How to convert fish to eat pellets

[Gatling]

Age old issue, one fish will only eat frozen mysis. My 5 other fish absolutely love the pellets I feed. How would I convert this fish to eating pellets? For info, its a cardinal fish that's been in my tank for 5 months now.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Soak in garlic maybe? But I would recommend this, pellets aren't a very good food source...

 

[Peace River]

What type of pellets are you feeding? You may consider pre-soaking the pellets. I have also found that the pellets from ME Coral are softer and many of my more particular fish take that more readily.

 

[C. Eymann]

Feed at the same time you do frozen foods, wean them off that way, agree soaking foods in some selcon can do wonders for enticement.

 

[PacoPetty]

None of my fish touch the pellets even when I soak them in garlic or Selcon. One of my clown fish grabbed one today and I got a little bit excited but he spit it out just a second later. I only put in three or five pallets at a time and they are consumed by the cleanup crew. I have a Bangaii cardinalfish that has been in my tank for about three months and I have never seen it eat.

 

[KrisReef]

Age old issue, one fish will only eat frozen mysis. My 5 other fish absolutely love the pellets I feed. How would I convert this fish to eating pellets? For info, its a cardinal fish that's been in my tank for 5 months now.

Since you are dealing with a Cardinal, you only have a couple of options for conversion:

 

[Gatling]

What type of pellets are you feeding? You may consider pre-soaking the pellets. I have also found that the pellets from ME Coral are softer and many of my more particular fish take that more readily.

I have Vitalis platinum marine pellets. They're very small and quite soft. I'll try soaking them in the dethawed mysis and try for a week. My LFS told me they feed all their fish this type of pellet!

Soak in garlic maybe? But I would recommend this, pellets aren't a very good food source...

I heard that too but i've fed my clowns for over a year with this pellet food and they're quite plump (proud parenting). They do eat the algae when I scrape it from the glass so they have a somewhat balanced diet.

 

[Gatling]

Since you are dealing with a Cardinal, you only have a couple of options for conversion:

I see, ok I'll give the pope a call and hopefully he can fix things up. By the looks of it, the pope will be my only hope of getting this fish to eat pellets...

 

[KrisReef]

Why bother the Pope when we have @revhtree on here? :)

Come to think of it:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/official-prayer-thread-prayer-request.25254/
Every little bit helps!
(I hope your fish comes around soon. Kris)

 

[OrionN]

Age old issue, one fish will only eat frozen mysis. My 5 other fish absolutely love the pellets I feed. How would I convert this fish to eating pellets? For info, its a cardinal fish that's been in my tank for 5 months now.

Cardinal will only eat frozen. Not the best food for reef tank but certain carnivor fish will only eat frozen. All the omnivor, which are most reef fish will eat all kind of things. IME, and IMO you will never get your cardinal to eat dry food.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I have Vitalis platinum marine pellets. They're very small and quite soft. I'll try soaking them in the dethawed mysis and try for a week. My LFS told me they feed all their fish this type of pellet!


I heard that too but i've fed my clowns for over a year with this pellet food and they're quite plump (proud parenting). They do eat the algae when I scrape it from the glass so they have a somewhat balanced diet.

I don't doubt most fish will eat dry foods, and even get fat! I'd compare it to you eating only Macdonalds food all of the time. Not great food, but you'll definately gain some weight!

 

[S2G]

I don't doubt most fish will eat dry foods, and even get fat! I'd compare it to you eating only Macdonalds food all of the time. Not great food, but you'll definately gain some weight!

No offense but this is just flat out wrong. A quality pellet will have all the nutrition you need.

The only fish that didn't eat them were eels & puffers.

 

[S2G]

Which cardinal are we talking about? I only feed nls marine & probiotix. Banggai & pajama eat it no prob along with whatever mess the eel makes. Not picky by any means ime.

Have you tried to starve it out with only pellets?

 

[Steven Garland]

Just flick it in the mouth until he decides to eat pellets. One day it will learn.

 

[OrionN]

I don't doubt most fish will eat dry foods, and even get fat! I'd compare it to you eating only Macdonalds food all of the time. Not great food, but you'll definately gain some weight!

This is not true. Show me a breeder who only feed frozed food I I will show you deformed fish. Good dry food will give fish the best nutrients.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

This is not true. Show me a breeder who only feed frozed food I I will show you deformed fish. Good dry food will give fish the best nutrients.

I have to disagree. My fish eat a good assortment of seafood like clams, squid, shrimp, seaweed, ect, just like they eat in the ocean. Those foods give fish the best nutrients

 

[Pbh-reef]

My advice is to try these pellets- https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/1-2-mm-pellets-dry-hatchery-diet-sustainable-aquatics.html
They smell so strong that my cryptic inverts like a pompon crab come out when I feed them. They also stay in the water column for a good while (I turn of the main pump and keep wave maker on when I feed).

 

[Malifry97]

Soak in garlic maybe? But I would recommend this, pellets aren't a very good food source...

False, many pelleted foods are excellent food sources. It’s a common myth. Frozen doesn’t have everything a fish needs. You need supplementation.

 

[OrionN]

Soak in garlic maybe? But I would recommend this, pellets aren't a very good food source...

I don't doubt most fish will eat dry foods, and even get fat! I'd compare it to you eating only Macdonalds food all of the time. Not great food, but you'll definately gain some weight!

I have to disagree. My fish eat a good assortment of seafood like clams, squid, shrimp, seaweed, ect, just like they eat in the ocean. Those foods give fish the best nutrients

Fish need variety, but good dry foods are superior to frozen food. Most breeders feed mainly dry food to their brood stock and use dry food to grow out other than some carnivorous fish. Universally (almost) all the clown breeders use dry food as main food source.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Ok guys lets take a step back, I never said a word about frozen food, or what breeders use. Feeding fish the same natural foods they eat in the ocean is 100% superior to any of your dry foods. There is just no arguing that imo...