Recommendations for feeding armatus

[lizerdking]

Picked up an armatus in June, now trying to convert him off live. He is in a 220 gallon tank with 6 silver dollars. I feed them shrimp which he approaches but just follows to the ground. Hes also gone 3 days without eating. My question is should i switch to tilapia since it might have a fishier smell then the shrimp? I got a few more days before i break and feed this guys some feeders. Thanks for the input guys much appreciated.

 

[krichardson]

I would stop waisting the shrimp,feed the silver dollars pellets or flakes and let the armatus starve a few more days until it gets hungry enough to start eating the tilapia that you offer,or even better,the pellets.I have had a few armatus and when I have starved them long enough they learned to eat the tilapia and other fish filet....some people have gotten them onto pellets which is always a good thing.
A word of caution,the armatus may start to attack the silvers at some point.

 

[Quason778]

I agree 100% with what K krichardson said. With my experience though my 2 Armatus starved themselves for almost a month before they took the cut tilapia, so you have to be very vigilant and not let them punk you into throwing live in for them. I was lucky enough where mine didn't attack any of the silver dollars I had. Oddly enough, they preferred frozen silversides to tilapia later on.

 

[krichardson]

I agree 100% with what K krichardson said. With my experience though my 2 Armatus starved themselves for almost a month before they took the cut tilapia, so you have to be very vigilant and not let them punk you into throwing live in for them. I was lucky enough where mine didn't attack any of the silver dollars I had. Oddly enough, they preferred frozen silversides to tilapia later on.

Thanks and it's good to rotate the different kinds of fish that you give them.I'd go from tilapia,shrimp,swai,even squid.I did have one armatus that was mostly fed smelts that just keeled over and died out of nowhere one day.I blamed it on the smelt and never used it again.

 

[amazontank]

I started my guy on Krill that floated after he saw a clown knife eat from the top for a few weeks.
I also tied a fishing line to the whole frozen fat silversides and he started on those. He would never eat anything once it hit the bottom.
Then he ate shrimp, and makerel and tilapia stuffed with hikari jumbo pellets. I can fit 30 of them in his croaker. I inject vitachem also into the stomach of his whole fish.
Also never buy that farm raised tilapia. I feed swordfish, mahi, salmon, seabass and wild tilapia.
krichardson is the expert and helped me a few years ago.

 

[krichardson]

I started my guy on Krill that floated after he saw a clown knife eat from the top for a few weeks.
I also tied a fishing line to the whole frozen fat silversides and he started on those. He would never eat anything once it hit the bottom.
Then he ate shrimp, and makerel and tilapia stuffed with hikari jumbo pellets. I can fit 30 of them in his croaker. I inject vitachem also into the stomach of his whole fish.
Also never buy that farm raised tilapia. I feed swordfish, mahi, salmon, seabass and wild tilapia.
krichardson is the expert and helped me a few years ago.

Hah! cut that out bro,I wish I was an expert....after losing my two footer a few years ago I vowed to not get them anymore.It's been tough fighting back the temptation every time I see a good deal on one but I have held strong lol.

 

[kendragon]

Thanks and it's good to rotate the different kinds of fish that you give them.I'd go from tilapia,shrimp,swai,even squid.I did have one armatus that was mostly fed smelts that just keeled over and died out of nowhere one day.I blamed it on the smelt and never used it again.

Good advice!
I had a shoal of 10 armatus which I feed smelt daily. When they hit 12", all dropped like flies. Lost all of them in one week. I knew it was the smelt.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Get a fishing line tie one end to something and get some shrimp/ krill/ silversides after a week show them the food tied to line, make it swim .

 

[lizerdking]

Okay so will switch it up and wont break until it eats cut fish. Thanks guys

 

[amazontank]

To this day I tie a big silverside to the outlet on my triton 4 with air venturi. So the fat silverside looks like he is swimming in the amazon stream by a waterfall.
My Armatus for sure thinks its alive and swimming for his life!!!!