Jack Dempsy Not Eating HELP

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Q

quikksilver8

Candiru
MFK Member
Apr 6, 2009
133
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Clearwater
Hey all, Ive been concerned with my jack Dempsey. I have had the pair for about a month now and the male just wont eat. The female took to pellets very quickly but the male wont. Apparently where I got them. they were fed feeders (because the employees though it was cool) and so my male wont eat anything else. He runs away form any pellet or any other type of packaged fish food. But as soon as i throw a couple of feeders in there for him he goes nuts. What should I do. The reason I did the feeders is because his stomach looks a little concave so I know hes not getting anything to eat. What should I do???

Fish drive me crazy :screwy:
 
If you must feed him live, be sure to quarantine the fish before you feed them. You don't want to transmit any disease or parasites through the feeders. Give your feeders high quality food so when the Dempsey eats them, he is getting a bit of extra nutrition as well.

If you are adamant about getting him off feeders, then you may have to starve him for a while. Don't offer any live foods period. Try many different types of pellets or frozen/ freeze dried foods. Eventually he should convert.
 
very true i've had the experience with my JD just starve him out for a bit he'll come around when he realizes thats all he's gonna get
 
no Ive tried about 7 different pets/flakes and for frozen the only thing Ive tried is beef heart and some mysis shrimp i had lying around and still nothing. I definitely don't want him to eat feeders its annoying and unhealthy
 
From personal experience, I was able to ween a jaguar cichlid off pet store fed feeders with crickets and krill. Purged him for a week and then he dug into the crickets, which are high in protein. The krill he would take it or leave it. Good luck!
 
It'll take some patience and luck to get him eating. Try feeding only pellets for a period of time and see if he'll grow on them. Think when hes hungry, and he sees his partner eating pellets he'll register the pellets as food and probably take them as well. Good luck!
 
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