Help with RCK diet!!

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Exile

Exile

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 29, 2009
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chicago
I absolutely can not get my Royal CK off of feeder roses. I've starved him for up to 3.5 weeks on 3 or 4 separate occasions and the most I got was a mouthing of a night-crawler which he quickly spat out. Hes been exposed to silversides countless times as well as krill. He in fact use to eat krill until he (this will sound peculiar) ate a rather large krill and injured something internally (at least that's what I think). After he ate this large krill he quit eating for nearly a month, was looking quite dim for him until I offered him roses. During that time I also offered him live black worms and frozen bloodworms, no go.

I'm glad to have recovered him from that incident but if he doesn't accept another food soon I may try to sell him. I don't like putting feeders in my tank especially since I just got a new arowana nor do I like having to make the weekly trip to the LFS cause I tend to buy more than just feeders :screwy:

Tips would be much appreciated!

- He's nearly 10" long
- Had him for about 7 months now
- Started eating krill a month after I got him, then stopped 2 months after that.
- I regularly add aquarium salt to my tank

ON a side note, if I got another knifefish (say just a normal clown knife) that ate krill and silversides, do you think it would encourage this fella to eat them as well?
 
What's the Aro eating? I find that they can easily be trained if there are other fish eating whatever you want them to eat. So it sounds like it's been eating live feeders for awhile now, right? When you starved it, does it come up and "beg" for food? If it comes up to the tank, you can try the krill again. Or you can drop in feeders from a certain point and let it recognize where the food is coming from. Do this for a couple of feedings, then incorporate some krill and/or pellets. It may not take them right away, but don't be discouraged. Keep trying this and hopefully it'll start eating prepared foods.
 
The aro is currently eating silversides but I literally just got him this week so I plan to see if he'll eat night crawlers and/or aro sticks. The RCK has been eating roses strictly since November.

But thanks Benz I'll give what you said a try. Been just over a week since I last gave him roses so I'll start giving that a try soon here.
 
I tried giving him half a nightcrawler again today. He mouthed it and nudged it around for literally 5 minutes. Then he just left it alone.

But I have an idea... earlier today I was rearranging my live plants and started skimming the top of the water with my smallest net to remove lose pines and my knife started going crazy over the scent of the feeders (the last time I used the net was to remove the last batch of roses from the bag...) and actually came up and striked my 2"x2" net. The last time I used the net was to remove the last batch of roses from the bag... Not only did he give me an idea but he also managed to startle me... so I think next time I go to the LFS I am going to get half a dozen roses and let some nightcrawlers soak in the bag with them for a bit and then see if he'll gobble them up. I certainly hope he does!
 
try soaking the krill in garlic extract. it helps
 
Have you just tried feeding him something else with the net? I'd imagine clowns enjoy shrimp, but if youre trying to get him to eat something that isnt moving you could transition with dead fish or shrimp, feeding with the net you used to use for the rosies. I'd imagine that the jump from eating only living animals that move all the time to eating inert things- "dead" things in their eyes- is a big conceptual jump to make in the mind of big predatory fish that aren't by nature omnivorous, or scavengers. Just a thought; I think its possible if you demonstrate to the fish associations that lead it to the conclusion that other things are food too. Good luck
 
I put my idea to the test and it didn't work. Ended up just feeding him the rosies.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do, going to starve him for a good while, 3-4 weeks possibly longer... I will probably try feeding him with the net although I am doubtful. If I can't get him to accept something after being starved for a month, hes going on Craigslist and I'll use the proceeds to buy a smaller knife or two.
 
I haven't fed him rosies since my last reply on March 10th. I have cut up silversides for him but he just vigorously chomps on the piece until he spits it out and loses it to the arowana. The piece was roughly 1/5 the size of the largest roses hes consumed in the past.
I'm not giving in, hes got another 2 weeks to go before I even consider feeding him roses and only to prevent him from dying. If he doesn't eat something with in that time...hes going on Craigslist for sure. I have confidence !
 
If it's actually taking it, but spitting it out, you're on your way. Just don't give in. Keep feeding the Silversides.
 
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