Black Crappie won't eat?!

[Geryon]

Greetings,

My first time posting here. I've been lurking reading may great threads and articles on keeping native fish. Much thanks on everybodies contribution.

I caught 2 Black Crappie at a local lake. They are about 5" long. They are right now in a 90 gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump with 2 pumpkinseeds (about 4").

My observations are that the pumpkinseeds domesticated really easily. They now eagerly await for me to come into the room with food but the black crappie haven't eaten for a couple of days. Now from reading the native fish article posted on this forum crappie can be difficult to feed dry or dead food. My question is how long should I try until I start giving them feeders. I don't want to wait too long before they get too weak.

 

[---XR---]

for all of the native sunfish i have kept,
they have never touched dry food,
it was ethier nightcrawlers, or colcut meats.

i'd say give them feeders now, no sence waiting,
if it's not happening.

 

[softturtle]

I would get them eating live minnows and then dead minnows, then silversides then krill... so on and so fourth. Get them eating and then ween them onto what you want them to eat.

 

[ewurm]

I would get them eating live minnows and then dead minnows, then silversides then krill... so on and so fourth. Get them eating and then ween them onto what you want them to eat.

Good advice. I have gotten both crappies and sunfish to eat any prepared foods, frozen, pellets and flakes. It is better to start with small fish though, they are much more trainable.

 

[mamoo]

I just started my crappie out on live feeders. The fish now will eat blood worms and meal worms but for me, it would need to eat so much other food that the feeders are just a better option.

 

[teleost]

It sounds like you recently caught this fish correct?

If so, I'd give the fish as many feeder fish as possible simply to allow the fish to acclimate to the new tank and remain helathy. You'll know when the fish feels comfortable at home. You can then move to dead fish next frozen food of choice then you can try dry food.

Crappie can be difficult at home and should be treated as a very delicate fish until the fish starts behaving with some confidence.

 

[AquataHolic420]

I would love to see some pics

 

[Geryon]

It sounds like you recently caught this fish correct?

If so, I'd give the fish as many feeder fish as possible simply to allow the fish to acclimate to the new tank and remain helathy. You'll know when the fish feels comfortable at home. You can then move to dead fish next frozen food of choice then you can try dry food.

Crappie can be difficult at home and should be treated as a very delicate fish until the fish starts behaving with some confidence.

Yes I caught them recently.

I just dropped 6 feeders in yesterday. The crappie were very cautious even with the feeders but I did notice several of the feeders missing this morning which is a good sign.

I'll continue doing this as you suggested.

 

[Geryon]

Thanks everyone for your input. I'm going with the feeders and slowly introduce raw dead food. I don't plan to go to dry food.

I'll post pics soon with a progress report.

 

[teleost]

Thanks everyone for your input. I'm going with the feeders and slowly introduce raw dead food. I don't plan to go to dry food.

I'll post pics soon with a progress report.

You might be able to try dry food in the future. It never hurts to try. Thanks for keeping us up to date and good luck.