Quick way to transition new discus to flake/pellet food?

[myofibroblast]

Wondering if anyone has tricks to transition picky discus into accepting flake/pellet food? I'll be going on a 2-week overseas vacation in 6 weeks, and I don't think I can trust or ask our pet sitter to feed the fish frozen food while we're away.

I bought a couple of runty looking discuses 4 days ago from a LFS (about 2.5", so definitely juveniles). My goal isn't to create plate sized discuses. I just like the way they look. Both discuses are acclimating to my established, planted tank. Day 2 they have come up to the surface when they see me (they're runts, but they seem pretty smart). Discus #1 likes frozen blood worms (what they were fed once daily at the LFS), while Discus #2 likes frozen blood worms, Hikari Discus Bio Gold pellets. Neither likes Hikari freeze dried blood worms. I tried soaking the freeze dried worms in garlic juice, they'll eat it but spit them back out. I'm actually quite pleased that Discus #2 accepts pellets, but I really need Discus #1 to take pellets/flake too before I leave on vaca. Discus #1 seems to enjoy the algae on my plants a lot...he's always picking at the algae on the leaves and the driftwood, and has lots of moss-colored poop so I know he's eating whatever is on the flora.

1. going to feed nothing but the pellets and see what happens in a next few days
2. maybe try spirulina, since #1 seems veggie and blood worm friendly

Other suggestions?

[Chicago Discus]

Pellets are ok but It depends on what brand you are going feed, I prefer the Sera discus pellets over any other but that's just me. Feeding the frozen bloodworms as there only diet is not a good idea it does not have the proper nutrition to keep the fish heathy and active. The best thing to do is get a variety of foods a switch as to not get them used to eating just one thing. In the long run it will benefit the fish.
But as far as switching try offering the pellets in the morning when the fish are hungriest and more willing to try new things.

[Magoo40]

I to have the problem that first i have to get them eating pallets, Shortly i wil be away for several days on a trip my question is i asume this is too long to leave them with out feed would an automatic feeder be ok

Also would it be a good idea to turn the lights of that come on automatically for this long

[strawberryblonde]

Mine have never accepted pellet foods, which is ok by me because the fact that they swell up so much sorta scares me a bit. LOL

I JUST got a new batch of 3" discus about a week and a half ago. The first thing I did was teach them to accept broken up freeze dried blackworms. I figured it was a good place to start since the blackworms don't foul the tank overly much. First day they refused to see them as food. By the second day they were hungry and ate some twice during the day. On the third day they LOVED them and ate 6 meals. On the fourth day I broke a cube in half and stuck it to the glass, then smushed it just a bit to get a few bits to float around. They quickly caught on and were eating whole cubes by the end of the day.

As soon as they accepted the cubes, I switched to flake foods. First day I fed cubes as usual and added a few tiny bits of flakes at the same time...they ignored them. Second day I did the same, but as they were foraging on the bottom some managed to snag a few flakes and eat them. On the third day I only fed them three times and nothing after 6pm. On the fourth day I tossed in the flakes only in the morning and voila, they scarfed them down. I continued feeding only flakes...that was yesterday.

Today I gave them flakes for breakfast, then cubes for 2 feedings, then more flakes...and then cubes again. They'll get flakes again after their water change in a few minutes.

Next up is beefheart cubes. I plan to grate them up so that they resemble the blackworm bits and will offer them first thing in the morning before the morning water change, then again at night before the night time water change.

This method has always worked with my discus, so I use it with each new batch to teach them to eat a variety of foods...except for pellets...they still would rather starve than eat round chunks of "stuff". LOL

[mastermamo]

I think Im pretty lucky because its proven relatively easy to "train" my discus into eating pretty much most food. I first tempted them with a bloodworm cube cut into 4 which I dispersed along the front of the tank. Once they go crazy I do the same with the beefheart mix. Being mid to bottom feeders I lastly put in a mix of Ther A*, Omega + and Sera granules (a pinch of each). Once they are done with the beefheart they go grazing. No fouling of my tank at all. I have 13 fish in a 1.2m tank and the growth rate is pretty great for each one.

[myofibroblast]

Thanks for the suggestions. As an update, Discus #2 also gobbles up flakes. Discus #1 feigned some interest only because Discus #2 was pigging out on the flakes this AM. Discus #1 just hung out at the top while his/her buddy chowed down next to him/her, waiting for me to put in the Hikari frozen bloodworms. I'll see how long Discus #1 can withstand starvation.

Discus #1: Hikari frozen bloodworms and pre-existing algae on plants
Discus #2: Hikari frozen bloodworms, Hikari Discus Bio-Gold pellets, flake food

Not a lot of left over food on the gravel for the two discus to pick at in between feedings, unfortunately, because my cardinal tetras (original inhabitants of the tank for the past 9 months with whom I did a fish-in cycle) are garbage cans and will eat anything and everything in the water column. If any falls through, the albino corys sucks them up. Maybe I'll try hiding some flake foods amongst the plants and driftwood for Discus #1 to pick at.

[myofibroblast]

I'm concerned about Discus #1. It's been 4 days now since I've fed nothing but flake food, and it's still not showing any interest! 4 days ago I tried soaking the flakes with the thawed Hikari frozen blood worms, and held the mixed food between my plant forceps for the two discuses to nibble at. Discus #1 pulled off chunks, and was able to pick at the frozen blood worms and spit back out the flakes if it ate any. Discus #2 remains a pig and eats everything. Then I decided to try the starvation method, and didn't feed for one day. 2 days ago fed flakes only. Discus #1 circled around the surface waiting for frozen blood worms, ignored the flakes. Discus #2 ate all the floating flakes from the surface (I definitely do NOT think discuses are strictly midlevel/bottom feeds that graze), left nothing for his cardinal tetra friends. :-(

Yesterday, I tried manually feeding them because I didn't want Discus #2 to over eat. Grabbed a couple flakes between my index finger and thumb, dipped slightly under the surface of the water. Discus #1 and #2 were already waiting at the surface. Both nibbled on the flakes but Discus #1 realized they were flakes, then just hung out by my fingers while Discus #2 ate all the flakes. They were also nibbling my finger tips which felt weird, so I'm going back to my plant forceps.

I'm worried Discus #1 will start to get malnourished from not eating for so long. I know wild discuses can go weeks without food, but I worry because I have young discuses (maybe 2-2.5 inches). Both are still active, curious, no signs of distress. In fact both have gained quite a bit of weight since I bought them (50% off) at the LFS. Discus #2 (the pig) is visibly larger since I purchased him. Discus #1 is about the same length, but fatter. How long can I keep up with this strategy? Will Discus #1 rather starve to death than eat flake food?