Please help paratilapia polleni

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rich4297

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Aug 29, 2012
Messages
13
Location
New jersey
I've had him for about three weeks now and he won't eat he try's everything but spits it out. He's about 2" now and appears very healthy. He is swimming around alot more but still won't eat. Water parameters are perfect and he's not getting bullied. Any suggestions on food would be greatly appreciated. I've tried two different types of pellets freeze dried bloodworms flakes cut up earthworms(live). And even tried soaking the pellets so they'd soften up but with no luck. Please any suggestion. He is my favorite fish
 
What else do ya have him with? How large of a tank? How big is he in relation to the other fish? You may not see him gettin' picked on, but what happens when yer not watchin'? ;)

Try dippin' the pellets in garlic juice prior to feeding. I've used that technique many times to get picky fish to eat. After a week or two they recognize the pellets as food and garlic juice won't be necessary. The other thing is to rotate through even more kinds of food. I have several oscars that had never eaten anything but feeder goldies prior to me acquiring 'em. They finally started eating Tetra Jumbomin. Not my choice of feed, but I was thankful to get 'em eatin. After a while they may become less picky, or they may demand that kind of food only. My oscars will only eat Jumbomin and Wardley algae wafers as far as prepped foods go.

WYite
 
Thanks the tank is a 150 gallon with an Oscar, Texas cichlid, green terror, salvini ,and blood parrot the Oscar is the largest at about 3-3.5" everything else is about 2-3". There are plenty of hiding spots with driftwood and rock caves. FYI when I first got him he was in a 50 gallon and would eat a pellet maybe every other day but mostly spit them out. I'm thinking maybe capturing him and moving him stressed him out. I may get some dithers this weekend that has helped me in the past. I might try filament barbs. I have two overflows with a sump and an eheim 600 classic for the filtration. Ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 10-20 ppm in case anyone was wondering. I know some may say the tank is overstocked but I have plenty of tanks in case I have to move some fish. I've been keeping cichlids for almost 17 years with no issues. I've just never had a polleni. Thanks for any input
 
He's being Mr Finicky. Get Kents Garlic Xtreme or Seachem Garlic guard and soak the pellets in it.

Or get 4-5 cloves and cut into little pieces put in a small container and put some tank water in it. Mash the garlic in the container. Let the garlic soak in there for a few hours. Take the liquid and soak the pellets.

You could try frozen blood worms to just get something in his stomach.

Did you ever ask the fish store what they fed their polleni?

What brand of food are you feeding him?
 
I've tried hikari gold and aqueon pellets tetra flakes and freeze dried blood worms. I have some frozen beef heart I'll try today. I'm going to the lfs where I purchased him tomorrow so I'll ask what they feed them, and see if they have any of the mentioned products. Thanks your always good help
 
I've tried hikari gold and aqueon pellets tetra flakes and freeze dried blood worms. I have some frozen beef heart I'll try today. I'm going to the lfs where I purchased him tomorrow so I'll ask what they feed them, and see if they have any of the mentioned products. Thanks your always good help

I don't know much about these fish I must admit but have been reading about them as they are beautiful looking so was interested. It does say that you should never feed them meats though so beef heart is probably a bad idea. Does say they don't like big water changes as well, better to smaller regular amounts of 10-15% instead. You obviously know a lot more than me though about them so I might be talking out of turn.
 
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