# Best way to train fish to accept pellets?



## Steve (Mar 27, 2013)

So I got a bunch of discus from Rick a week ago and they're currently eating his freeze dried blackworms and frozen bloodworms quite voraciously. I've also been trying to feed them tetra color bit but none of them seem to want to eat it. Sometimes one will eat a piece and then spit it back out.

I'm wondering what the best way is to try and get discus to eat tetra color bit! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks!


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

There's no best way, but this is a method that has worked for me.

Discus like to eat softened pellets. If you fed them right away, they'll peck at it but know it's still hard and so won't eat it. You can presoak the pellets and then feed, or just put them into the tank to let it soak; then the discus will eat it at their leisure. 

Now to ween them off FDBW and onto pellets, I would suggest starving them for a day or two and then feed only pellets. DO NOT FEED FDBW in between pellets or they'll only eat the FDBW and not touch the pellets if giving a food choice. Don't spoil them and just continue feeding them pellets. Give them a treat of frozen bloodworms or FDBW once a week. 

That's the way I got mine to eat pellets.


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

I agree with starving them for a few days. Ive never had discus but Ive switched other fish over to pellets a few times. Eventually they will eat them if you starve them long enough. Sometimes it only takes a few days. Ive had stubborn fish that took longer. I never noticed any fish dying of starvation incase you are worried about that. Good luck. Let us know what worked.


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## striker (Apr 22, 2010)

What worked for my stingray is soaking pellets in blackworm blood


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

How many times a day do you feed them now?


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## Steve (Mar 27, 2013)

Generally feeding them twice a day, sometimes 3 times. I tried withholding food for 2 days but they still didn't want to try and eat the color bit. Any idea if I should try holding out longer than that?


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