i recently just bought two pike cichlids i guess their called the two spot kinda cause they have two big spots on their top fin (excuse my bad fish lingo) i bought them a week ago today and for the first two days i had them they each ate one small gold fish a day for two days in a row and now ive tried krill and they havent ate that ive tried roseys they diddnt touch any of them and they still havent ate anything since and their about 3 to 4 inches at most and they dont seem to swim near the top at all of even leave the gravel for that matter .i used to have a 15 inch oscar in the tank but he got to big and i had to sell him ;( before i bought my cichlids i made sure i cleaned everything out and i set the tank up and let it run for two weeks before i put anything in i also did a water change the day before i bought them . so what i was wondering is ...... is this normal for them to lay on the bottom nd just breathe haha and not eat for a week after having such a big meal/ my tank is a 50 gallon tank and they are the only fish i have in the tank my water changes are about once a week and i do between 20 nd 40 percent changes the temp of the tank stays between 74 nd 76 degrees does any one have any idea how to make them eat ? i herd they like eat earth worms as well ? the ground is thawin out should i try and find a worm and throw it in there ?
my pike cichlids wont eat
- Thread starter keitho109
- Start date
First of all welcome to MFK!!! Great to have new members, especially ones that are into Crenicichla! 
How long has your tank been setup before you got the pikes? Its possible that its not fully cycled yet, and they are stressed out from the ammonia and nitrites. I'd definitely keep an eye on them, maybe step up the water changes to twice a week at 20% until your tank is fully cycled, if its not now already.
Another thing you should change is the temp of the tank. They come from South America where the waters are normally in the upper 70s to lower 80s, so if the temps are too 'low' they may appear sluggish and not have as much of an appetite. I keep all my tanks at a minimum of 82 degrees, and all the pikes LOVE it. Anything below 78 degrees and their appetite drops a little and their colors fade.
Things to try feeding them would be frozen mysis shrimp, sinking pellets like Hikari Carnivore, frozen bloodworms, or live ghost shrimp. Most of the foods you have mentioned are readily accepted by pikes, so you are on the right path. I would be leary of feeding too many live foods if possible though since it does have the potential of introducing parasites/diseases into your tank, so use it as a last resort/treat if possible.
I'd also keep an eye out on aggression. It sounds like you have two Saxatilis group pikes, possibly Crenicichla lucius/proteus, but can't be for sure without pictures. Generally though they are quite aggressive towards each other unless they are paired up. Sometimes you get lucky and the aggression isn't too bad, but still keep an eye on them just to be safe. Hopefully you will get a pair out of them though since Crenicichla ROCK when kept as pairs!
Hope that helps some! I wouldn't stress too much about them not eating. They are gluttons and will generally gorge themselves if given the chance. Just be patient and keep offering food.
How long has your tank been setup before you got the pikes? Its possible that its not fully cycled yet, and they are stressed out from the ammonia and nitrites. I'd definitely keep an eye on them, maybe step up the water changes to twice a week at 20% until your tank is fully cycled, if its not now already.
Another thing you should change is the temp of the tank. They come from South America where the waters are normally in the upper 70s to lower 80s, so if the temps are too 'low' they may appear sluggish and not have as much of an appetite. I keep all my tanks at a minimum of 82 degrees, and all the pikes LOVE it. Anything below 78 degrees and their appetite drops a little and their colors fade.
Things to try feeding them would be frozen mysis shrimp, sinking pellets like Hikari Carnivore, frozen bloodworms, or live ghost shrimp. Most of the foods you have mentioned are readily accepted by pikes, so you are on the right path. I would be leary of feeding too many live foods if possible though since it does have the potential of introducing parasites/diseases into your tank, so use it as a last resort/treat if possible.
I'd also keep an eye out on aggression. It sounds like you have two Saxatilis group pikes, possibly Crenicichla lucius/proteus, but can't be for sure without pictures. Generally though they are quite aggressive towards each other unless they are paired up. Sometimes you get lucky and the aggression isn't too bad, but still keep an eye on them just to be safe. Hopefully you will get a pair out of them though since Crenicichla ROCK when kept as pairs!
Hope that helps some! I wouldn't stress too much about them not eating. They are gluttons and will generally gorge themselves if given the chance. Just be patient and keep offering food.