Getting wild caught discus to eat?

[firestorm]

Well, I just got some wild caught discus last week (size range 2.5"-4" body with no fins), and I have been feeding them frozen foods for now so I can be sure they eat. I have tried NLS optimum flakes as well, but they don't seem to touch those yet. I have been mainly trying bloodworms, cichlid-delight, and ocean nutrition discus formula. I see them pecking at the food, but then they seem to just spit it out. I have tried soaking the food in garlic guard before giving it to them and that seems to still not work. Is there any other trick anyone could recommend? I don't know if they have been eating when I am not in the room, there are also cardinal tetras and BN plecos (all wc) in with them, and the food seems to be gone after a few hours.

They are in a 33gal QT, bare bottom tank with just a few rocks for hiding for the plecos. I have done 2 treatments with jungle parasite clear, and they have not shown any signs of being ill.

Grr it can be frustrating dealing with how picky these fish are, but I love em anyway

Edited October 14, 2008 by firestorm

[Kevin]

Slow it down girl.

Let them get settled down for one more week before you get frustrated. Get them used to you and looking for your feeding cues.

Then pick their most voracious feeding time and try just a little of the new food before you feed them anything else. If they don't even look at it yet, then give them the food they will eat and then give them 1 day where they miss their regular feedings, then try the little bit of food again.

Good luck,

Kevin

[firestorm]

No worries, they have been eating for at least a couple days now. They have been eating brine shrimp which they seem to love, and bloodworms. I am going to hold off feeding them dried foods for another week or so. Although the cardinals that are with them do eat the flakes I put in.

I will be trying them on dried foods probably during their morning feedings, which is usually the time they are the hungriest.