LMB won't eat

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BassProAddict

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 30, 2007
67
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NYC
I took home 5 LMB's I caught in a lake.It's been 4 days and they won't eat the feeders and crawfish I gave 'em.They are still active and moving about.I covered up the tank so they won't get spooked by passing people.

How much longer can they go on without eating?
 
How big are they each? What size is the tank? What temp is the water? What is the pH of the water? Are there any other fish in with them? Etc..? Seems to me like they just need to get used to being in captivity. I would not cover the tank because how will they ever get used to people if you hide them all the time? You see what I'm saying? After a while they will get used to people and even recognize you from other people... It's pretty rad :) If I were you I would take out all of the food currently in the tank starve them for a couple more days then throw in one small feeder fish. Then see how they react. (It could be possible that your feeders are too large for them.) Also do not worry about them dying from starvation. It is not necessary for them to eat everyday and they can survive a few weeks with out any food, But I would not recommend doing that to your fish.
 
They're all still juvies.No more than 12-13" max.The tank is at 80F and the size is 70g.No other fish in there.I'll take Ph readings again but they are very lively and quite swift actually.It's just that they're not eating.
 
take the feeders out for a few days, then clip the tail of a feeder at a weird angle and drop it in. Fish reluctant to eat will often grab a fish that is swimming erratically.. sick/injured fish are always easy targets. Many fisherman do this with the hardier baitminnows.
 
i hope you have a huge tank rady for these guys, but the clipped tails idea sounds pomising. i wouldnt cover the tank they will have to get used to people eventually, and thay will come around dont worry, they will get hungry and soon devour anything dropped in the tank. it may take a few more days, but once one eats, they will all eat.
 
Do you have a heater on the tank? If so you do not need one. These are cold water fish and will be totally fine kept at room temperature. Also 5 fish each about a foot long all together in a 70 gallon is a lot of fish. At 80 degrees there digestive system speeds up and that equals a lot of waste when the fish do start to eat. Until then keep that cover off of the tank. Starve them for a couple more days and try the clipped tail thing stated above. If you don't want to clip the tail just drop a relatively small feeder in there. Good luck man. :)
 
Two started feeding already!!! I hope it's the start already.I'm gonna transfer them to a 100g tank.Is that good enough?
 
BassProAddict;1345660; said:
Two started feeding already!!! I hope it's the start already.I'm gonna transfer them to a 100g tank.Is that good enough?
Click to expand...

The world record largemouth bass is slightly over 20 pounds. Another specimen caught but not officially weighed was about 26 pounds. Your 100 gallon will definitely not be sufficient to house these fish. Where in NYC did you catch them?
 
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