Finicky Jag....rrrrrrr

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Scottfree

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Feb 19, 2006
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Just looking for a little comforting and possible help. I've had a few Jags in my day and love them generally, however, my latest addition is really starting to annoy. :nilly: I've had he/she for 5 months now and the growth rate has been very average due to it's finickiness. I currently have he/she in a 200g and he/she is about 3.5". He/she will eat cooked shrimp, blood worms, plankton (but not krill), and will eat a few of the Hikari Gold baby pellets, but no other dryed food. I bought some omega one, and I have some Tetra sticks, that it won't even try. Also when he/she actually eats shrimp etc., he/she doesn't gorge itself like my REd Devil and Jack Dempsey, it just seems he/she digestive tract doesn't function that well, or isn't up to task. Other Jag's I've had would eat anything and everything and could probably eat more then me in a sitting. My main concern is that if it doesn't have the same growth rate as the Red Devil it could be in peril. I almost feel like starting over with a few jags and find one that meets my expectations. Anyway, any suggestions??? :popcorn:
 
Scottfree said:
Just looking for a little comforting and possible help. I've had a few Jags in my day and love them generally, however, my latest addition is really starting to annoy. :nilly: I've had he/she for 5 months now and the growth rate has been very average due to it's finickiness. I currently have he/she in a 200g and he/she is about 3.5". He/she will eat cooked shrimp, blood worms, plankton (but not krill), and will eat a few of the Hikari Gold baby pellets, but no other dryed food. I bought some omega one, and I have some Tetra sticks, that it won't even try. Also when he/she actually eats shrimp etc., he/she doesn't gorge itself like my REd Devil and Jack Dempsey, it just seems he/she digestive tract doesn't function that well, or isn't up to task. Other Jag's I've had would eat anything and everything and could probably eat more then me in a sitting. My main concern is that if it doesn't have the same growth rate as the Red Devil it could be in peril. I almost feel like starting over with a few jags and find one that meets my expectations. Anyway, any suggestions??? :popcorn:
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Yeah...just chill. Not all fish grow/eat or breed at the same rate. If the fish is eating and looks healthy it will be fine. I would change from cooked to raw shrimp. Dice it up if it's too big. Try NOT feeding the fish for a couple days and see how it responds then you do feed it. Lots of juvenile Guapotes will have "issues" with feed of the surface. Give it time.
 
My jags are not the fastest growers in my tank, but they will eat dried Sammarus and Hikari Cichlid Gold Baby / Mini pellets. They're barely 3 inches? And they're the ones that will eat from the middle of the tank and the top of the tank. But give it time, and if you think it's in peril, get a divider in the tank and try to save him. Otherwise, just see how it goes.
 
How many times a day are you feeding? I used to feed mine three times a day when my jags were babies until they got around 4 inches then they stopped eating when i fed them. I didnt feed them for a day then for a month i only fed at night and now im only feeding 2x a day. Also your jag might be bloated i feed mine once a week the san francisco bay emerald entrees b/c thats the only greens they will eat. Mine wont touch flake or pellets at all. My diet for them consist of silversides, krill, nightcrawlers, chicken liver, and beefheart and the occasional emerald entree. Most flakes and pellets are just fillers and freeze-dried may be cheaper but i dont want to feed my guys krill-jerky.
 
sorry about posting again but how often do you feed your jag bloodworms? Ive heard that bloodworms as a regular part of the diet for larger predators will cause digestive problems. It may just they need some greens as a laxitive.
 
i have had simular exp with jags some are ravinous feeders some are timid for being a so called piscavor
 
Just dont feed him anything for a few days.
Pellets are the best staple food you can give and then should be supplemented with other stuff.

If they wont eat pellets, just dont feed them for a few days. Try feeding the pellets, if they dont want them, just take out the uneaten pellets and try again each day until you break their stubborness.

You know what's best for them. Not them.

They need the variety of food YES. But as a staple to their diet they should get pellets.

This always works. A fish wont starve itself. If its hungry enough, it will eat the pellets

Not to mension, once they start to eat the pellets, they will often magically decide they like them.
 
Most pellet foods are nothing but filler and ash. Imagine would you want to eat mostly bread thats covered in stuff from your ash tray? It is a cheaper alternative than feeding frozens but for maximum growth and health i stay away from them. I have to agree though that since the bloodworms are only a treat that shouldnt be a problem. I wouldnt feed for a a day or so and they should be ready to eat anything in your tank. Another suggestion is some fish are affraid to swim out and about so get some mollies or guppies (not the feeder ones but fancies for less risk of disease) that are smaller than your jag. Sometimes the bigger fish need to know that they themselves are not food and will swim more openly.
 
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