other than feeders?

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GregB

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 4, 2006
34
0
0
Puget Sound Washington
Hey everyone,

I was hoping some of you all could give me some insite. Back in the day I had some "fish eating fish" oscar, clown knife, alligator gars... and some smaller ones such as fw barracudas. My issue now is I live and work on an island and its very hard to get feeders without setting up a feeder tank (which I'm not really keen on that idea because it still requires me to travel to restock) I would like to get back into some of the larger fish but I don't want to neglect them by not getting them feeders. Is there a resonable replacement for feeders for larger fish? I can handle frozen or dried stuffs that I can have delivered but I was always used to feeding with mostly live fish. I really miss my clown knife and gars! I've been outta the hobby for a while now and I hoping to get back into it soon. So... I've been doing research and dreaming of the day. (need to build house first.. or is it get tank build house around it :D)

Thanks
 
Thanks Druu

I've tryed beef heart years back but it was hard to get them to eat it. A few of them did and seem to like it. Never thought of fish fillets DOH! That gives me some hope.. I was ready to commit to being a community fish tank owner (which I will probally still set up one) but maybe I can go slow and try to get some monsters going!
 
Try raw fish. Is it possible for you to pick it up from stores or so. Any kind of tilapia, some catfish, smelt, krill, shrimp, there are lots of alternatives to feeders. And these are still very nutritional considering they were once alive. So yeah u dont have to just use feeders or flakes/pellets. A varied diet is always the best diet, so first I would go w/ frozen foods as stated (raw fish, shrimp, krill, smelt, and etc). What the fish dont eat freeze and re-use it. Feeders can be used as treats on occasion, that way you wont have to worry about breeding them (jus make sure u quarantine them or their healthy). And if you want flakes or pellets can be good for their colors. Im no expert, but I hope this helps. Good Luck...;)
 
GregB;1550731; said:
Hey everyone,

I was hoping some of you all could give me some insite. Back in the day I had some "fish eating fish" oscar, clown knife, alligator gars... and some smaller ones such as fw barracudas. My issue now is I live and work on an island and its very hard to get feeders without setting up a feeder tank (which I'm not really keen on that idea because it still requires me to travel to restock) I would like to get back into some of the larger fish but I don't want to neglect them by not getting them feeders. Is there a resonable replacement for feeders for larger fish? I can handle frozen or dried stuffs that I can have delivered but I was always used to feeding with mostly live fish. I really miss my clown knife and gars! I've been outta the hobby for a while now and I hoping to get back into it soon. So... I've been doing research and dreaming of the day. (need to build house first.. or is it get tank build house around it :D)


Thanks
Click to expand...


Ha ha I think I can help you out here. In all honestly you dont need to worry about your fishes health when you decide to stop feeding live goldfish. In fact if you fed your fish only feeders you would get an earful in no time here! I would recommend you pick up an oscar as they are SO easy to get off of live food. Knife fish can be tricky but oscars are a sure bet. If the oscar is used to only live food (which is very rare) just feed live for awhile and then back off and start to supplement with dry floating cichlid pellets. Many people feed only this but your oscar will appreciate some frozen krill etc from time to time. Also dont feed anymore feeders unless you raise them yourself because they can be very very unhealthy.
 
It's best not to have them on a diet of mainly feeders. Variety is the best. If you want to give them the occassional feeder...why not get some easy to breed cichlids and have them pump out some feeders for you?
 
And for other fish that dont generally eat pellets you just need to experiment. Most fish will eat when they get hungry enough if you can prove something slightly appetizing. My oscar would eat a lego if I threw one in there. Try the above for most more meat picky fish. However at least in my experience you will have a hard time owning a knife without feeding live.
 
Also with some fish you can trick them. for instance my silver arow would take nothing but live crickets...so I would throw crickets right in front of his mouth and trained him take strike before they even hit the water, then I would once in awhile toss a soggy (doesnt like the texture of dry) pellet in front of him and sure enough he would eat it...eventually he was thrashing water and my poor water lettuce in pursuit of cichlid pellets!

I still like to feed crickets that have been fed carrots for the color enhancement.

As you can see there are MANY options for you
 
Thanks

I fed my guys pellets,flakes,live brineshrimp and worms as well and some beef heart. I always assumed that live feeders was the way to go. I don't wanna "get an earful" about just feeding feeders :) I guess I thought it was kinda of a mandatory thing for larger fish to have larger live foods. I never fed only feeders.

Thanks again for your replys you've made my day!!! I can have monsters again!!! One dream of mine has always been to have a arrowanna!!! LOVE those fish!( I bet they are trickyer than knife fish to ween off feeders tho ? :() edit: hah.. was posting b4 i read your last post Fish Eat Fish
 
benzjamin13;1550885; said:
It's best not to have them on a diet of mainly feeders. Variety is the best. If you want to give them the occassional feeder...why not get some easy to breed cichlids and have them pump out some feeders for you?
Click to expand...

haha ya I had some convicts that were popin um out like mad!!!

when I had my barracudas I was feeding them some guppies and they started breeding in the tank with him.. that was cool!!:D
 
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