You've probably read this many times...weaning a fuzzy dwarf off live food!

boohbahbah

boohbahbah

Member
We've had our fuzzy for about a month now, I've fed him a ghost shrimp and starved him for about 5-7 days...he didn't fall for the krill. So we bought some more shrimp, released them from the net for about a week. He knows they're coming from the net & they don't really move when he goes for them...yet when I have krill in there, the little goob knows it's dead & doesn't want it.
He bites at the net before I even have a chance to find where the ghosts are in it. lol - yet with the krill, he turns away and gives me those big black eyes.
someone give me some pointers on getting this sucker to get on frozen foods. nearest lfs with ghosts is a 20 min drive and I ain't keen on driving there every week. the lfs said that it's okay to starve him for up to 3 weeks...seriously?
 
R

rcreations

Guest
It takes a lot of patience. Mine didn't take any frozen food for a good month, maybe even more. The way I finally got him to eat, I put a squid leg on a stick and wiggled it around the tank, it helps if you do it in from of a powerhead. This way it looks like it's alive. Again... patience is important. I tried this a number of times until finally he went for it. After that first time he ate everything I put in the tank. Great fish! Good luck with yours and don't give up.
 
boohbahbah

boohbahbah

Member
Thanks! I didn't think to try squid legs on him. I have squid for the fish, but the puffers don't seem too keen on it. I shall try it on the fuzzy. :)
Thanks for assuring me that it'll take patience. I've gotten good at making the krill/silverside look alive, just wish he would appreciate the effort and eat one out of pity! Especially the silversides, I cut them in half and narrow them down to an digestible size. If he's behind a rock, I poke the fish head around the corner, then start doing the "swimming" motions with it. He gets in hunting mode...but then as soon as he sees the rest of the silver's body. He gives me the big ol' black eyes and swims away again.

I've read somewhere that some people use sewing needles to hold the food, when it comes to lions...does anyone know anything about that? I am afraid to figure out what that meant, when it's a needle...don't want to accidentally stab the fish.
 
R

rcreations

Guest
Actually my fuzzy dwarf doesn't like silversides all that much. He'll eat them but it's his least favorite food. He likes raw shrimp and squid the most.
Never tried a needle. I'd be afraid to poke the fish with it.
 
boohbahbah

boohbahbah

Member
UPDATE: After many failed attempts, we started stocking up on ghost shrimp (& gut loading them) keep Ryuk happy until I was ready to try it again...as my patience isn't all that great..! The little nutter decided on his own to start eating frozen foods.

It's only day 3, but he's eating whatever I put in there...he even tried to eat a spirulina wafer I threw in for our dogface, which Ryuk almost choked on! Silly lion!
 
boohbahbah

boohbahbah

Member
We've had him since October and he was always scared of the stick/fishing line methods I tried..he got familiar with the net though.
Like I said, all is good so far, he's eating his din-din just by me throwing it in directly at him. Don't know if he realized that the other fish were eating their food this way or what.
He did have to watch 3 other fish fill their bellies up, while he sat there staring with sadness!
It's nice to see a full belly on him now. Hope he keeps it up!
 
srfisher17

srfisher17

Active Member
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3183378
See if this is any help.
Tips to Convert.
Some good info here; but my favorite feeding stick is a piece or rigid airline tubing, slightly tapered (to

[hr]
the food). I attach a length of regular airline tubing and can use suction to remove food that gets away, or even blow it out of crevices---a very handy tool that's almost invisible.
 
srfisher17

srfisher17

Active Member
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3184241
I actually have a rigid airline tubing fetish. I use them for EVERYTHING!
I do too. I have rigid/flex combinations hanging behind every tank. They are the greatest thing for spot feeding critters; just use a little suction to grab a piece of wayward food and re-place it just where you want it, or keep the suction and hand it to the intended fish.
 
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