They say a fish wont starve itself....

[DMD123]

Have you tried hikari? Massivore and carnivore have a particular smell that my bichirs love.

Yep, Hikari sinking carnivore is one of the foods I feed.

What you could also do is add a bottom level fish that will take pellets. This worked for me I luckily got a WC del that would readily accept pellets and pretty much every fish I've gotten has learned from it to eat pellets. This doesn't always work especially if the poly your trying to pellet train is the first one. But as others have said polys usually don't starve themselves it just may take a little more work, but with enough determination you should be able to get it on pellets one way or another.

The weeksii shares the tank with a del and albino sen that both eat pellets, so not really a monkey see, monkey do situation....

 

[Dr.B]

Yep, Hikari sinking carnivore is one of the foods I feed.



The weeksii shares the tank with a del and albino sen that both eat pellets, so not really a monkey see, monkey do situation....

Hmmm seems like it's gonna be one of those difficult ones lol

 

[Aw3s0m3]

You're having better luck than I am with my congicus. It's 16" and it's the only one that won't eat pellets. Even when I drop them in, it doesn't even bother looking for them, but every single 1 of my other polys will eat it.


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[blauaugigengel]

None of my polys would eat pellets when they were babies. I couldnt get them to switch to pellets until about 6-7" in length (started at 3", now 12") Anyway, tilapia is really good for them. you should feed that in addition to pellets anyway.

 

[FishNCash]

I got a weeksii that is a also a picky eater. He wouldn't eat any pellets when I put him solo. I gave up then added him to my poly community. He will eat or die. Now he eats pellets and tilapia. He still prefer tilapia over pellets. Some weeksii are shy at eater. I have another weeksii that would eat too much which worry me he would die from it.

 

[raj914]

My WC Weeksii is worst, wont take fresh foods or pellets. Its been 2 weeks now. My ansrogii only takes pellets doesnt like the smell of fresh food LOL

 

[DMD123]

So I noticed that my weeksii does not want to be powerfed... he ate the tilapia I put in last night but did not eat any from this morning. I have to feed him after the lights go out or before they come on or else he wont eat. He does not like the lights!

Here is a pic when I first got him about 8 months ago:

Still has external gills:


When I got him he was 7" and now is 8.5" so he has grown but his del tankmate went from 4" to 8.25" in the same time frame.

 

[mike_sema]

Polypterus will not starve them selves to death , the only time I have seen this happen is with a sick poly, yours dose not look to be sick esp since it is growing. Stick to your plan it just takes time with stubborn ones.


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[mikehagan]

Both of my weeksii will hardly eat if the lights are on. I would fatten him up with tilapia, and worry about pellets once he is nice and fat.

 

[ExoticGREEN]

all my polys, I never had any issues of starving. I have so many I lose track. but the ones that dont eat. eventually will. My big pbb has gone 3-4wks or more without eating. how I know this. its not as active as it used to be. sits in a corner during feedings. now its eats but he is on and off