Shaking the Addiction

[Greenaveli]

I just got a couple of great pikes frm shark aquarium on sunday. Just as i figured they are addicted to feeders. What foods would you reccomend to try to ween them off the feeders? This is the main reason i dont like buying larger fish. They come with baggage.

 

[Pirwhana]

How big are they? If less than 5" I would try bloodworms or mysis shrimp. If larger - go with krill

 

[Greenaveli]

I have been putting the krill in the tank and they won't even look at them. They are about 5". A cobra and 2 either tapajos or xingu 2's.

 

[Greenaveli]

Cmon Peanut, Scat , Taz..... Where are you guys.

 

[ShadowStryder]

Good luck, I got my Marm 4 months ago and I still can't break her.
I starved her for six days, still would not look at anything that did not swim. I tried nightcrawlers, shrimp, pellets, bloodworms, red wigglers, krill. She turns her nose up to it. My Johanna and Xingu I
both eat other types of foods but they will not touch pellets either.
Try starving and pour out in front of Powerhead to resemble a fish swimming around.

I use feeders for her that are fed as well as any cichlid that I have.
I quarantine them for several weeks. Feed them with a variety of cichlid foods. I use fat head minnows, gold fish, and shiners,
I rotate the new feeders after quarantine to another 10 gal that has well fed and healthy feeders.
I never throw feeders directly into tank after purchasing them.

 

[Greenaveli]

Ahh man I hope mine aren't as stubborn as yours is. I really really hate feeding my fish feeders. I usually get rid of the ones that won't switch but I really love these guys.

 

[Taz2478]

fresh shrimp usually works to moving to pellets for me.

Come to thing about it, all mine have been pretty greedy in excepting anything.

try frozen blood worms, beef heart or mysis shrimp. sinking pellets from Spectrum, TherA+ A Jumbo 6mm.

what other fish are with it?

 

[Greenaveli]

my cobra is alone and the others are with other pikes severums parachromis fish a chocalate and a whole lotta catfish. No agreesion problems though

 

[Taz2478]

def try the shrimp and sinking pellets since it's alone. find grass shrimp too.

 

[Peanut_Power]

Get some fresh garlic, some mysis shrimp, and some sinking pellets (Hikari Marine-A- or Hikari Sinking Carinivoure Pellets are great). Get a bowl/cup, put some water, some of the mysis shrimp, and some of the sinkin pellets in there. Next MINCE the garlic, really really really fine. Put it in with the food and let if sit for at least five minutes. Add some to the tank, then wait a few minutes and add some more. Should help at least some. Don't get discouraged though, as almost any pike can be broke with patience and time.
Gettin some aggressive feeders in there like Silver Dollars will help also. Pikes seem to like to eat when they see that other fish are eating as well. Once they have learned that the food is good, they will be a pain to get to STOP eating! LoL!