not eating pellets

[fishfrenzy]

I been trying for 2 weeks now and only 1 out of 9 are eating them. I use New Life Spectrum Discus Pellets. I've tried feeding them directly, soaking, soaking in my seafood mix juice, and starving for a day to no avail. Should I give up and just go back to their normal food?

[seanyuki]

Starve them another 48 hrs........even Kenny was surprised that my AG took flakes/pellets food from the start....they need to please you not you pleasing the discus..:p


Cheers
Francis:)

[fishfrenzy]

ok I will try that. But if it fails, should I starve them another 2 days?

[seanyuki]

New arrivals needs time to adjust their new environment and eating habits...another 48 hrs without food is fine.....so how big are those discus....small discus perhaps another 24 hrs cos you would not like to stunt their growth.....also check with the source that you got the discus and see what foods are fed to them if that is a big concern to you.

Cheers
Francis:)

[fishfrenzy]

Actually Francis, sorry I didn't mention that I've had my discus for almost a year and I'm just trying to add pellets to their diet. I've been usually feeding my seafood mix and frozen krill and fbw

[seanyuki]

You had those discus for such a long time ....never fed them flakes/pellets before...:confused:...trying mixing flakes/pellets food that they took b4 and add a pinch of new flakes/pellets and see if that works.

Cheers
Francis:)

[Eddie]

Yeah, discus are STUBBORN. It can take a while to break them into new foods if you have been stuck on 1 type for a while. If you want to try a good flake, try Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef. Many others here use it and discus readily take it.

Best of luck,

Eddie

[fishfrenzy]

I don't know Eddie. I spent alot on the pellets and I don't want to spend on the ONPR and end up having the same result. Should I take the risk? Do you think it's a higher than 50% chance they will eat it?

[Scribbles]

Have you tried crushing up some pellets and adding them to your seafood mix when you make it? That may help them get used to the taste.

Chris

[Eddie]

I don't know Eddie. I spent alot on the pellets and I don't want to spend on the ONPR and end up having the same result. Should I take the risk? Do you think it's a higher than 50% chance they will eat it?

It doesn't matter, you can add the crushed pellets and flake to a seafood mix if they don't, but I think they will take the flake. I say a 89% chance they take it.

Here....buy the 5.5 oz can of ON Prime Reef, if they don't take it....I'll send you the money. One stipulation....you need to catch them on video, not eating the flake. ;)

Eddie

[fishfrenzy]

Chris
Thanks! I didn't even think of it that way.

Eddie
LOL! That is such a funny bet. Don't worry. U don't have to send any money but maybe I will buy the flakes and video tape them anyways for fun. I'll be sure to send it to you

[Justice]

Try Ocean Nutrition Discus Flakes mine attack those!

[fishfrenzy]

I bought Ocean nutrition Prime Reef and on my 2nd day feeding. Only one is eating it (unenthusiastically) and the rest aren't interested. Should I continue trying?

[rickztahone]

I bought Ocean nutrition Prime Reef and on my 2nd day feeding. Only one is eating it (unenthusiastically) and the rest aren't interested. Should I continue trying?

keep trying, they will take it but it will take time. see it this way, your discus are looking some stubborn son/daughter who will not eat vegetables. you need to force it upon them sometimes until they readily take it. it took me some time, i'd say a good 2 weeks before they took the ONPR readily. feed sparingly at first and siphon any uneaten food after a few minutes. keep trying though and they will come around

[Eddie]

I bought Ocean nutrition Prime Reef and on my 2nd day feeding. Only one is eating it (unenthusiastically) and the rest aren't interested. Should I continue trying?

Don't feed them anything but the ON Prime Reef for a few days. Keep the temp up around 88F. The others will see the lone "Prime Reef" ranger :D and catch on. Its an amazing flake to have your fish on, no doubt. ;)

Eddie

[Armandi_Fishcarer]

If you feed your Discus a type of food for a long time they will not take to the new food for a while. I've tried many types of food & my fish adapt to it. How? starve(1st) a day or 2 heavy w/c's, mix food in the tank at the same time(pellets, flake etc...) 'in small amounts'. Some fish will end up taking it others won't - although will eventually follow suit. Another way is by placing some other aggressive feeders in the tank that will trigger your fish into eating. Depends on your perspective of this one!

Regards
Ahmed ;)

[stanlee]

anybody got experience which of the ON products ur discus take to faster, PR, or Discus flakes?
Most of mine don't take to PR fast, it's like no choice type of reaction.
:D

[seanyuki]

Hi Stan,

The On Prime Reef is the choice for me.....even Forrest was surprised that the GA took ON PR on the fourth day after staving them for 3 days in order to force them to eat.

Cheers
Francis:)

[Eddie]

Hi Stan,

The On Prime Reef is the choice for me.....even Forrest was surprised that the GA took ON PR on the fourth day after staving them for 3 days in order to force them to eat.

Cheers
Francis:)

I'm with Francis, all my fish took Prime Reef right away, even without starving them. ;)

Eddie

[stanlee]

Hi Stan,

The On Prime Reef is the choice for me.....even Forrest was surprised that the GA took ON PR on the fourth day after staving them for 3 days in order to force them to eat.

Cheers
Francis:)
hi Francis,
no wonder they "kill" for the PR . I did not starve them as usual, too complacent.
I will try to observe for a while more, as I am doing a little experiment with the various foods (PR, Discus flakes, Hikari bio gold, Hikari discus flakes, Hikari carnivorous pellets, black gold, pro grow (both from uncle), tetrabits, jbl bits, and of course my own beefheart concoction.

so far, my bh is winning, perhaps they have been on it for a while.
early days yet, but still don't get the effect with the ON products as u fellas.
:D

[seanyuki]

Hi Stan,

Perhaps by feeding two different flakes at the same time(old one & new) so they could get a taste of both foods....small amounts from the start.

Cheers
Francis:)

[Cooldadddyfunk286]

my discus looove the ON PR! at first they only kinda liked it. now they see me reach for the container and they BUG. they really love it. they go into a bigger feeding frenzy over the prime reef then they do the FBWs now! Im tying to get my discus to take the FROZEN ON prime reef LOL. I picked up a slab of it from my LFS...has the same label and everything as the prime reef flakes, but its a frozen, (I think with gelatin) sea food mix. looks delish if I was a fish, I hope they start to take to it. its like Francis said. you have to make them work for you, not work for them ;) you are the parents lol. make them eat those veggies!!!

[MSD]

I stick with ON product for the flakes, they do love it. However, the only pellets they will take are the tetra bits, go figure.

[fishfrenzy]

OK now it's almost been 2 weeks that I've been feeding strictly ONPR flakes. Guess wat, most of them haven't eaten yet! Out of 9 discus, 2 are eating no problem, 2 are eating a few flakes here and there, and the rest aren't even touching it. So wat now? Beginning the third week I was planning to reintroduce the regular food again. I was thinking the ONPR in the morning (hoping they'll eat it at the hungriest time of day), then shrimp mix and fbw in the noon and night. Does this sound good or should I go another week strictly on ONPR hoping they all will start to eat it?

[Eddie]

OK now it's almost been 2 weeks that I've been feeding strictly ONPR flakes. Guess wat, most of them haven't eaten yet! Out of 9 discus, 2 are eating no problem, 2 are eating a few flakes here and there, and the rest aren't even touching it. So wat now? Beginning the third week I was planning to reintroduce the regular food again. I was thinking the ONPR in the morning (hoping they'll eat it at the hungriest time of day), then shrimp mix and fbw in the noon and night. Does this sound good or should I go another week strictly on ONPR hoping they all will start to eat it?

Feed them what they like and add a little Prime Reef with it. Like you said, feed them the ON Prime Reef in the AM. You have temp up too?

[fishfrenzy]

Feed them what they like and add a little Prime Reef with it. Like you said, feed them the ON Prime Reef in the AM. You have temp up too?

Thanks Eddie, starting Monday I'm gonna do that. And yes the temperature is up to 88degF. I guess most of my discus are picky, darnit!

[stanlee]

Hi Stan,

Perhaps by feeding two different flakes at the same time(old one & new) so they could get a taste of both foods....small amounts from the start.

Cheers
Francis:)
i am beginning to believe that the finnicky eaters will take a long time if at all to adjust to ON PR, but they do that to all types of food.
My tanks of discus which eat anything goes for the PR just as much as any others.

So the real test of the ON PR as a " die for food" is really ur finnicky eating discus. So far I am not so convinced as many of the flakes are still floating overnight for those difficult discus.
But to be fair, flakes are not the usual food for discus as far as history goes to start with.
:)