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	picky convict
tr6tim Enthusiast Posts: 157 Votes: 0 Registered: 29-Jul-2003	I have a female convict and she will only eat baby guppies and bloodworms. Even if she goes all day w/out anything, she refuses flakes, floating cichlid food, brine shrimp - everything! She's very healthy and has striking colors, but I'm worried about this diet in the long term. I figure if she goes a few days w/out food, she'll eat anything - but how long should it be? Any suggestions? What does your convict like to eat? Thanks! Tim
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:02
Cichlid Keeper Big Fish Posts: 368 Kudos: 466 Votes: 304 Registered: 17-Aug-2003	Often times when you begin feeding live food to your fish they simply get to where they don't want to accept anything else. Also,have you only tried feeding your fish one brand of cichlid food or have you tired a few different brands and varieties. Your problem could simply be that she just doesn't like the brand your trying to feed her and you just may need to try a different brand.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:02
tr6tim Enthusiast Posts: 157 Votes: 0 Registered: 29-Jul-2003	Thanks for the reply. I've tried all kinds of food and she won't even taste it if it doesn't look like bloodworms. If I drop a variety of foods in, she spits out what isn't a bloodworm! Clever girl! I thought convicts will eat almost anything. Will a diet of just bloodworms and baby livebearers be bad in the long run? Thanks! Tim
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:02
Lindy Administrator Show me the Shishies! Posts: 1507 Kudos: 1350 Votes: 730 Registered: 25-Apr-2001	Yes it will be bad long term. Bloodworms and feeders should be kept as occasional treats for your fish. Simplest way to get her eating is to offer a small amount of flake everyday and make sure to clean up any that isnt eaten after a few hours. She'll start eating after a week or so when she gets real hungry. Quite often fish take a while to realise what you are offering is food so be persistant. If she is really stubborn up to 2 weeks is fine aswell. Cons should eat just about anything offered, you have a spoiled fishy. Good luck! Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:02
tr6tim Enthusiast Posts: 157 Votes: 0 Registered: 29-Jul-2003	Yep, she's a spoiled little girl! I'm totally smitten with her - she's so cute. Knowing two weeks is safe for her to protest her menu is a good thing to know. I doubt the'll hold out that long. I have Hikari Cichlid food, and a variety of flakes and frozen foods. I'll check out another cichlid specific food. Thanks! Tim
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:02
bettachris Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 3875 Kudos: 4173 Votes: 452 Registered: 13-Jun-2004	if she won't eat, i like to use colorbits, but feeding her bloodworms shouldn't be bad.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:02
tr6tim Enthusiast Posts: 157 Votes: 0 Registered: 29-Jul-2003	Well it took two days of stubborness before her stomach won out. She ate some cichlid pellets! She was reluctant and danced for me begging for something else, but she finally ate the pellets! Thanks for all the help! The last time I faced a picky eater was when my son was a toddler - the same patience worked then. Tim
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:02
Lindy Administrator Show me the Shishies! Posts: 1507 Kudos: 1350 Votes: 730 Registered: 25-Apr-2001	I'm glad it worked out Tim. Slowly introduce other dry foods to her diet. Leave the lollies (bloodworms) out of her diet for as long as you can to make sure she doesnt start refusing other foods again. Lindy bettachris, you are right, there is nothing wrong with feeding fish bloodworms but a diet consisting solely of this is bad. Its the same with us - if we only ate insert favourite chocolate bar then it would be bad for our health. Same for fish. Last edited by Lindy at 06-Jun-2005 06:34 Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:02
Wingsdlc Fish Guru What is this? Posts: 2332 Kudos: 799 Registered: 18-Jan-2005	My pair of convicts will eat just about anything. I feed them flakes, pellets, frozen stuff, spikes (lava of some bug), live snails, and glass shrimp. My female does much better than my male with the live stuff. She is just a better hunter I think. I am glade you got your girl to eat. How big is she and what else do you keep with her? Last edited by Wingsdlc at 06-Jun-2005 07:54 55G Planted tank thread 19G Container Pond [IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:02
Darth Vader Big Fish Posts: 338 Kudos: 334 Votes: 35 Registered: 05-May-2005	my dovii simply won't eat artifical food and so i have to feed him meal worms(which are realy insects) earth worms live feeder shrimp and live fish
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:02
tr6tim Enthusiast Posts: 157 Votes: 0 Registered: 29-Jul-2003	She's about 2.5" long right now and has a tank all to herself for the moment. She'll go into my 30 gallon once I set it back up but I have no idea about tank mates for her. I DON'T want to be breeding convicts so a male is out. Suggestions? Thanks, Tim
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:02
HOKESE Mega Fish Posts: 1105 Kudos: 478 Votes: 271 Registered: 22-Feb-2003	i have 6 of these guys and i love em,4 are normal convicts and 2 are albinos.mine will eat anything,pellets flakes,colour pellets,whatever.things like feeder fish,worms,live insects,they get only as a weekly treat,because i had a port acara that i gave to much live worms and stuff to,and he turned out the same. he would not take anything that was not alive,i never made that mistake again.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:02
Wingsdlc Fish Guru What is this? Posts: 2332 Kudos: 799 Registered: 18-Jan-2005	For tankmates I would try another Female Con. Just make sure you get one with an orange belly. Maybe get a pink or what ever the opposite of yours is. You could also do something like rainbows or giant danios. Something that is quite fast and can out run the Convict. Maybe even a school of Tiger Barbs. 55G Planted tank thread 19G Container Pond [IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:02


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