Transitioning from frozen to dry food in QT

[Firthy13]

Hi,
I currently have 6 anthias in QT who I have been working very hard on to get eating. After 3-4 weeks I have finally got them on lobster eggs and Spirulina Brine. I want to transition them over to dry the best I can so they have the best chance of survival in the DT while being feed on an auto feeder whilst I'm not home.
What are some techniques that have worked for you to get picky fish eating dry foods.

When I add the dry food now, I get a feeding response out of them, but don't even recognise it as food and ignore it.

 

[MnFish1]

Hi,
I currently have 6 anthias in QT who I have been working very hard on to get eating. After 3-4 weeks I have finally got them on lobster eggs and Spirulina Brine. I want to transition them over to dry the best I can so they have the best chance of survival in the DT while being feed on an auto feeder whilst I'm not home.
What are some techniques that have worked for you to get picky fish eating dry foods.

When I add the dry food now, I get a feeding response out of them, but don't even recognise it as food and ignore it.

I would be patient. Feed some of the old food with a little new food. Keep increasing the 'new food' - and decreasing the 'old food'. Eventually - they will eat. Contrary to popular belief fish will be ok without multiple feedings/day - and will also be ok if the skip eating for a couple days (IME). That said - the most important thing is to get them eating well and fattened up in QT. So - I wouldn't try to do it to early (i.e. get them healthy with what they will eat) - once they are moved to the DT often seeing other fish eating the 'dry food' will stimulate them to do so as well. I might just wait - get them fat - then change their food in the DT

 

[P-Dub]

Add a little of what they do eat already at the same time as the dry. Make it so that the dry is available to them by wetting as well. Slowly back off the amount of their regular food as they start to consume the dry. The same routine to get them to eat off the surface. Preferably you have dry sinking food as anthias don't usually eat from the surface.

 

[Firthy13]

Add a little of what they do eat already at the same time as the dry. Make it so that the dry is available to them by wetting as well. Slowly back off the amount of their regular food as they start to consume the dry. The same routine to get them to eat off the surface. Preferably you have dry sinking food as anthias don't usually eat from the surface.

I recently found an anthias specific food that AquaForrest make. Very small sinking pellets, high in protein. I tried it in my DT and the fish went crazy for it. I'll try introducing it with current feeding over the next few weeks.

 

[Firthy13]

I would be patient. Feed some of the old food with a little new food. Keep increasing the 'new food' - and decreasing the 'old food'. Eventually - they will eat. Contrary to popular belief fish will be ok without multiple feedings/day - and will also be ok if the skip eating for a couple days (IME). That said - the most important thing is to get them eating well and fattened up in QT. So - I wouldn't try to do it to early (i.e. get them healthy with what they will eat) - once they are moved to the DT often seeing other fish eating the 'dry food' will stimulate them to do so as well. I might just wait - get them fat - then change their food in the DT

Great advice, thanks.
Interesting you have had success without the religious 3-4 feedings a day. Hopefully I can get mine to that point.