How long is too long when starving?

[kikrman]

Hey everyone I'm going to try again to convert my ray to pellets since I gave in last time.. She's put on a bit of size now so I feel more comfortable doing it. She readily eats salmon chunks with hikari carnivore stuffed inside but refuses them in their own. I feed with the aquarium tongs so have tried feeding her pellets what way. She attacked the tongs thinking it's salmon but leaves once she realizes there isn't any. Its now been a week without food so how long should I push it?

Sorry for the novel,
Luke

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[dxdx]

I have not converted my ray to pellets yet - so this is just an idea from reading about it... since you have success with her eating hikari with salmon, try soaking the hikari in salmon then just feed the hikari by itself. that way it has the smell of something she already eats....

 

[kikrman]

That was my next step use tried doing it previously with the left over skin hut dint work. My concern is the time I should wait until I feed again. If it doesn't work try again In couple weeks I guess?

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[dxdx]

I think I've read they could go a month without eating... but personally I probably wouldn't risk more than a week or two out of fear he would start eating fish in the tank.

If you don't have success with the soaking in a few more days, go back to feeding with the sticks wrapped up then start wrapping smaller and smaller bits around the hikari.

hopefully some experienced people will reply also, I don't think there's any magic bullet, but I'd like to hear what others have to say for when I try this.

 

[Mount_Prion]

I think I've read they could go a month without eating... but personally I probably wouldn't risk more than a week or two out of fear he would start eating fish in the tank.

If you don't have success with the soaking in a few more days, go back to feeding with the sticks wrapped up then start wrapping smaller and smaller bits around the hikari.

hopefully some experienced people will reply also, I don't think there's any magic bullet, but I'd like to hear what others have to say for when I try this.

If your concern is other fish in the tank, quarantine or divide. Quarantining can help for food training anyway, because it puts her in a more controlled environment where she won't be seeing all the other food other fish are getting.

Unless of course you're relying on those fish eating pellets to "teach" her to do it, which I've seen happen before with cichlids and dats (although I'm not a ray keeper).

I'm confident your fish can go at least a month without eating.

 

[oldfish]

I have gotten all 12 of my adult rays in three different tanks converted to pellets without any starving.Once aday between their regular feeding I would offer a few pellets.They would try them,refuse to eat them, and leave them for whatever clean up crew was in the tank.After repeating this many times one of the rays will begain eating them.Once one is eating them the others are quicker to learn.

 

[kikrman]

I was relying in a way for the Senegal and catfish to teach her as they aren't aggressive feeders but that doubt seem to be working. That's a good idea about introducing the pellets everyday until they get the hang of it I was just penny pinching and saving the small packet I have.. Haha I'll have to give it a go though feel bad not feeding her as she's still only hand span disk size

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[Reedmaster16]

I have gotten all 12 of my adult rays in three different tanks converted to pellets without any starving.Once aday between their regular feeding I would offer a few pellets.They would try them,refuse to eat them, and leave them for whatever clean up crew was in the tank.After repeating this many times one of the rays will begain eating them.Once one is eating them the others are quicker to learn.

Great advice. The earlier you start offering the pellets as a food option the easier it often is to convert them. Although some rays can just be more stubborn than others when converting over to pellets. If you offer pellets before the other foods most rays will eventually learn whoever eats pellets eats first.

 

[MonsterMinis]

I always follow the rule... keep them hungry not starved when converting and have had great long term success with the approach... oldfishs method ive used more then once as well. and def agree once one fish takes to it the rest often figure it out quick. despite this approach in my one tank ( almost 2 yrs now and my spiney eels wont eat pellets like the rest the tank). Some fish just refuse pellets... personally i either rehome such fish if i cant keep up with their feeding or just accept that they wont convert.

also seems to depend on species, i know my retics are notoriouse for only accepting live/fresh foods. But that doesnt stop me from offering them pellets, and keeping my fingers crossed in the meantime.

 

[F1 VET]

I feed my fish once a week, and 1 serving of pellets in between, I find keeping them hungry makes them more active, not to mention overfeeding is bad for fish and water.


They do however become a little nippy the day before I feed them

Go S. Vettel #1 rb8