Hello! Due to winter weather rolling in, I would really like to get my pygmies shipped here before it starts getting below freezing. However, I don't have enough time to get a live food culture going strong enough to support a trio right away. What are some simple staple diets that can be readily fed immediately or within a week of receiving until I get a grindal worm culture going strong? Will BBS work? Or are they too small to be a staple? Will they eat baby pond snails or snail eggs? Any responses are much appreciated!
Thanks,
Canis
Good Staple Diets?
Started by
Guest_Canis_*
, Oct 28 2014 11:41 PM
9 replies to this topic
#2
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 29 October 2014 - 11:03 AM
If by pygmys you mean Elassoma species, then I would say go with entry of snails (they will eat snail eggs and likely juveniles) and thawed frozen foods (brine, mysis, bloodworms) dropped softly and slowly so they see them fall. They go after bloodworms without any training.
I have raised em to adulthood with frozen and some wild stuff off of outdoor plants so you will be ok with just those things until your culture gets going.
I have raised em to adulthood with frozen and some wild stuff off of outdoor plants so you will be ok with just those things until your culture gets going.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#3
Guest_centrarchid_*
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Posted 29 October 2014 - 01:42 PM
BBS will work as well at least for short term.
#4
Guest_Canis_*
Guest_Canis_*
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Posted 29 October 2014 - 10:25 PM
Thank you both for the replies! I am very excited to get these guys 
#5
Guest_Moontanman_*
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Posted 30 October 2014 - 10:17 AM
My black banded sunfish eat Hikari micro pellets like they are going out of style...
#6
Guest_gerald_*
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Posted 31 October 2014 - 02:37 PM
Fresh-hatched BS and chopped blackworms (Lumbiculus) are my staple diet for Elassoma. Plus Moina, Cyclops, and 'skeeters from my rainbarrels and outdoor tubs during Apr-Nov. I have never seen Elassoma eat flakes or pellets, although uneaten fish food may serve to grow scavengers that the fish will eat (Cyclops, naidid worms, snails, ostracods, rotifers, etc).
#7
Guest_jetajockey_*
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Posted 06 November 2014 - 04:07 AM
I feed mine thawed brine shrimp, bloodworms, live blackworms (funny watching a fish eat a worm nearly twice it's size), daphnia, grindals, microworms. Just keep plenty of frozen on standby and all will be well.
#8
Guest_Moontanman_*
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Posted 06 November 2014 - 10:24 PM
Fresh-hatched BS and chopped blackworms (Lumbiculus) are my staple diet for Elassoma. Plus Moina, Cyclops, and 'skeeters from my rainbarrels and outdoor tubs during Apr-Nov. I have never seen Elassoma eat flakes or pellets, although uneaten fish food may serve to grow scavengers that the fish will eat (Cyclops, naidid worms, snails, ostracods, rotifers, etc).
Well if you want to see Black Banded Sunfish eat pellets here it is.
#9
Guest_gerald_*
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Posted 07 November 2014 - 10:54 AM
Yes I have kept Ennecanthus sunfishes that would eat small pellets (soaked in bloodworm or shrimp juice to train them). But that trick never worked for me with pygmy sunfish (Elassoma).
Moon -- What kind of pellets are they eating, and are the sunfish wild-caught or captive-bred?
Moon -- What kind of pellets are they eating, and are the sunfish wild-caught or captive-bred?
#10
Guest_Moontanman_*
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Posted 07 November 2014 - 01:10 PM
Yes I have kept Ennecanthus sunfishes that would eat small pellets (soaked in bloodworm or shrimp juice to train them). But that trick never worked for me with pygmy sunfish (Elassoma).
Moon -- What kind of pellets are they eating, and are the sunfish wild-caught or captive-bred?
They are wild caught, they are eating Hikari micro pellets.
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