maybe just until the weekend and try the frozen fish technique.My first Arm I had about 8 years ago and never wanted to eat anything but live, he got to about 18" and then jump the tank
What I've seen commonly done is breaking a hook and bending it straight out the piece of food on it tie the line somewhere so it stays and allow the piece to float infront of a power head to move and attract the army. An idea.
