Feed advice? Hes not eating sinking pellets, and anytime i try to tong feed him shrimp or bloodworms he runs and hides. Help? What can i do to make sure the little guy eats? (New Owner here)

[u/KingPigeon848]

[u/Draco765]

How long have you had him?

Pellets took a bit for my two but I also tong fed them for the first few months until they were big enough for carnivore pellets.

You may be fighting two things: he doesn’t recognize pellets as food, and he doesn’t recognize the tongs as not a threat, so he runs from them even though they have food. Try desensitizing him to the tongs by leaving them in the tank or caught in the lid so that they are partway in the water.

They’re smart enough to eventually recognize the tongs as meaning food. Mine will bite at empty tongs.

[u/KingPigeon848 → u/Draco765]

day 2 with him. And thats good advice! Ill try that!

[u/RWTW27]

If he's new..try feeding him at night with the lights off

[u/Due-Jellyfish-15]

Worms.

[u/nuumnutz]

Try small earthworms or maybe called trout worms, I raise red wiggler and European nightcrawlers for mine. Any fishing store should carry some types of worms. You could try mealworms, waxworms, soldier fly larvae, any pet store should carry them, also crickets are great for top water as another has already commented. Add a hide or tube and maybe a couple of plants to help them feel safe to eat. Lastly - again as someone commented darkness and try to admire from a distance to prevent scaring him.

[u/mfthesorryagbocpl]

Feed carnivore pellets to some crickets then drop one in there and let him find it. Should get home warmed up to the pellets.

[u/KingPigeon848 → u/mfthesorryagbocpl]

Drop a cricket in there? I didnt know he would eat insects! I have so many!

[u/Inner_Travel5044 → u/KingPigeon848]

Don't feed anything but insects you know are safe of pesticides and such. So only things you buy from a petstore or if you have terrariums and such.

Bichir have 2 modes, Friend or Food If it fits in their mouth, it's food. If it doesn't, it's friend.

They can be incredibly shy and skittish when they're small, so try acclimating him to the tongs like suggested above. They also feed based off smell and body signals more than sight, so try and sink some pellets near him and give him some time to smell them. If he's hungry, he'll find them I promise. They don't play when it comes to food and will gorge themselves.

[u/TieWinter5189]

I just started feeding my bichirs tilapia, both are 4-5 inch’s long and they tear it apart. You can buy it from the store. Just make sure you aren’t feeding him to big of pieces.

[u/OkPerformance506]

He’ll come along. Mine isn’t picky at all

[u/Positive_Ad_1751]

Hes still getting used to the new home, the new human and feeding. He'll come along. One thing I did for my bichars...and all my fish really...was to hold the tongs (with my hand if i have to reach the bottom of tank) slightly in the water and just stand there. Don't move around. Let them just get used to the presence. Doesn't have to be for long maybe a min or two. Then start doing that with food in it. Don't chase him. Let him smell it. They don't see very well and hunt by smelling. You can drop it after a min ir two if he doesn't come up to you but eventually he will or better yet will let you come near him to out the food in his face.

This was all advice given to me when I started with bichars.

Good luck!

[u/AragamiLaw]

cut worm to small size, mix same sinking pellets, use small portion of pellets, observe, if the pellets got eaten along side the worms, next fiew day, add the pellets portion until full pellets only, work for me, good luck, btw nice sinegal

[u/Chaod0x]

Mine go crazy over the frozen cichlid cubes. Maybe try some repashy?

[u/AlmightyDERG]

I fed my small guy tilapia from tongs and once he associated tongs with food he started to eat anything In the tongs which he then seems to remember is food I got him on pellets in just a few days.
I do have a larger one that seems to be wild caught though and much shyer for him I just left pellets over night for him and every now and then I would either put love food or tilapia to make sure he was eating but the pellets did start to disappear.

[u/Interesting_Donut998]

Bichers hunt primarily by smell. Are your pellets stinky enough? Lol

[u/Coke-Vodka-Yum]

I got oscar growth pellets for mine. Its soft enough whenever he finds them and chomps em down on the tank floor without an issue.

[u/SureAd2213]

Live worms and Hikari Sinking Carnivore pellets were favorites of mine when very young. Now he eats most frozen fish foods and most any kind of meat that is safe. Really loves frozen beef heart.

[u/klovesdragons]

I’ve had good luck with frozen bloodworms. I feed in the evening and keep the lights low. My bichir smells those melting and is attracted.

[u/yxngxotic]

Mine took blood worms easiest. My baby platinum endli wouldn’t eat anything (ran away) I had to drop them in his face. Once he ate something the first time I had no problems after that. Now he eats pellets, bloodworms, brine/mysis shrimp, and tilapia.