Baby Dats.. worms to pellets

[Durio]

When should I start trying to get my Datnoids to eat pellets..they are 2 1/2 inches now and eating frozen bloodworms only. Tried to give them frozen krill, frozen Brian shrimp but they won’t touch it. I put a few Aqueon small shrimp pellets in they won’t touch them. Tank is a Datnoid only with a couple plecos to clean up what dats won’t eat. Should I wait till they get a little bigger or is it best to starve a little while they are young.

 

[BichirKing]

mine are about 1.5" and one ate pellets right off the bat and the other still refuses. I have a hard time starving my guys so it might never switch. if they're thick which they look like I'd give it a shot.

 

[kno4te]

Could starve a couple of days and soak some broken pellets in bloodwork juice and retry feeding. Dats shouldn’t be that hard to transition to pellets.

 

[Gage Zamrzla]

There's no specific answer for when you should. I would say you might as well start trying immediately so long as you keep up cleanliness and immediately remove any uneaten food after feeding time is over.

As for the starvation method question I say personal preference. It's worked for me in the past with little ones and bigs alike though having multiple little ones could help in that they'll have some natural competition between one another for the most food. Once one starts to take to it the others won't want to be left behind and will generally follow suit.

 

[Katie_Ca]

I'd say to start them on pellets as soon as possible as long as they are healthy.

If they're eating bloodworms, you can try Hikari Vibra bits...look and behaves like frozen bloodworms.

I have 3 dats, the smallest being 2.5" and he's eating pellets freely...he leatned to eat pellets within a week. My other two about 3.5-4"...I'm still training...have been training them for about 2 months now...there's light at the end of the tunnel though as they are now occassionally chewing, then spitting.

Probably slow because I've just used the take-it-or-leave-it method for a max of 4 days and never holding out on food...so not really starving.

 

[Pointx]

Aside from the starve/take it or leave it method. (Which works )
-Hikari floating carn pellets broken into small pieces
-monkey see monkey do--small low cost personable cichlids as temporary tankmates, tiger oscars never fail

 

[Pointx]

^^also, perfect water+increase the temperature to 82-84 with extra air..speed up that metabolism

- I always go heavy w/aquarium salt when I get <2" dats..dats naturally handle it well..seems to speed up the color stabilization process when acclimating