Training fish to eat pellets ??

[angelfish7]

I've had my larger Scribbled angel(5-6") for around 15 months now and cannot get him to eat any pellets at all. Tried NLS and ON but he/she will only spit them back out. I even tried to trick him by sneaking a few in a clam shell but that was short lived. Right now will only eat Nori, PE Mysis,and clams. Meanwhile the smaller Scribbled(3"-4) will eat anything I throw in the tank !!!!
Any suggestions on how to get him to eat pellets?
thanks

 

[Allmost]

wrapp nori around some pellets, eventually it will eat it.

 

[skraj011]

I've heard that some people soak the pellets in garlic extract and then feed. Never tried it myself.

By the way how do the 2 scribbleds get along?

 

[angelfish7]

The two Scribbled are getting along fine. I believe it helped alot the fact they were both in QT together and introduced into the DT together. Thanks much for the pellets ideas.

 

[Recty]

This has worked for me 100% of the time...

Take a shot glass, mix in your normal food you would feed your fish. In your case, mysis, nori, clams.

Add a couple pellets to the mix and let it all sit for 5 minutes. The pellets will soak up the flavoring of the clam/mysis juices. Feed like normal, and eventually the fish will have to ingest a pellet or two. Pretty soon, you start adding more and more pellets to the mix until the mix is almost all pellets and your fish will just gobble it all down.

Like I say, 100% of the time this has worked for me on fish that wouldnt touch pellets to begin with. You have to associate them with food they already like and if possible, make them taste like it too which is easy to do with frozen/juicy foods.

 

[angelfish7]

This has worked for me 100% of the time...

Take a shot glass, mix in your normal food you would feed your fish. In your case, mysis, nori, clams.

Add a couple pellets to the mix and let it all sit for 5 minutes. The pellets will soak up the flavoring of the clam/mysis juices. Feed like normal, and eventually the fish will have to ingest a pellet or two. Pretty soon, you start adding more and more pellets to the mix until the mix is almost all pellets and your fish will just gobble it all down.

Like I say, 100% of the time this has worked for me on fish that wouldnt touch pellets to begin with. You have to associate them with food they already like and if possible, make them taste like it too which is easy to do with frozen/juicy foods.

Hi Recty
Will definitely try this today. Does it matter if i mix the pellets(NLS & ON) or try one brand at a time? Thanks much.

 

[Recty]

I never mixed when I did it, I just used NLS pellets. I doubt it matters much but it might be better to stick to one for consistency.

I guess I'm saying if it was me, I'd stick to one but it probably doesnt matter in the end. Once you've got it eating pellets it will be really easy to get it eating any other pellets, so you are fine there.

Keep in mind this process takes a couple weeks, and dependant on the fish it can take longer. However, all my angels converted over to pellets pretty easily using this method, I'd say within two week to max three weeks they were just fine eating only pellets and no frozen foods.

 

[geaux xman]

I have 1 personifer(bought from DD) angelfish that havent touched pellets in almost over a year. I saw it eat flakes one day and got all excited. Wouldnt touch the flakes again after that. This is the only angelfish(~15) I have had that wont eat pellets. Eat the hell out of frozens though. I've tried soaking it in everything too without any luck.

1 Achilles(7 months) same thing, wont touch pellets/flakes.