# How to get a wild caught fish to eat pellets?



## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

I've had my pumkinseed for a while now (he's my favorite fish ever). I've tried getting him to eat pellets but so far he just doesn't like them. Some one said try to starve him and he will eat them after a few days but after a week he was just starting to look thin and I gave in. Was I too soft? He eats most meaty foods fine. He will also eat pellets that are slipped inside meaty foods. To begin with he would try the pellets and spit them out but he knows what they look like now so doesn't try. I'm not too worried if I just have to carry on with frozen food but it would be handy if he'd eat some type of pellet at least some of the time.


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## intensejustin (Sep 8, 2010)

Pumpkinseed....

Try corn, thats what the pond fish here eat!


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

What kind of fish are they? I Think carp like corn.


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## Moontanman (May 31, 2009)

What type of pellets have you tried? All fish foods are not the same and some are more palatable to some fish than others. I have pretty good luck with blue spotted sunfish using Hikari micro pellets. Some fish food is just stuff for the fish to eat, some fish will eat just about anything, others are a little more picky. Try some new brands of pellets, switch around till you find one he will try. Have you tried dried krill?


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Yep he ate dried krill right from the start, he loves them, not sure how balanced they are though so I've been trying not to use them too much. I tried koi pellets and some posh brand of ciclid pellets the LFS gave me a sample of. Those are what I'm currently slipping inside his food. He has such little interest in those that I hate to go and buy more that I'm not going to have a use for if he doesn't like them.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I'd go to the baitstore and get nightcrawlers.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> I'd go to the baitstore and get nightcrawlers.


I don't have any probs getting him to eat live or meaty foods, just would be handy if I could get him on to pellets for the days when I don't have time.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I understand. I think worms would be easy since most Walmarts carry them and they keep a pretty long time if kept in the fridge. How was he caught?

It be cool to get crickets for him. Love to watch them strike.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> I understand. I think worms would be easy since most Walmarts carry them and they keep a pretty long time if kept in the fridge. How was he caught?
> 
> It be cool to get crickets for him. Love to watch them strike.


Not sure hubby would like worms in the fridge, good idea though. 

I say 'caught' lol but really I just picked him up. He was lying on the mud of the bank of a pond that was drying up and I stuck him in a tiny bucket of water (only thing I had on hand) and took him home, wasn't sure he'd live but he's one tough fish!


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## jons4real (Sep 6, 2010)

snail said:


> I say 'caught' lol but really I just picked him up. He was lying on the mud of the bank of a pond that was drying up and I stuck him in a tiny bucket of water (only thing I had on hand) and took him home, wasn't sure he'd live but he's one tough fish!


That is awsome! I love it, your like a fish rescuer!


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

I just took pitty on him but glad I did cuz he is such a pretty fish and has become more of a pet than any of the other fish I have had.


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