Feeding Discus

[yippy]

Hi everyone, Im new here and Im glad I found this site. I have 5 discus in my tank ranging in ages from 12 months to 2 years of age. I am having a bit of a battle getting them to eat the discus mixes and also the vegie mixes. They love blood worm, brine shrimp (Live and Frozen) and live worms. I have starved them for a day and only given them the discus mix - they are eating it reluctantly if i don't add any other food. Should i persevere and not give them anything thing else for a while? Or should I add small amounts of a variety of foods? The are doing very well and their colours are great but i worry if they dont eat more of the discus foods they may not reach their full potental. I do have other species of fish in with them and they all seem to like the discus foods better than the discus! Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

[Ryan]

Hi Yippy,

Welcome to the forum! This is just my opinion, but I would continue to offer the new foods in small amounts to your discus so that they get used to them. Sometimes it takes a while for discus to acquire a taste for new things, but it can and does work. The fact that they reluctantly eat it is better than having them refuse to touch it at all.

Watch your other fish. If you feed the new foods in small amounts, the tankmates may eat it all up before your discus have the chance to. Make sure that the discus aren't missing out on meals because of it.

Keep the diet varied and eventually they should readily accept the mixes as well as the staple stuff that you've been feeding. I know that mine get spoiled if I keep them on blackworms or bloodworms too long, and they get picky about other foods. After I cut back on the amounts of blackworms and bloodworms for a few days, they come around and eat the other stuff too.

Ryan

[yippy]

Thanks Ryan, I have cut back on the black worms and bloodworms - the other fish like flake food and the discus wont touch it so when i feed the dsus with discus food i also feed the others with the flakes.

Thanks for your help!
Yippy