Live food how often?

[robmcd]

I finally got all of my pikes to eat something other than feeders. I started feeding them freeze dried krill and they love it. Ive even seen a few take pellets from time to time. How often should they get minnows now? They have been raised on nothing but live feeders, and I want to keep their diet varied. Besides a hunting fish seems to have better coloration. And Ive never had a problem with disease. is that wierd or what. Im talking thousands of feeders.

 

[Scatocephalus]

I finally got all of my pikes to eat something other than feeders. I started feeding them freeze dried krill and they love it. Ive even seen a few take pellets from time to time. How often should they get minnows now? They have been raised on nothing but live feeders, and I want to keep their diet varied. Besides a hunting fish seems to have better coloration. And Ive never had a problem with disease. is that wierd or what. Im talking thousands of feeders.

If you get them on preparred foods why ever feed them live? If they are eating freeze dried food there's no reason why they shouldn't eat frozen and possibly even pellets.

 

[robmcd]

Is there no relation with coloration and live food?

 

[Taz2478]

not really unless you feed the live food color food then feed them to the pikes...

once a week is good. I take it as a way to keep the hunting skills going and fun to watch

 

[Scatocephalus]

Is there no relation with coloration and live food?

Nope. In fact I'd argue that the most spectacular specimens are never fed live food but rather a varied, preparred diet. As Taz mentioned, unless you are gut loading the feeders first, you are probably short changing your fish on a lot of nutrients.

 

[robmcd]

Nice, thanks guys. Im gonna save a ton of cash on feeding. I get a qt. of krill for like 10 bucks and it looks like itll last about a month or so. What else do y'all suggest I mix in?

 

[Taz2478]

basically any fresh seafood you can get. about the only thing I havent tried is oysters.

same goes for frozen. I've been mixing beef heart, mysis, blood worms, squid, silver sides and clams into ice cube trays.

for pellets I'm liking anything New Life Spectrum does and the Hikari Carnivore Delight. HBH krill pellets seem to add some nice color too.