Weaning to prepared foods....HELP!!

[KenyanSandBoa]

Ok, I'm just about out of ideas and I'm hoping you guys could help. I have a spotted gar thats about 12" and I can not get him to eat frozen/prapared foods for the life of me.

I bought him from fishpimp a little over a month ago. I was feeding him shiners from the local bait shop just so he could eat something because he was showing no interest in anything frozen/prepared.

I tried starving him again and this time he latched on to my marbled pims lip when he was looking for food and he's totally ignoring the frozen foods.

Does anyone have any tips? What methods worked best for you guys?

 

[Euge]

i suggest you seperate the gar for a little while, and just starve him, don't give in until he's eating prepared foods. I've always had the view that if my fish don't eat what i give them then they don't eat at all.

 

[demjor19]

i suggest you seperate the gar for a little while, and just starve him, don't give in until he's eating prepared foods. I've always had the view that if my fish don't eat what i give them then they don't eat at all.

i think this is the only way. some fish are just stubborn and you have to be persistant with them. if you have smaller tankmates he will more than likely kill/eat them. my gar killed my characin while i was getting him off of live foods. i think it would be easier to achieve w/ out tankmates or any other distractions anyway. hope this helps

 

[baracuda]

yea just separate him and throw in some dry krill or shrimp or floating pellets...mine loved floating foods...be careful while starving him with other tankmates also because while i starved mine it would snap and any fast movements including some pbass i had in the tank and an atf and their teeth do damage...but try some floating food like arowana sticks and dry shrimp eventually he will take it.

 

[sandtiger]

Have you tried frozen silversides or market shrimp?

 

[KenyanSandBoa]

Thanks guys.

Yes, I've tried silversides and market shrimp. I got a little response from the silversides but he wouldn't take it. Maybe I will just have to move him to a quarintine tank to get him eating...we'll see what happens.

 

[demjor19]

Thanks guys.

Yes, I've tried silversides and market shrimp. I got a little response from the silversides but he wouldn't take it. Maybe I will just have to move him to a quarintine tank to get him eating...we'll see what happens.

this sounds like your best bet.

 

[Bsixxx]

damn I geuss I am lucky


mine started eating pellets the second day he was in the tank at only 4"



anyway you should just starve him untill he gives in

 

[demjor19]

damn I geuss I am lucky


mine started eating pellets the second day he was in the tank at only 4"



anyway you should just starve him untill he gives in

getting a 4" gar to take prepared foods is much different than getting a 12" gar to take prepared. his fish has probably been eating live foods for 8-10 months of its life. i went throught the same thing. mine was 15-16 inches before i tried getting him off of live foods.