Converting Cichla off Live Food

LBDave

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Nov 27, 2018
1,575
1,597
164
Long Beach
Sweet! Gonna try this method!
I know this is an old thread but I had to post this. My kels hit freeze dried krill but they also hit frozen peas. The oscars get so excited hitting the peas the bass just cant so no.
No, they dont eat them. Eventually spit them out.
 

creekchub

Gambusia
MFK Member
Aug 26, 2016
20
17
18
53
My peacock bass (2 Kelberi) 1 mono
Won’t eat anything but live - tried the krill technique won’t work -other issue I have is the fish are super paranoid to The point that I can barely come near the tank and then when I try to feed them they get super skittish / change colors and sink down to the bottom and wont swim . Guy I bought them from said he had them on pellets I suspect he lied 100% As they completely refuse any pellet including massivore. Now I only bought them about nine days ago but I refuse to give them anything live. How long can they realistically go without eating before they die . They will either die or will learn to eat pellet foods otherwise I’m just gonna buy some small ones my fish currently are 6 to 10 inch size.
 

LBDave

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Nov 27, 2018
1,575
1,597
164
Long Beach
Started mine on frozen blood worms and ultimately FD krill. Didn't eat when I got them for almost 2 weeks.
I think many sellers claim pellet eating. Mine sure weren't.
 

Killduv

Piranha
MFK Member
Apr 4, 2005
532
197
76
54
Toronto, Ontario
I have a trick. I throw a few pellets in the tank to make a commotion and they go crazy for the movement on the top of the water. Bamm they would go crazy. I did this before on a few tries and also dither fish helped too eating at the surface.
 

rakeshsm

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 26, 2023
7
1
3
34
Hi, recently i have introduced Peacock bass(4-Inch) fish into my community tank(Arowona,African Cichlids, Oscars). the pbass is active but not eating dried shrimp nor pellets or arowana sticks.. it takes the food inside the mouth and spits out. Need help here.
 

Trouser Bark

Dovii
MFK Member
Nov 7, 2022
801
922
105
Hi, recently i have introduced Peacock bass(4-Inch) fish into my community tank(Arowona,African Cichlids, Oscars). the pbass is active but not eating dried shrimp nor pellets or arowana sticks.. it takes the food inside the mouth and spits out. Need help here.

The subject has been covered comprehensively in this thread. What additional help would you like?
 

rakeshsm

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 26, 2023
7
1
3
34
The subject has been covered comprehensively in this thread. What additional help would you like?
i tried various ways for pellets or blood worms training for pbass juvenilia but its eating anything from 1 week. so any other way to feed it. ?
 

Trouser Bark

Dovii
MFK Member
Nov 7, 2022
801
922
105
PBass are apex predators and often don't take to pellet training easily. You know that though if you've read this thread; they like their food to be swimming.

Were it my fish I'd want it pellet trained before placing it in a tank w/ other predators but it sounds like you might be a bit beyond that stage so I'll give you my current experience for what it's worth.

I have three pbass in a 106g grow out and I thought that I'd raise them there primarily to bulk then up so that I could then transfer those same fish into a much larger tank w/ much larger pbass and others. The three in the grow out are now about 5-7" long and I bought them as babies when they were about 1/2 to 2/3rds the length of my thumb on October 15 of 2022. Weekly fin top water changes, etc. This has not been a hands off 'plop them in and watch them grow' experience.

One of them took to pellets in about two months.

Another took to pellets in about 4 months.

The third has been eating freeze dried shrimp for about a month.

All pbass are different. Don't expect them to be an easy swap to dry feeds and I personally wouldn't expect a baby to fare well in a community tank if it hasn't been converted already. You will need to try a lot of different options and the easiest one will be frozen blood worms. Every other fish in the tank will eat them as well so that may seem impractical soon.

Is there another way to feed it? Yes, and the longer you feed it live food the more difficult the conversion to pellet will be. It's also true that the conversion process is probably going to be a bit tough on your pbass and it may not fare well in a tank where all the others are eating and it's not.

Really though... you need to read this thread. The wording of your question makes it appear you haven't and your current method will produce a dead fish sometime around early to mid-august. Good luck.
 

rakeshsm

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 26, 2023
7
1
3
34
PBass are apex predators and often don't take to pellet training easily. You know that though if you've read this thread; they like their food to be swimming.

Were it my fish I'd want it pellet trained before placing it in a tank w/ other predators but it sounds like you might be a bit beyond that stage so I'll give you my current experience for what it's worth.

I have three pbass in a 106g grow out and I thought that I'd raise them there primarily to bulk then up so that I could then transfer those same fish into a much larger tank w/ much larger pbass and others. The three in the grow out are now about 5-7" long and I bought them as babies when they were about 1/2 to 2/3rds the length of my thumb on October 15 of 2022. Weekly fin top water changes, etc. This has not been a hands off 'plop them in and watch them grow' experience.

One of them took to pellets in about two months.

Another took to pellets in about 4 months.

The third has been eating freeze dried shrimp for about a month.

All pbass are different. Don't expect them to be an easy swap to dry feeds and I personally wouldn't expect a baby to fare well in a community tank if it hasn't been converted already. You will need to try a lot of different options and the easiest one will be frozen blood worms. Every other fish in the tank will eat them as well so that may seem impractical soon.

Is there another way to feed it? Yes, and the longer you feed it live food the more difficult the conversion to pellet will be. It's also true that the conversion process is probably going to be a bit tough on your pbass and it may not fare well in a tank where all the others are eating and it's not.

Really though... you need to read this thread. The wording of your question makes it appear you haven't and your current method will produce a dead fish sometime around early to mid-august. Good luck.

Thanks for Information, let me try it out.
 
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