Jags: Picky Eaters?

[cwickham]

Ive got two juvi jags and the only thing they devour is the blood worms (not a surprise). How ever they turn their noses up at anything else I try to feed them. Ive got Bio-Gold that they may pick at but dont really eat as a staple. They refuse to eat any Beef Heart I put in there and they might pick at the chiclid crisps (flakes) I put in from time to time. I try to vary their diet but it seems they just want blood worms, and other wise will starve.

Any idea's, tips, tricks?

 

[robmcd]

Starve them and then they will eat anything that you throw in the tank...

 

[cwickham]

How long? 2-3 days? more? less?

These are my first jags, pretty sure both are male. Ive never had a feeding problem with my others (Oscar, JD's, Convicts, GT's).

 

[nmadsen4]

how old are they? above 3'' and i might try to starve them for about a week. they'll eat anything after that.

 

[haynchinook334]

A week or so would be good. But most likely 3 days they will eat anything.

 

[Maduro]

here's your chance to establish a good feeding plan with these guys. I'd go buy a feeding ring, starve them for two days then put some pellets in the ring...leave the room...in 10 minutes remove what hasn't been eaten. If they don't eat them do the same drill in 24 hrs till they are recognizing its food and eating it.

You'll find they'll come to the ring when you enter the room to let you know they're hungry...offer them something different only after they're hooked on the pellets and are eating it on a regular basis.

Remember, if you don't train your fish they will definitely train you.

 

[Jason_S]

here's your chance to establish a good feeding plan with these guys. I'd go buy a feeding ring, starve them for two days then put some pellets in the ring...leave the room...in 10 minutes remove what hasn't been eaten. If they don't eat them do the same drill in 24 hrs till they are recognizing its food and eating it.

You'll find they'll come to the ring when you enter the room to let you know they're hungry...offer them something different only after they're hooked on the pellets and are eating it on a regular basis.

Remember, if you don't train your fish they will definitely train you.

I couldn't agree more...I've had several finicky fish that have needed to be trained. The pair of amarillo I had not long ago got so used to Wardley pellets that, when I ran out of Wardly and switched to Hikari, they refused to eat them. I dropped a few pellets in...they'd come up to look...not like what they saw and go back to their usual routine. That went on for a couple of days. Then, after about 2 or 3 days they'd come up and investigate a little closer, take a pellet into their mouths then spit it back out. About 2 days later they actually started eating them and by the next week they were wolfing them down just like they used to the wardley.