How To Train A Gourami To Eat This?

[Wei_pad]

Ever since I bought my snakeskin gourami (name is Beef), he's been eating nothing but those brown sinking pellets. He doesn't touch anything else including the lettuce, peas, bloodworms, brine shrimp, flakes, tubifex worms, etc that I give him. Those brown pellets he eats really dirty up the water even if I give the slightest amount. Plus, it makes him crap a lot. Any thoughts on how to train him to eat other things?

 

[creeker]

Pretty simple. Discontinue feeding the brown pellets, continue feeding Brine Shrimp, Bloodworms, Tubifex, Flakes. Maybe let 24-48 hours elapse after stopping the pellets. Let him get good and hungry. I would feed mainly the flakes, and alternate in the others for variety.

 

[joyboy]

Pretty simple. Discontinue feeding the brown pellets, continue feeding Brine Shrimp, Bloodworms, Tubifex, Flakes. Maybe let 24-48 hours elapse after stopping the pellets. Let him get good and hungry. I would feed mainly the flakes, and alternate in the others for variety.

Agree, just dont feed him for 2 days if he refuses for eat anything else you offer, try again.

 

[Wei_pad]

2 days? Ok I'll try that. But won't he starve? I didn't feed my catfish for a day and he died later on.

 

[creeker]

Two days is nothing. Your catfish must have had another problem. No fish dies of starvation that quick.

 

[Wei_pad]

Ah I see. Ok thanks for the advice. Hope things turn out well.

 

[tmiller]

Two days is nothing. Your catfish must have had another problem. No fish dies of starvation that quick.

Being a cold blooded animal (given that they have a certain amount of activity) a fish should be able to last a week or two before they are at risk of wasting away .
If they were more sedentary I would give them months..

Patience, When it gets hungry, and only the "new"food is available It will eat

 

[tomtomtom1230]

Two days is nothing. Your catfish must have had another problem. No fish dies of starvation that quick.

Being a cold blooded animal (given that they have a certain amount of activity) a fish should be able to last a week or two before they are at risk of wasting away .
If they were more sedentary I would give them months..

Patience, When it gets hungry, and only the "new"food is available It will eat

Agreed! All my fish can go up to 10 days without being fed before things start to go a bit funny, I wouldn't push them longer than that - I do want healthy fish after all! When a fish gets hungry, it'll slow down it's metabolic rate until it learns about or discovers a new food source.

Your fish probably pooped a lot because the sinking catfish pellets are high in fibre (especially algae wafers etc) and protein. Protein will erm... Let's just say protein will back-up your fish, they do need fibre to counter this, but foods specifically for high-fibre diets (like a catfish's) will have too much for most other fish I imagine.

 

[creeker]

BTW, Snakeskin Gourami is a cool fish. I haven't seen one in years!

 

[Wei_pad]

They are cool aren't they? I like them cause they look funny.