Training anthias to eat flake food

Boboe77 · Apr 28, 2014

Hey everyone,

I need help getting my 2 anthias to eat flake food. He is only accepting frozen mysis right now and I need to be able to quickly feed the tank before work. Also, what is the best flake food or pellet food to feed? Thanks!!

4 chromis
2 anthias
1 royal gramma
1 yellow clown goby

HiddenUser · Apr 28, 2014

My Anthias only accepts frozen as well. I keep some a mixture of PE Mysis / RODI water in a squeeze bottle in the fridge...This way in the morning I can just squeeze a little bit of food into the tank.

Fish get fed and I'm not waiting around for 5-10 minutes for the food to thaw.

stunreefer · Apr 28, 2014

Weening fish onto dry foods takes time, and really can't be rushed. Once they recognize it as food they should start to tear it up. Could take three days, or three months, all depends on your specific fishes.

Once you get them nice and plump on frozen foods, start feeding flakes/pellets first throughout the day. They'll likely watch it flow passed them, and wait for the frozen. one day one fish will taste it, realize it's food, and go to town. Once one fish does it the rest should follow suit quickly.

Sometimes when I leave out of town I'll pre-rinse a bunch of Mysis and put it in those little Day-By-Day pill holder things you can get at the drug store. Throw it in the fridge and it stays good for at least a few days. This allows my brother, lady friend and other friends to easily feed my tank(s) within minutes, and would help cut time of your morning feeding prior to work.

IMO NLS pellets are a superior dry food, however I still feel that frozen foods offer the best long term nutrition.

Boboe77 · Apr 28, 2014

Ok cool thanks guys! All the other fish accept for my 2 anthias just tear up the food once i put it in.

davocean · Apr 28, 2014

It also depends on the type of anthias.
My lyretails adapted to NLS pellets pretty quick, dispars and carberryi's were more finicky, but eventually did.
I do NLS pellets in an autofeeder which helps me do multiple daily feedings.

Boboe77 · Apr 29, 2014

davocean said:
It also depends on the type of anthias.
My lyretails adapted to NLS pellets pretty quick, dispars and carberryi's were more finicky, but eventually did.
I do NLS pellets in an autofeeder which helps me do multiple daily feedings.

I have 2 lyretails and they take a bite of the flakes and they spit it out. What king of pellets are you using?

wrasseluver · Apr 29, 2014

I use Sustainable Aquatics .5mm pellets and I have some finicky fish. I have two red leopard wrasses and 6 central pacific anthias. They did not like NLS pellets so my lfs sudjusted SA and I bought the .5mm pellets and all the starting eating these pellets in less then two days. If you can find it locally give it a shot and I'm 100% sure they start eating that and you'll be able to cut back on frozen or cut it out all together.

WVUreefer · Apr 29, 2014

Ive been using hikari small pellets ..lyretail accepted them quite readily

davocean · Apr 29, 2014

Boboe77 said:
I have 2 lyretails and they take a bite of the flakes and they spit it out. What king of pellets are you using?

I'm using NLS pellets.
Mine spit them out at first too, but then got over it.
I was feeding frozen when I got home so I'm sure they were really wanting that.
Once my lyretails starting eating NLS, my other anthias started to eat that too, kind of a monkey see/do type of thing.

Reef Fever · Apr 29, 2014

training finicky fish to eat flakes requires isolation IMO. I have 3 notoriously finicky eaters that will eat just about anything i give them (including flakes) because i took the time to isolate them. sunburst anthias, leopard wrasse and multibar angel. sure it can be done in the DT but you will see greater success in ISO

Boboe77 · Apr 29, 2014

davocean said:
I'm using NLS pellets.
Mine spit them out at first too, but then got over it.
I was feeding frozen when I got home so I'm sure they were really wanting that.
Once my lyretails starting eating NLS, my other anthias started to eat that too, kind of a monkey see/do type of thing.

I'm sorry but what are NLS pellets? I'll feed them anything that works!

hybridazn · Apr 29, 2014

Boboe77 said:
I'm sorry but what are NLS pellets? I'll feed them anything that works!

NLS stands for new life spectrum pellets. It's the only dry food I feed my fish

TrialandError · Apr 29, 2014

I put a little flake down in my sump where the return pump is and when the pump sucks up the flake and sparys it in the tank my anthias go nuts chasing and eating it. If I just put flake in the tank they ignore it. Guess there's no fun eating it if they can't chase it lol.