Getting Lima off Live Food

[Taboojen]

Any one have any tips on getting my Limas to eat? I wanted to train them to take prepared food, before putting them into my big tank w/ the pbasses. My two limas devoured some live guppies the first day I got them. Now its been about 1.5 weeks and they still refuse anything else. So far I have tried chunks of silverside and sinking carnivore pellets, but to no avail. I haven't given them anything else since. Nothing else in the tank - just the two limas, plastic plants, gravel, and a big rock for them to hide behind.

Every night i drop some food in, but every morning it is still there. Any ideas on what else i can do?

 

[TipStylez]

Earthworms, LOTS of blood worms.

Your bass will eat them too, and get the scent out.

Once its out and the lima smells it, hes out looking for food and pick up whatever he can find.

You dont gotta worry about feeding him alot, just make sure he eats atleast 3 times a week.

When they eat alot, i heard they tend to go off and rest to digest their food like a snake.

 

[meluvmeosky]

I had the same problem with mine but I starved the crap out of him for like a week and a half and then cut up some raw shrimp and dropped it to the bottom and he attacked it, been eating it ever since.

 

[Taboojen]

I had the same problem with mine but I starved the crap out of him for like a week and a half and then cut up some raw shrimp and dropped it to the bottom and he attacked it, been eating it ever since.

Thanks guys. I'll try the market shrimp and some blood worms tonight. Sat/Sun will be the two week mark. lol - I swear - even my pbasses and aro broke down and ate non-live food sooner. lol

 

[TicaL]

I find it fascinating some fish would much rather starve to death than eat food that doesn't need to be hunted down. It goes against the common sense of nature and survival but it is somewhat admiring that some fish have that sense of pride. I wish you the best of luck with your Limas, they're great hunters and even greater fish.

 

[abovetheclouds]

I find it fascinating some fish would much rather starve to death than eat food that doesn't need to be hunted down. It goes against the common sense of nature and survival but it is somewhat admiring that some fish have that sense of pride. I wish you the best of luck with your Limas, they're great hunters and even greater fish.

I agree, my lima primarily eats live food. It has eaten a beef heart or two, but it takes a while before he resigns to the fact that he isn't going to get anything else until he eats it. From what I have read, Limas are one of the more difficult fish to get to eat pellets, or any other food that isn't live.

 

[TipStylez]

Mine loves worms.
Before, i couldnt get him to eat ANYTHING. Then all of a sudden, i drop in a earthworm/night crawler and i see him swim out and grab it.

Now all he eats is worms and blood worms. Ignores shrimps..