Fish that eat pellets from day one

[AC1211]

What marine fish species can I count on eating pellets from day one?

 

[mta_morrow]

What marine fish species can I count on eating pellets from day one?

Good question!

Unfortunately, there is never a guarantee.

But here are some things you can do

When at your LFS, ask them to feed the fish you are interested in. I highly recommend at least mysis as well for the carnivores

Many of the online sellers already have the fish eating pellets, mysis, nori, etc. Divers Den is one that comes to mind.

 

[AC1211]

Good question!

Unfortunately, there is never a guarantee.

But here are some things you can do

When at your LFS, ask them to feed the fish you are interested in. I highly recommend at least mysis as well for the carnivores

Many of the online sellers already have the fish eating pellets, mysis, nori, etc. Divers Den is one that comes to mind.

Are there certain fish that are more likely to like damsels?

 

[Webslinger]

Most need to be trained which is easy to do. All my fish (long nose hawk, mandarin, dwarf angel, tang, yellow wrasse, diamond Goby, clowns) eat pellets except my eel. Clowns, angel, tang and goby ate right away.

 

[mta_morrow]

Are there certain fish that are more likely to like damsels?

Chrysiptera damsel fish are generally less aggressive than other damsels.

They are territorial and should be added last if possible.

For your size tank you should focus on a bottom dweller and an open water, but all small

 

[Wizard$]

Another reason you should quarantine fish - gives you a chance to get them on to pellets - or just feeling comfortable to eat in a glass box.Remember they come from the wild - any hesitation in eating due to other fish in the tank could also impact the ability to get them on to pellets

 

[AC1211]

Most need to be trained which is easy to do. All my fish (long nose hawk, mandarin, dwarf angel, tang, yellow wrasse, diamond Goby, clowns) eat pellets except my eel. Clowns, angel, tang and goby ate right away.

I guess my best bet would be to buy proven species that have shown consistant ability to make the transition to pellets.

 

[JakeK]

I feed mysis and similar while in QT. As soon as i put a new fish in the DT and feed pellets only, they see the other fish eating the pellets and immediately start eating pellets. This has been the observed behavior with a yellow tang, pyramid butterflyfish, percula clownfish, blue flasher wrasse and a starkii damsel. The only fish that i have not seen this behavior with is my golden dwarf moray but it will get very active swimming all over the tank when i feed the rest of the fish pellets.

 

[Grsfish]

The only fish that I have that did not eat anything other than frozen was my bangai cardinal. After about a year it finally will eat pellets Also

 

[Brian1f1]

I had three golden dwarfs that loved new life spectrum.... That said, I have a pair of purple tangs (I know... I don’t know how it happened either), and one refuses to eat anything but frozen food and nori, while the other one is a pig that goes wild on pellets, flakes, whatever really. This has gone on for months, and the one that eats dry foods is now noticeably bigger than the other.

Most of my fish refuse pellets. In fact, the only ones that eats them, despite them being offered daily, is the one purple tang, a cave goby, and two captive raised fang blennies. My Picasso clowns suck and spit them, but they eat flake. My Pearly jaw ignores them, eats flake, my flame cardinals refuse everything but frozen. My captive raised bangi’s won’t even consider anything but frozen. Cleaner gobies will eat flakes, no pellets. Orchid dotty back, flakes, spits pellets. Blue star leopards, occasionally suck and spit a pellet, do eat frozen.

Come think of it, I had much better luck with pellets a decade ago, before I rebooted. Could be that I need to stop offering frozen daily. I typically mix if with dry food, thinking that will train them, not working too well.

 

[HB AL]

The only fish that I have that did not eat anything other than frozen was my bangai cardinal. After about a year it finally will eat pellets Also

That’s interesting thought it was just mine, I don’t feed pellets often but my bangia cardinal hasn’t touched a pellet in over 2 years I’ve had it, the rest devour them when I do toss some in.

 

[Brian1f1]

No, Banggai, even the captive ones we have now, are known for difficult with prepared (dry, mostly) foods.

 

[ReefWithCare]

All my fish except for tank bred ones refuse pellets. They are HM and only want their LRS foods. Which I’m happy to feed [emoji28]

 

[balajeek15]

i thought this was not a common problem but same here my Cardinal i bought was not eating pellets and and flakes

 

[Jesterrace]

What marine fish species can I count on eating pellets from day one?

No guarantee but the captive bred varieties of fish are probably the safest bet for that (since they were tank raised). Either way not a fan of pellets/flake. Frozen produces less waste/filler material if you go with a quality food source (ie LRS Reef Frenzy).

 

[jayala12]

Don’t feed them for about two days then throw some in and bam they will eat. Fish will not starve themselves unless they r sick ime... all my fish eat pellets including my red mandarin and she is the fattest of the tank!!!

 

[NYBumkin]

The only fish that I have that did not eat anything other than frozen was my bangai cardinal. After about a year it finally will eat pellets Also

That would be awesome if mine would eat pellets!