tips on switching to frozen

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
A

angryinsect

Candiru
MFK Member
Jun 2, 2009
361
1
48
43
British Columbia Canada
so my 2 6'' floridas have been home for about 2 weeks and in that time have polished off about 100 feeders give or take. now its time to get them on frozen. they have been without feeders in the tank for 2 days now and are showing no interest in anything i offer them. i have tried teasing them with the food on a bbq squewer(usually ends up spooking them) and just dropping it in the tank. foods offered have been cut up shrimp, smelt and sole fillet. i haven't tried scenting with garlic but thats gonna be my next step. just wondering how long i can safely ''starve'' them for before giving in and adding feeders and if anyone has any other tips they would be greatly appreciated. also wondering if i'm trying to wean them too small, i have sucsessfully done this with a 10''+ gar that was strictly fed feeders and it only took a day or 2 before it was eating on its own

Cheers
Jordan
 
0 days. Thats how long u can starve them. 0 days. Way too small dude. U can offer prepared but no starving

Posted on mobile.monsterfishkeepers.com
 
Lepisosteus platyrhincus;5100264; said:
0 days. Thats how long u can starve them. 0 days. Way too small dude. U can offer prepared but no starving

Posted on mobile.monsterfishkeepers.com
Click to expand...

x2. Do not starve them for any period of time at that size.

Try cutting some tilapia or other white fish into strips and wiggle a strip at the surface to entice the gars to strike it and eat it.

This method worked for all of the gars that I have trained to take foods other than feeders. I already have my two newest gars (both are about 11" long) on tilapia strips after having them for a bit over a week.
 
The ones I would bring in to the shop would take NLS within a few days.
 
Floating NLS pellets worked well. I don't think other brands would work out near as well, or be as healthy.
 
My two floridas started eating round floating cichlid pellets on their own without any starving. I guess watching the cichlids gorge on them was enticing enough. Now they're around 15" and will still eat the cichlid pellets if the shrimp I feed them doesn't fill them up xD
 
keep on live food for now to maintain weight, don't fast them. FD krill works well as a switch to non-live, but you should still not fast them when that small. there are serious consequences in health and development in starving the fish when they are that small.

if you feed them daily or provide constant feeders, just wait for them to finish off their food for the day. then the next day, before offering live or the usual food, offer some FD krill on a stick. few fish resist the smell and visual appeal of krill for very long. frozen silversides on a feeding stick can also work.

as for NLS, i have never had a gar take it on the first try (multiple species, multiple sizes), they may take it eventually, but because of its texture and harder density, i have found gars to resist it more than pellets such as hikari (NLS is better of course, but gars don't take to it as quickly).

you can also gut-load your feeders with NLS before feeding them to the gars, this works well early on as it delivers the extra nutrition and they still go after the food (in the form of the pellet-carrier feeder fish). good luck!--
--solomon

PS-- many many threads on switching to other foods, so i would also search the forum.
 
well i haven't been able to get to the lfs for the last 4 or 5 days for feeders. so i have been offering them earthworms and frozen food. last night one of the 2 tried eating some worm but gave up, but it was a step in the right direction. today the slightly larger of the 2 ate a worm then proceeded to eat a bunch of smelt and is lookin pretty plump. now if only the smaller one will follow suit
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom