Time to work on my kel!

[davenmandy]

I bought a WC ipatinga from Rapps a while back. From the beginning he was shy as can be, timid, always hid. I tried my best to accommodate but then he suffered a burn from hanging out too close to my heater during a water change. He recovered other than his eye, which I feel is probably permanently damaged. It's not terrible looking, only a small white spot, but can't help but wonder how well he can see out of it. Took forever to get him off of minnows, he's on worms now, eats 1 every morning at best, sometimes not even cuz he's hiding or gets too scared when I open the lid. He does beg when he's hungry at the front but nowhere near like all my other bass. I'd put him at 7", he's a bit less shy now, out and about until anyone walks by the tank and scares him lol. He's in a 75 gal with 6 small silver dollars, a common pleco, and a freshwater moray eel. Filtration could be a bit better, eheim 2215 and aquaclear 110 that's kinda old.

Now that the history is done, my goal is to get him to my 400 asap, it's a much healthier system. The 400 has 3 large stingrays and no decorations. I gotta get him off of live too, plus get him a bit less shy. How do I make headway, how can I beef him up? Suggestions to get this going smoother and faster? Thanks.

Btw just a bit of context I'm not entirely hopeless, I've raised 10 other bass in this exact setup, 7 of which I have broke off of live food, it is simply this one that is giving me trouble

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[Mayo]

He might be a bit skittish due to being alone and with a school of silvers dollars shooting around, i always find juveniles are much better in small packs of 3 or more, but he should come around eventually. As for getting onto pellets i would start with Hikari foodsticks crushed up and mixed in with some defrosted bloodworms, start with minimal amount of crushed pellets in blend and work your way up until he has acquired the taste for the pellet it self.

See how you go and keep us update

 

[gangster]

He might be a bit skittish due to being alone and with a school of silvers dollars shooting around, i always find juveniles are much better in small packs of 3 or more, but he should come around eventually. As for getting onto pellets i would start with Hikari foodsticks crushed up and mixed in with some defrosted bloodworms, start with minimal amount of crushed pellets in blend and work your way up until he has acquired the taste for the pellet it self.

See how you go and keep us update

Best way to pellet train by far! I feed by spoon with this method generally. Always easier when the bass are in groups tho.


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[davenmandy]

I know i know about the group thing, but i didnt want to bite off more than I can chew cuz i get kinda addicted to bass. The rays are my priority, but i have room for 1 bass and 1 black aro, that's it nothing more. So easier just to have 1.

I've always used the freeze dried shrimp or krill method. Will the blood worm method work if my bass has never eaten blood worms before?

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[sevank21]

Take out the decorations and leave your tank light on 24/7 hell come around eventually and break out of that shy mode. It's worked for me with several bass.

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[davenmandy]

Take out the decorations and leave your tank light on 24/7 hell come around eventually and break out of that shy mode. It's worked for me with several bass.

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Wow see that's contrary to what everyone told me in the beginning. They told me when I put him into a bare tank that I was crazy since he was wild caught he needs decorations to hide behind as well as substrate to feel comfortable. Said it's completely unnatural for a WC fish and that's why he was acting skiddish. Maybe the difference is how long he's been here though, idk. Anyway not sure I can take out the decorations because the moray eel loves to weave himself through the plastic plants, but maybe I'll just leave the 3 pieces of abs piping for him and see how he does. Anyone else have success using sevanks method?

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