Getting Discus to take pellets.

[aj31655]

I just got 8 discus from GLD and would like their diet to have tetra color bits and New Life Spectrum's Discus Formula as the mainstay of thie diet. Mysis, Bloodworms and CBWs would be the other parts. But I can't get them to even give the pellets a second look right now. They eat CBWs and bloodworms though. How long can they go without food as juvies? I was thinking of just not feeding them for a day or two and then only offering them pellets till they took them but I went a day and a half, and still nothing. Honestly my clown loaches that are in there won't eat either of the kinds of pelletes either.

[kodiak]

Try thawing out some blood worms and mix in colorbits. Let the mix sit a few minutes so that the color bits suck up the bw juice and go soft. Then feed the mix to your discus. At first they will most likely try to pick out only the blood worms but over time they will gobble up both. At that point you can start feeding frozen foods and pellets separately.

[Anonapersona]

When I babysat some young fish for Aggie_67 I started feeding them NLS pellets.... I started by dropping just about 3 pieces into the tank when they were expecting food. The boldest fish came over to investigate, mouthed it, spit it out, tried again, spit it out, then another came over and got interested. They played with it awhile, then when some more decided it might be worth looking into the rest came out and eventually someone ate a piece. After those 3 pieces were gone, I gave them a regular feeding of what they were used to.

Next day, I did it again. About 5 pieces for a bunch of 16 fish, so only the fastest one got to eat it.

Next day, when they all came zipping out to eat it, I gave them more, so that everyone got some. When they finished it, I added the regular food.


You just have to play on their natural competitiveness... kinda like dealing with guys in general, make it a little hard to get and they will fight over it.

[babyjess210]

AJ
I got 10 of Cary's Red Leopards and I just feed them BH, frozen BW and Mysis shrimp for about 2 weeks. When they fully acclimate to my water, tank and ME, I start feeding tetrabit and flake and they ate like pigs. Some would eat my fingers.
HTH
Kenny

[Kagan]

you can also try adding the pellets and similar dry food into the beefheart mix. I always get mine used to different food by this way.

Kagan

[Cosmo]

You just have to play on their natural competitiveness... kinda like dealing with guys in general

:confused: LOL