I got a lima shovelnose about maybe 2 weeks ago. Well I had about 5 feeders, and I fed them all to him (Dont worry, I am positive they were clean, because I know the breeder) Anyways, I am wondering what I can feed him to get him off of live feeders. I havent fed him for a week, and every day I hold either Cod, Beefheart, or Freeze-Dried Krill in front of his face. He always fearlessly goes up to my hand, smells it, and swims away. Now, he is in a 125 with larger CA/SA cichlids, so if I just drop the food in, they will get it first, tahts why I am trying to train him to eat from my hand. Well, and suggestions on what to feed him besides feeders?? Also, is Cod safe for him to eat?? (Well he doesnt, but I am just curious)
weaning a lima shovelnose
- Thread starter badgers034
- Start date
Mine eats black worms and shrimp im trying to get him off that and onto pellets or flakes but no luck... and i guess hes sick right now coughing up **** like flem looking gew... but hes going into the 10gallon hospital tank tomorrow so i will get him on pellets while hes in there
Alright, mine eats whatever I feed him...even pellets.
First thing, they don't like to feed on the surface...so forget freeze-dried krill. Frozen krill is much better, but also much more expensive. Mine eats like a pig, so gets expensive...I use regular market shrimps. The ones you buy frozen, the "Cocktail" shrimps. I take the tails off, chop them in 2-3 pieces, and drop a handful in my tank. Lots of large south american cichlids in there and other aggressive fish, and the lima always gets his share. He'll learn to be quick don't worry...and with the barbels he's got he knows there's food coming before the rest of the gang...
Mine also loves sinking pellets (remember not the floating type), mussel/cockel/clam meat, fish...anything meaty. Add to this the leftover thawed krill my Mbu puffer doesn't eat, and you got a nice balance. I wouldn't give beef personally...not this fish's normal diet...
Hope this helps...Limas are such nice fishes, I love my big guy !!
First thing, they don't like to feed on the surface...so forget freeze-dried krill. Frozen krill is much better, but also much more expensive. Mine eats like a pig, so gets expensive...I use regular market shrimps. The ones you buy frozen, the "Cocktail" shrimps. I take the tails off, chop them in 2-3 pieces, and drop a handful in my tank. Lots of large south american cichlids in there and other aggressive fish, and the lima always gets his share. He'll learn to be quick don't worry...and with the barbels he's got he knows there's food coming before the rest of the gang...
Mine also loves sinking pellets (remember not the floating type), mussel/cockel/clam meat, fish...anything meaty. Add to this the leftover thawed krill my Mbu puffer doesn't eat, and you got a nice balance. I wouldn't give beef personally...not this fish's normal diet...
Hope this helps...Limas are such nice fishes, I love my big guy !!
Ok, thanks ofr the suggestions. I will definately have to try some of them.
Now, Cyclop300, how big is your tank and what kind of CA?SA cichlids do you have him in with?? Any pictures??
Now, Cyclop300, how big is your tank and what kind of CA?SA cichlids do you have him in with?? Any pictures??
When he sees it and starts swimming over try and drop it on the ground and then see if he will eat it. My marbled pim also will do that. He swims up to the food in my hand but doesn't eat it. And he eats like a pig! Good luck
Chad
Chad
Ok, that is what I did today with an earthworm, and he immediately ate it. I hope that this will be the same with other foods I try.
both of mine eat almost exclusively freeze dried krill from the surface, they attack it ferociously, but they will only eat 2 kinds, tetra jumbo krill, and wardley's freeze dried krill, i have tried other's but they won't take them, and they won't take frozen krill either funny enough, ocassionally i give them qaurantined feeder minnows to change things up, for the most part only freeze dried krill. they won't touch worms, or fish fillet.
Mine wouldn't eat either, UNTIL, i introduced another and then he would eat anything with his new pal.
Carl.
Carl.
mine fight over food alot and territory i guess too. lol, funny cause I always thought they schooled and hunted in packs. One has way outgrown the other. I got the first one at 2 inches, and he quickly grew to around 7 inches and stopped eating for like 2 months, then I got the other, 3 months after I got the first one, and he would always eat when he'd see the new one eat. Well now it's 3 months later and the smaller one is now the bigger one at 10 inches, and the other is like 8 inches. I can't believe the phenominal growth rate of the younger lima. He's grown as fast to 8 inches as any rtc or tsn I have ever seen. maybe he will be a true monster lima one day. I am thinking of getting a few more the pet store has also.