Fish Food

[Cablemonkey]

Hey fellow Native Lovers!

My sunfish have had me worried, I have some bluegills, a couple red ears and what I think is a green sunfish or bluexred. I havent been able to get them to eat ANYTHING for almost 2 weeks now. I have tried worms, bugs, cichlid slow sinking pellets (the couple fry i have are picking up on these) but for the first time I finally got them to eat something today, it was raw hamburger!

They went nuts over it! I know it is probably too fatty for a regular diet but has anyone ever use it before? They went after it so nutso that I was contemplating trying it as bait!

I know its not just pure hunger that made them do it as I had tried worms and pellets just prior and happened to be separating some ground beef for freezing (90/10% fat) and I was just curious. The only ones who seemed unintrigued by it was my two larger redear males. All the little ones tore appart the little chunks like ravenous sharks, and the medium bluegills and redear hit it like a bass hitting a top bait. It was quite entertaining if nothing else.

Oh I was using small wax worm size portions.

Thoughts or comments?

 

[Owain4]

thats pretty crazy maybe they were just super hungry, i've read that people feed their fish beef heart, maybe its worth a try, you should try getting some fiber in their diet, i had a hard time getting my yellow perch to eat anything but i got them hooked on freeze dried shrimp, you gotta try a big variety ha its lots of work

 

[Spazzoni]

Hmm.

Normally a sunfish will eat worms and bugs no problem. Very interesting dilemma you have. Try some frozen blood worms or shrimp but, I don't see any reason to worry too much about the burger. Eating the burger is much better than not eating anything though, work on getting them on to a better diet.

A buddy of mine had a LMB for 5 years. It lived on hamburger for 5 years until he released it into a farm pond. I also feed raw hamburger to my sunnies now and then as a treat. They just love it.

 

[619aquaponics]

Dont feed beef in a coldwater tank. The proteins have a harder time breaking up. Discus keepers feed beef heart because they keep the temperature at 82 degrees so the proteins can be absorbed easier. Try credit them chunks of fresh raw fish like tilapia, tuna or salmon. Tilapia would be a more economical choice. Don't feed canned salmon or tuna though. If you still feed ground beef get the one with the least fat or try ground chicken

 

[Water]

Dont feed beef in a coldwater tank. The proteins have a harder time breaking up. Discus keepers feed beef heart because they keep the temperature at 82 degrees so the proteins can be absorbed easier. Try credit them chunks of fresh raw fish like tilapia, tuna or salmon. Tilapia would be a more economical choice. Don't feed canned salmon or tuna though. If you still feed ground beef get the one with the least fat or try ground chicken

I highly disagree. Fish digestive systems are not meant to digest mammals, including poultry. If you feed your fish beef/pork/poultry, you're just slowly killing your fish.


@OP: Try starving your fish for a 3 or 4 days. Do not give in. Then on your 3rd or 4th day, drop in what you want them to eat. Pellets should be your main choice. Good luck.

 

[bjbass]

I have the same problem with my black crappie. He hasn't eaten for weeks and the only thing I can ever get him to eat is wax worms. Anybody have any suggestions?

 

[619aquaponics]

I highly disagree. Fish digestive systems are not meant to digest mammals, including poultry. If you feed your fish beef/pork/poultry, you're just slowly killing your fish.


@OP: Try starving your fish for a 3 or 4 days. Do not give in. Then on your 3rd or 4th day, drop in what you want them to eat. Pellets should be your main choice. Good luck.

I agree that aquatic protein is much better for your fish than terrestrial protein with the exception of insects. That's why I dont feed my fish raw beef or chicken but give them fresh raw fish instead. My fish love tuna. I just suggested chicken because it's leaner. Just a question but do you know how the habit of feeding beef heart came about?

 

[Cablemonkey]

I highly disagree. Fish digestive systems are not meant to digest mammals, including poultry. If you feed your fish beef/pork/poultry, you're just slowly killing your fish.


@OP: Try starving your fish for a 3 or 4 days. Do not give in. Then on your 3rd or 4th day, drop in what you want them to eat. Pellets should be your main choice. Good luck.

I starved them almost a week before trying feeds when I first got them, I was just relieved to see them eat something finally. They all look healthy and show no signs of weight loss and their color is vibrant, so I am not sure what to make of it...

I have a bag of the cichlid pellets, which is what I would prefer to get them on but I am just cleaning most of them out of the bottom of the tank right now... I feed sparingly because I know it'll just go to waste... some of the little ones are starting to snag the pellets on the way down, I am thinking I might just have to release the more mature fish and stick with getting the little ones and training them early.

I am collecting a few tanks to start a couple convict pairs, hoping to get 3-6 breeding pair for live fry food, is this enough to keep up with the feeding demands of my lil"picky eaters? they range from 1.5-3.5in long, about 6-8 in a 55 gallon standard. I had more but I am thinning them down to help improve quality of life.

 

[619aquaponics]

I have the same problem with my black crappie. He hasn't eaten for weeks and the only thing I can ever get him to eat is wax worms. Anybody have any suggestions?

Crappies are notoriously hard to train onto pellets. Try to throw in some pellets near the waxworms and he might that it's food

 

[Cablemonkey]

These guys suck up the pellets but then spit them right back out. Frustrating, oh well, at least the pond is getting a little stocking... Maybe the convicts will help, at least they would eat the cichlid feed I bought