Hey, my jaguar (3") is very picky and refuses to eat anything but frozen food (no pellets!) so I been feeding him chopped up tilapia fillets pieces 2xs a day.. And he loves it. I been trying to smash up pellets and mix it with the tilapia to gets some of the pellets in him. But lately he just spits the pellet matter out and eats the fish (getting smart!) ... Question is .. Is it ok to him tilapia daliy? Should I add anything to it? And/or is there anything else to feed that will benefit him, being he is so picky against pellets... Thanks for any advise suggestions!!
Ok to feed jaguar , tilapia fillets daily??
- Thread starter Jayfish7
- Start date
My jag pair likes worms, I give them a few night crawlers every few days and it's interesting to watch them eat.
I am not sure if it is ok to just feed him Tilapia fillets daily.
But the way I do is starve mine for a day or so, provide pellets to eat. Scoop out if it does not eat and eventually they take to eating pellets over a period of time.
Is your Jag a loner in the tank or with tank mates , if with tank mates the excitement during feeding sessions will make him eat what you have to offer.
But the way I do is starve mine for a day or so, provide pellets to eat. Scoop out if it does not eat and eventually they take to eating pellets over a period of time.
Is your Jag a loner in the tank or with tank mates , if with tank mates the excitement during feeding sessions will make him eat what you have to offer.
I don't think that's a good long term diet. Since you are the boss, not him, you might want to decide when to get him on a varied diet.
The problem with using just tilapia, or just cod, or just shrimp, or just anything that's not designed to provide a varied diet is that:
1) most fish, even piscivores, consume insects, veggies, and crustaceans that are in the prey's stomach. So their diet isn't just fish.
2) fish filet is not the whole fish. With the whole fish, the piscivore is also getting bones, organs, scales etc that might include even more nutrients and minerals not found in the filet
3) frozen fish flesh has the potential to lose a number of specific nutrients that are still in fresh fish flesh, so that's another concern
While 3" might not be the right size to starve him, at some point you may want to train him to eat pellets, and several other kinds of foods. I'm sure there are people who have grown fish on just tilapia, but I am skeptical that it's the most nutritious diet they could have had, and I'm skeptical that all of those fish lived as long with as much color/behavior as they otherwise might have had with a varied diet.
The problem with using just tilapia, or just cod, or just shrimp, or just anything that's not designed to provide a varied diet is that:
1) most fish, even piscivores, consume insects, veggies, and crustaceans that are in the prey's stomach. So their diet isn't just fish.
2) fish filet is not the whole fish. With the whole fish, the piscivore is also getting bones, organs, scales etc that might include even more nutrients and minerals not found in the filet
3) frozen fish flesh has the potential to lose a number of specific nutrients that are still in fresh fish flesh, so that's another concern
While 3" might not be the right size to starve him, at some point you may want to train him to eat pellets, and several other kinds of foods. I'm sure there are people who have grown fish on just tilapia, but I am skeptical that it's the most nutritious diet they could have had, and I'm skeptical that all of those fish lived as long with as much color/behavior as they otherwise might have had with a varied diet.
He isn't alone in the tank.. He is the smallest though and even if he wanted pellets, there's almost no chance he gets any... However with the tilapia I am able to signel him out due to the others not too interested in it...
What else would be a good substitute with the talapai to make a suitable diet? Or is it necessary to get him into pellets? .. Thanks to all for all the advice so far !
What else would be a good substitute with the talapai to make a suitable diet? Or is it necessary to get him into pellets? .. Thanks to all for all the advice so far !
Okay I see. Well, one option some take is to give the fish it's own tank to grow out in until he could compete in the main tank. Feeding is easy and the fish can have no competition.
If that's not an option, then you could try this. He likes frozen fish (idk if you put it in frozen or thawed), but, either way, it appears that the others maybe don't, so I'd try other things like cod, squid, shrimp/prawns, pollock, catfish, even peas. See if he'll go for some variety, and if the others pass on the food only because it's frozen but he doesn't, then just chill everything before serving.
When he gets bigger, (say 6-7") maybe he'll be ready for pellets as well. At least by then, he will have had a more varied diet, and he'll be used to not getting the same thing all the time.
If that's not an option, then you could try this. He likes frozen fish (idk if you put it in frozen or thawed), but, either way, it appears that the others maybe don't, so I'd try other things like cod, squid, shrimp/prawns, pollock, catfish, even peas. See if he'll go for some variety, and if the others pass on the food only because it's frozen but he doesn't, then just chill everything before serving.
When he gets bigger, (say 6-7") maybe he'll be ready for pellets as well. At least by then, he will have had a more varied diet, and he'll be used to not getting the same thing all the time.
I thaw out the food before feeding.. and besides him only my GT eats the live food (at the moment) . but thats a good idea. I will try a variety of different foods, so he doesnt get used to just the tilapia... ( oh, and i dont have a tank to grown him out . at least one in which eh wouldnt kill all my other , smaller fish )
should i try to mash up pellets and mix into the food? (which worked at 1st but now he seems to just spit out the pellet matter
).. or add a vitamin supplement into the water (or food)
thanks again for the advice, its much appreciated
should i try to mash up pellets and mix into the food? (which worked at 1st but now he seems to just spit out the pellet matter
).. or add a vitamin supplement into the water (or food)thanks again for the advice, its much appreciated
Sounds like he is spoiled. I would starve him for a few days then offer only pellets. There is nothing wrong w/ tilapia but it should be a small part of the diet. Pellets really give everything he will need nutritionally. With most fish a varied diet is best.
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should i try to mash up pellets and mix into the food? (which worked at 1st but now he seems to just spit out the pellet matter
thanks again for the advice, its much appreciated
Mashing up the pellets and mixing with small portions of food can be tried.
Currently I have a Peacock bass and he eats Hikari Massivore pellets , but when I try to feed him any other pellets he just refuses. I am trying to starve him and hoping he eats the other pellets too.
By the way , what pellets are you feeding.
Omega one and Hikari gold... but as of late he got smart, and chews the fish up and spits out the pellet(s)... i still get "some" in him..
is there a vitamin i can mix into the food or the water to supplement the difference of not eating pellets (as of now)? ... if so, is it worth it? thx for the help!