Switching live-only fed adults to pellets?

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decoy50

Polypterus
MFK Member
Jan 25, 2012
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Well I just had a job interview in MD earlier this week & it went well. If i get it, I'll be moving to MD and that means I can finally set up a P tank! Pretty pumped about this, I've been looking on CL b/c you can always find someone giving up red bellies on there & I found a group of adults for sale - good price too. Only catch is they've been fed live goldfish exclusively. Fish appear healthy & thick, but all I saw was a gritty cell phone pic.

How easy would the switch be from an all goldfish diet to pellets? Fish were captive bred, but are now adults. Thanks for any info.
 
Why only pellets, u could tilapia, shrimp, chicken liver or other sources of protein and some piranhas can be fed pellets as well, I don't think it'll be a problem. But make sure their healthy
 
It shouldn't be too hard honestly.. especially red bellies.. they eat damn near anything. You just have to be more stubborn than the shoal.

drop in a few pellets every other day. If they do not eat the pellets within 5-10mins take them out. repeat this until they eat them. Keep in mind this may take over a week... but they will not starve themselves to death.. eventually they will give in and accept pellets.

Took over a week for my Eigenmanni piranha to accept pellets but only took my red bellies 3days.
 
d3r said:
It shouldn't be too hard honestly.. especially red bellies.. they eat damn near anything. You just have to be more stubborn than the shoal.

drop in a few pellets every other day. If they do not eat the pellets within 5-10mins take them out. repeat this until they eat them. Keep in mind this may take over a week... but they will not starve themselves to death.. eventually they will give in and accept pellets.

Took over a week for my Eigenmanni piranha to accept pellets but only took my red bellies 3days.
Click to expand...

Great advice

It took my piranha a couple weeks before he would even look at pellets as a food source. Just stick with it, and eventually they will take.
 
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