Royal Grammar Expertise Required - Food Training

[ReefHappyChris]

Hey all,

I bought a beautiful Royal Grammar, no signs of disease at store, I quarantined 8 days in Paraguard, then started quarantining with Cupramine dosing over 4 days instead of 2 to get to full dose and now im finishing with another 14 days at full dose copper *10 days left*. If I have a fish that has no signs of disease thats how I do it and touch wood its been fine up until now.

The question is normally I feed a mix of frozen live food, pellets and flake, but in quarantine I get my fish used to pellet food because sometimes I work weekends away and the autofeeder only really works with pellets. This fish will not touch anything other than Mysis and artemia brine shrimp, its got 10 days left of quarantine and I really need to get it on pellets before the end of quarantine. When I observe the fish or if I am any where near the tank it just hides and dont come out. I have to close the door and look through the keyhole after about 10 minutes and it swims about. Now I know they do this, hiding in between rocks I mean but Ive had a grammar in the past that I got on pellets in like 2 days and after about a week he would swim around the tank when I was in the same room. Is it a bad idea to stop adding frozen live food and just add the food I want it to take for a few days. It still looks really healthy and happy and I dont want really want to force this if its not going to eat and then get stressed.

Is this just something I need to stick at or is it anyone else's experience that the grammar doesnt take to pellets well.

Anyone with experience with Grammars please help.
Cheers
Chris

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Just give it time. Get a good book and sit in front of the tank for an hour. It will get used to you quickly, and you will be able to feed it. However, frozen is more nutritious, so add a little bit to the tank when you can.

 

[Bucs20fan]

Persistence is key here. Feeding will pick up once introduced to a DT. Natural feeding response from competing fishes will always increase the feeding response from a fish like a gramma. Mine is a pig but was shy and didnt feed all that well in quarantine as well. Most of the medications we use can have an affect on appetite as well. I would not fret. Keep him healthy during quarantine and I have no doubt once it is acclimated to the DT it will gobble up anything you throw in the tank.

 

[ReefHappyChris]

Thanks for your responses and tips I will definelty take them on, I will continue persistng with this. cheers

 

[mfinn]

Thanks for your responses and tips I will definelty take them on, I will continue persistng with this. cheers

One thing I do while a fish is in quarantine to get a picky fish to eat is drop small amounts of food in the stream of a powerhead. My reasoning is if the fish see's the food moving ( trying to escape?) across the tank it will trigger a feeding response. Maybe try this with a just a few pellets at a time.
Feed at the same time everyday. Switch up the frozen with pellets at some point.

 

[littlebeard]

Have you tried soaking the pellets in a mixture of mysis and a little bit of water?
Have you tried different brands of pellets? I'm a fan of TDO, always seems to give a healthy feeding response.

 

[ReefHappyChris]

I'm up to try anything to get it to work. Tomorrow I'm going to soak the pellets in mysis that sounds promising. Plus I'll also try the powerhead feeding. Not thought of these tecniques thanks alot.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I'm in the same boat, I have a royal gramma and yellowhead jawfish in a 15 gallon, neither one will eat pellets, they just watch it float slowly down past them onto the sand. And then they look at me like I'm an idiot?

I've tried to mix the pellets into the serving of frozen food, but they still avoid it and only go for the frozen.

I went on a 2 day business trip last week, they didnt eat, I didnt want to leave the pellet feeder turned on for nothing.

 

[johnreef]

if a fish won't eats and hide, either its not hungry or its somehow sick or uncomfortable,at this time we need to figur out what cause it stop eating but not keep feedding it in different foods, that will be more harm than help, if new fish just got stress,let it hide and leave it alone for few days, once they adjusted themself, will showing up more and eating more,my 6 lines and diamond goby does the same as your Royal Grammar.