7 replies to this topic

[centrarchid]

This something I am going to do that will involve a sequence of steps.  Starting point is spent broodfish.  Ultimately, I want the Pirate Perch to eat the same feed I use for cichlids.

[gerald]

The soak-pellets-in-shrimp-juice-trick (or worm juice) just might work.  I've gotten some Darters, Enneacanthus, and Fliers trained that way; not all.

I'd like to learn more about the behavioral physiology of fishes' swallow vs spit decision.  There's a lot more variables than just motion of the food.

Why do Elassoma NEVER learn to eat dry food, even after 10 generations of aquarium breeding and living with Heterandria?

[centrarchid]

Elassoma are food snobs.  Have you tried using Otohime?

[Cu455]

http://www.reef2reef...-a-fish.190226/

[gerald]

Thanks Cu455 for the link to that feed training method.  I've been standing over the Elassoma tank holding food for the past 13 hours since you posted that, still waiting for an Elassoma to come up and take it.  I'm starting to think they're a little different from groupers ... but ... never give up! 

 

http://www.reef2reef...-a-fish.190226/

[lilyea]

I'd like to learn more about the behavioral physiology of fishes' swallow vs spit decision.  There's a lot more variables than just motion of the food.

 

I agree that this would be very interesting.  Do you have suggestions on how to design the experiment/study?

 

Why do Elassoma NEVER learn to eat dry food, even after 10 generations of aquarium breeding and living with Heterandria?

 

Are you saying that your Elassoma never eat dry food or that they don't eat enough to sustain themselves on dry food?

[gerald]

i've never seen an Elassoma take dry food in its mouth and NOT spit it out within 10-20 seconds.  Most of experinece is with E gilberti.  I've kept evergladei too and they were more willing to at least taste and play with dry foods, but as far as i could tell they always spit it out.  My guess is the few people who have kept Elassoma alive for awhile using dry food are actually just growing enough live cyclops, naidids, turbellaria, and other scavengers on the rotting food to in turn feed the fish.  I have not tried Otohime or other premium quality aquaculture feeds; just the usual "good" hobbyist foods: New Life Spectrum, Hikari, Cobalt, Ken's, ...

[centrarchid]

Otohime has been my commercial formulation of last resort when training fish to consume pellets.  It is extremely palatable.  If getting fish to take first bite is the problem, then suggestion I will make may take you outside of your comfort zone.  Trying starting a couple hundred fry up to point where they are clearly juvenile.  Then crowd them in a tank with only one cover patch.  Ideally density of fish will be so high they uniformly occupy the volume despite the presence of the cover patch.  Then give them little feedings of live freshly hatched BS.  Ideally they will consume all within a minute or so.  Keep them hungry but not starved.  Look for a change in behavior where they swim to top of tank when you approach.  You may have to tinker with setup so you do not scare them.  Once they start coming to spot feed applied then we can talk further.