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Thread: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

  1. #1
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    Question Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    Hi everyone,

    I have a group of 17 wild discus that are from 2019-202 collection season. They are a mix of Cuipeua Red and Trombetas Red discus.
    Mark Chen (used to run Discus Origin) has been my mentor as I navigated through the complicated roads of acquiring, quarantining and creating suitable conditions for these beautiful fish to live in.
    We have been taking it VERY slow. I have made a cr@p ton of mistakes along the way- some unknowingly and some knowingly.

    Now I am stuck at a point where I would like to hear others' opinions-

    Discus that I have like to eat 2 things and ONLY 2 things- Frozen Bloodworms and Mr. Al's FDBWs.
    I would really want these fish to start eating a "Fish Mix" recipe I have made. I feel that it'd be a great addition to their diet and they would not always be eating "steak" as Mike says
    It's very similar to the Beef Heart Mix except the fact that it doesn't have any Beef heart. It has a few different kind of fishes (Salmon, Cod, Mahi-Mahi, Squid, Clams, Shrimps) along with some alges like chlorella and spirulina.
    In the past when I have tried, all the fish come to take a bite but lose interest as soon as they find out that it's not what they were expecting.

    And if it's not too ambitious, I would also like for them to take some pellet food- just in case when I am not home and someone has to babysit them, it will help tremendously.

    I would also like to acknowldge that I suck at fasting them. The most I have fasted them in the past is 3 days. Motherly instincts in me cannot take it more than that and I end up giving up and feeding BW's or FDBW's.

    So,
    What do you all do when it comes to convincing your fish to start eating a new food? Anything I am missing? Is fasting the only answer?
    Today is day 2 of fasting for them. I did drop a few pieces of Tropica D-50 but didn't see any interest.

    Thanks,
    Sumer.

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    Default Re: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    Hi, Sumer! Good question but one that seems to trouble many discus keepers. What I do is to mix favorite food with new food. For some reason discus mostly like Mr. Al's worms. The worms themselves are loaded with enough nutrients to make any fish happy, healthy, and wise. I liked the dried worms with spinach at first but then switched to bio worms. My method is to mix those dried worms with something else come feeding time. Maybe you feed a mix with 75% dried worms and 25% your blend? Then as time goes on add more of your blend and less dried worms? Or add liquid garlic to your food.

    It is remarkable that you have collected so many wild wild discus. Should you choose one day to set up a breeding program those fish would be highly sought after. And I have a most important question. Are you some how missing an "m" somewhere in your name? I have a niece names Summer Storm and then her last name which is, honest story...Winters.

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    Registered Member + MVP danotaylor's Avatar
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    Default Re: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    I'm not telling you anything until I see pics and vid

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    Default Re: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    Quote Originally Posted by danotaylor View Post
    I'm not telling you anything until I see pics and vid
    Book 'em, Danno.

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    Registered Member seanyuki's Avatar
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    Default Re: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    Try feeding the homemade food as the first meal of the day. I use a potato peeler to shave the homemade food b4 adding it to the tank.
    Be consistent fast them a couple of days and increase water temperature to stimulate their appetite.
    Grasshopper
    Francis

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    Default Re: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    Quote Originally Posted by peewee1 View Post
    Hi, Sumer! Good question but one that seems to trouble many discus keepers. What I do is to mix favorite food with new food. For some reason discus mostly like Mr. Al's worms. The worms themselves are loaded with enough nutrients to make any fish happy, healthy, and wise. I liked the dried worms with spinach at first but then switched to bio worms. My method is to mix those dried worms with something else come feeding time. Maybe you feed a mix with 75% dried worms and 25% your blend? Then as time goes on add more of your blend and less dried worms? Or add liquid garlic to your food.

    It is remarkable that you have collected so many wild wild discus. Should you choose one day to set up a breeding program those fish would be highly sought after. And I have a most important question. Are you some how missing an "m" somewhere in your name? I have a niece names Summer Storm and then her last name which is, honest story...Winters.
    Thanks for your reply. These fish seem to behave like little kids. They can pick M&M's from a trail mix and leave all the dried fruits behind. That's what they do when I feed them a mix of other things- pick up noodworms or FDBW's and leave everything else.
    Todat marks 4th day of fasting. This time I am determined. We'll see if they break first or I do. Water temp is stable between 84.9 to 85.4.

    Once they start partenering up, I have full plans to get the breeding project started. My fishroom of roughly 30 tanks can handle a few more 20 highs I think.

    This is my actual first name; without the extra "m". It's "Sumer" as the Sumer civilization.

    Quote Originally Posted by danotaylor View Post
    I'm not telling you anything until I see pics and vid
    Don't blame me for posting bad photos later. You asked for it-









    Quote Originally Posted by seanyuki View Post
    Try feeding the homemade food as the first meal of the day. I use a potato peeler to shave the homemade food b4 adding it to the tank.
    Be consistent fast them a couple of days and increase water temperature to stimulate their appetite.
    That's exactly what I have been doing. Temp is constant 85F. I will try this evening again after a 2 day fast-

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    Default Re: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    I thought I posted a reply here but I can't see it anymore. Is it waiting on a mod to approve it?

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    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    Quote Originally Posted by sumer View Post
    I thought I posted a reply here but I can't see it anymore. Is it waiting on a mod to approve it?
    Got it.
    Pat
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


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    Platinum Member fljones3's Avatar
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    Default Re: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    I have had good success with Tropical D-50 Plus and Wilds pellets with my Wilds. I have also used ProDefense line from Tropical. It took a feeding or two, then they grabbed them. Presently, I use D-50 pellets (even for the fry), ProDefense, and Al’s FDBW. Adults get 2-3x a day rotating these foods. Fry get these foods also in rotation.

    You can look here if interested.
    https://kensfish.com/collections/tropical-fish-food

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    Default Re: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    Quote Originally Posted by fljones3 View Post
    I have had good success with Tropical D-50 Plus and Wilds pellets with my Wilds. I have also used ProDefense line from Tropical. It took a feeding or two, then they grabbed them. Presently, I use D-50 pellets (even for the fry), ProDefense, and Al’s FDBW. Adults get 2-3x a day rotating these foods. Fry get these foods also in rotation.

    You can look here if interested.
    https://kensfish.com/collections/tropical-fish-food
    Thanks for the tip. I have heard good things about the "Wild Granules" from Tropica. I just ordered that.
    I have had D-50 Plus for a while now and have also been trying to feed that. They just don't look at pellet food.

  11. #11
    Platinum Member fljones3's Avatar
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    Default Re: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    They are beautiful discus. I may have missed how big they are. Depending on their size, give them a 48 hour time frame. Feed just a little of the new pellets. It could also be the case, that the pellets are too big or they are just not hungry enough.

    I think they changed the recipe a little for the Wilds pellets. More of them float so you might have to soak them a little.

    Quote Originally Posted by sumer View Post
    Thanks for the tip. I have heard good things about the "Wild Granules" from Tropica. I just ordered that.
    I have had D-50 Plus for a while now and have also been trying to feed that. They just don't look at pellet food.

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    Default Re: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    Just an update-

    I have raised the temp to about 87-88F. I think there is at least 1 fish that is eating the pellets now.
    I have been putting in Discusfoods pellets. I have been noticing some fecal matter in the tank as well. It might be the same fish that had been eating pellets all along through. The rest of the fish don't seem to be interested in pellets.

    I don't think these fish would have any problems in understanding that pellets mean food. What do you think? FOr a fish this smart, I don't think that can be the case. Are they just being stubborn?
    or is there a logical reason as to why they don't want to eat pellets?

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    Registered Member + MVP danotaylor's Avatar
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    Default Re: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    It likely feels unnatural to them being wild...let them get hungry, their hunger will cause then to change their wild ways if you hold out in them...when they're feeding young they sometime goes weeks without eating...patience will repay you!

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    Default Re: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    Quote Originally Posted by danotaylor View Post
    It likely feels unnatural to them being wild...let them get hungry, their hunger will cause then to change their wild ways if you hold out in them...when they're feeding young they sometime goes weeks without eating...patience will repay you!
    10th day today :/
    One of them eats pellets. Rest of them are hanging and trying to conserve as much enegy as they can. This stuff is hitting me at an emotional level at this point.
    It's tough to walk into the fishroom and see them knowing that they are hungry. I wish that they'd just starte eating the darn pellets.

  15. #15
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Gettng wilds to eat prepared foods

    Hang in there Sumer. Feed them something they like for the last meal of the day so you do not feel guilty.
    Pat
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


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