You can use a stick, be sure it isn't big. A wooden skewer works as well. I have a fuzzy. He would not go near a stick or skewer. I put the krill in front of the power head. He would chase it then stop short of it. I then used a small net to "play" with it. He took to eating frozen soon after. He now BEGS, not an exaggeration, after about 6pm he is out front and at the side of the tank that I feed from. If he is in his cave, and I walk by, he swims out all happy and expecting something. He eats frozen formula food now, the same as I feed my other fish.