Transferring fish from frozen to pellets

[James G]

Hello everyone, some of my more expensive fish red devil angels, electric blue rams, and Bolivian rams, are only eating frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms, I'm scared they're gonna get some type of parasite or something I'm wondering if anyone knows how to get them to eat flakes and pellets thanks.

 

[V227]

Don't feed for a couple of days. Then feed good quality floating small grain cichlid pellets. Gradually mix in a quality flake. I use Omega One products, but Tetra and Hikari make good stuff too.
Start slow, you don't want to pollute your tank with enormous amounts of uneaten food. That's why the floating pellets are good to start with. It's easy to Net out the floating uneaten stuff.

 

[kashif314]

With Rams I had trouble feeding them anything except bloodworms. I tried to fast them but no they were too stubborn to give up so finally I gave up on them. I don't feed them frozen bloodworms. I switched to freeze dried. But many people develope big allergy and shortness of breath because of fine particles which get in air when we open box and may cause allergy so its a warning. In my experience hikari products all fish love so try to offer them some hikari meaty food.

 

[Brookster123]

A healthy ram will eat a paper towel. Mine accept everything all the time.

 

[kashif314]

A healthy ram will eat a paper towel. Mine accept everything all the time.

That's nice. Wish mine was not very picky like yours. When I introduced them I read they need to be fed bloodworms so they can come out and eat a tasty snack. I did that to induce there appetite but they just demand bloodworms only.

 

[Brookster123]

They're not good as a staple food, theyre actually terrible. They're sewer worms. They eat death. It's like a once a while treat at best. My puffers were hooked for a while but now they take mysis and brine shrimp just fine. A hungry, healthy fish will eat most anything offered. They don't have a choice, they eat or die. If they don't eat it's because they're sick and they're going to die anyways. Freeze dried blackworms are the way to go for fish crack..

 

[kashif314]

They're not good as a staple food, theyre actually terrible. They're sewer worms. They eat death. It's like a once a while treat at best. My puffers were hooked for a while but now they take mysis and brine shrimp just fine. A hungry, healthy fish will eat most anything offered. They don't have a choice, they eat or die. If they don't eat it's because they're sick and they're going to die anyways. Freeze dried blackworms are the way to go for fish crack..

I do agree and understand. Maybe I gave up too early on them.

 

[rlederer]

Bloodworms are the larvae of Chironomid flies, found in many aquatic habitats. Tubifex worms are different. Although both can can be found in sewage, tubifex are commonly known as sewer worms. I have been feeding my 20 tanks of fish with bloodworms (and other food) every day for six years now with no problem. I think the commercial stuff is fine. If you collect your own, there could be an issue.

 

[kashif314]

Bloodworms are the larvae of Chironomid flies, found in many aquatic habitats. Tubifex worms are different. Although both can can be found in sewage, tubifex are commonly known as sewer worms. I have been feeding my 20 tanks of fish with bloodworms (and other food) every day for six years now with no problem. I think the commercial stuff is fine. If you collect your own, there could be an issue.

I never had any problems as well. Just they all say its not very nutritious. I did have a debate but I take there word as they are experts. I think if you are feeding normal fish food once a day and bloodworms once a day it will be ok since fish are getting nutrition.

 

[Brookster123]

Smell frozen bloodworms 5 minutes after leaving the freezer... There are far more beneficial foods available.

 

[kashif314]

Smell frozen bloodworms 5 minutes after leaving the freezer... There are far more beneficial foods available.

Yes there are. Just bloodworms are not as bad as they are said to be. I am not expert. I do feed less bloodworms now.

 

[rlederer]

If you discount the moisture content of bloodworms, they are about 50% protein. They are a good food that fish eat voraciously, but like any food, I would not feed bloodworms exclusively. And I don’t know what smelling bloodworms five minutes out of the freezer tells you. I’m not particularly fond of any fish food smell.

 

[coralbandit]

I trick train my fish to eat what I want them to .
I feed frozen blood worms regularly and definitely disagree on whether they are good for fish or not , but what do I know and who says my fish are healthy and happy ?
This is how I trick train them .I add a food I know my fish will eat and add little amounts of what I want them to eat with it. Over time I add less of what they want and more of what I want. They eventually start to eat what I have added. I train all my fish to eat pellets [like NLS ] and flakes but do spoil my breeders and fry with frozen or live..
This could easily take 2 weeks with healthy fish before you can skip the fishes preferred food ,but has worked on almost all fish I have kept...

 

[kashif314]

I trick train my fish to eat what I want them to .
I feed frozen blood worms regularly and definitely disagree on whether they are good for fish or not , but what do I know and who says my fish are healthy and happy ?
This is how I trick train them .I add a food I know my fish will eat and add little amounts of what I want them to eat with it. Over time I add less of what they want and more of what I want. They eventually start to eat what I have added. I train all my fish to eat pellets [like NLS ] and flakes but do spoil my breeders and fry with frozen or live..
This could easily take 2 weeks with healthy fish before you can skip the fishes preferred food ,but has worked on almost all fish I have kept...

Hi Coral. Thanks for this trick. Its very helpful. About bloodworms well they always picked on me in past when I said bloodworms are high protein and not harmful for fish but everyone is ok to feed brine shrimps or for example krill which have same level of protein but bloodworms a big no even though it's similar to krill. So I stopped arguing about it.