My fish don't like worms

[Dubeckyj]

I remember reading in a few places that you can feed gars worms. I picked up two 4" spotteds the other day, but they were out of feeders small enough to fit in their mouths. "No worries," I thought, "I'll just get them some worms!"

No dice. Belgian trout worm (similar to an earth worm), full length, chopped up, full-length suspended, chopped up suspended, they weren't at all interested. I thought I'd salvage the situation and just feed them to my bigger stock, 8" gator and florida, and 11" TSN. The gars don't even acknowledge the worm even if I slap them in the face with it, and the TSN will find it, and just lay in front of it and stare. This is a fish that thinks gravel is popcorn, and it won't eat a worm.

My small cat community tank will, quite disturbingly, rip them apart in no time, so I'm not concerned about the waste. But, was I misinformed about the gars diet, or do all of mine simply consider it disgusting?

I know this is the far forum, but anybody with experience with a TSN, is this normal behaviour as well, or is this guy on crack?

 

[HungDang]

the small gar will need some time to settle in, gar and TSN will less likely to take worms if you feed them feeders too often!

 

[bigcatlover]

Nope, pretty normal! All our cats will eat worms. They think they're delicious

Funniest fish to watch eat a full earth worm though is the blood parrot. He sucks it in like spaghetti and then spits it out and does it again and again. Although he's had to learn the tough lesson of not doing that around the catfish...they'll steal his worm right out of his little mishapen mouth hahahah

 

[bigcatlover]

By the way, will your little gars eat cut fish? Like rosie or minnow halfs?

 

[pharmaecopia]

BA Hamilton? If so those gars should take to bloodworms very quickly if your out of feeders.

As far as earthworms, I've had mixed results feeding those. Some of the gars like them some don't. I've only had them take larger pieces of worms or whole worms though, they would not take small pieces.

 

[Dubeckyj]

By the way, will your little gars eat cut fish? Like rosie or minnow halfs?

I can't get my larger gar on prepared foods yet, I doubt my babies will go for it.

BA Hamilton? If so those gars should take to bloodworms very quickly if your out of feeders.

As far as earthworms, I've had mixed results feeding those. Some of the gars like them some don't. I've only had them take larger pieces of worms or whole worms though, they would not take small pieces.

Yes, BA Hamilton. I'll keep that in mind, though I have no experience with live bloodworms. Just freeze-dried and straight-up frozen. I found some shiny snacks for them, though, so no worries.

 

[pharmaecopia]

Frozen bloodworms is what I was referring to. Recently picked up two from there, and when I ran out of feeders that took to frozen bloodworms almost right away.

 

[Dubeckyj]

Frozen bloodworms is what I was referring to. Recently picked up two from there, and when I ran out of feeders that took to frozen bloodworms almost right away.

That's neat. When did you pick them up? I'd like to compare growth rates to see how much I fail at raising gar. Do you know if they're positive spotted, or mislabeled floridas?

 

[pharmaecopia]

I purchased my two on November 1st. As far as comparing growth rates I wouldn't have a problem with that. As far as them being spotted or florida one of the employees I talked to at the store confirmed my suspissions that they came from Asia. With that I would say they are floridas. One thing you should note is that they came in at a larger size than you usually see cb floridas come in. Not sure if this might end up affecting their growth or not.

 

[MonsterMinis]

tbh I've never had luck with trout worms with any of my fish ( the segmented red ones, which sounds liek you are referencing?) I've always had to use good old canadian nightcrawlers for any fish includeing my gar, But my Cuban loves them where my floridas will take them if the fancy strikes them. It's messy as all get out but I use a pair of nail scissors to cut mine up as small as needed. Bloodworms can work but I prefer to soak other foods with them to get the "scent" on them then to feed straight bloodworms, bloodworms lack much nutrition but are stinky and can get fish refuseing to eat on the road to eating again. I've used them many times to get finiky eaters onto pellets, just soaking them in the bloodworm mush I thawed for feeding. frozen krill also work great, you can try freeze dried but I've found it to be more expensive then frozen, it also makes a great soaker food. Hope some of my suggestions help and your lil' guys get eating or already are.