Anyone know how to get a payara to eat dead food?

[Fishkeeperneo]

I just got a hydrolycus armatus, and I dont want to keep feeding it live food, its just to expensive. Please help

[Viktor Jarikov]

When a fish feeds e.g. on live black worms, pellets or frozen/thawed offerings can be rolled and rubbed in the black worm mass and then offered.

Live fish can be imitated by tying a thread to a frozen/thawed fish.

Basically, one has to fool the fish into thinking that what's being offered is the same as before.

Fasting always helps.

My impression is payaras are not exceptionally hard to wean off live, not because I've done it but from reading and talking with peers.

[bekateen]

Live fish can be imitated by tying a thread to a frozen/thawed fish.

Basically, one has to fool the fish into thinking that what's being offered is the same as before.

If that works, don't attempt to dangle the food in front of the fish using just your fingers. I tried that once with a frog, Lepidobatrachus laevis, holding a dead pinky mouse in my fingers and dangling it in front of the frog. I ended up with a tooth PIERCING my thumbnail and drawing blood. No joke.

After that, I always suspended the pinky mouse in front of the frogs using tweezers.


Good luck, Eric

[characinkid]

Hi

Ive done this for Rhaphiodon using tweezers but had to start by attaching the dead food onto a thread first. It takes some patience but is well worth it once you have them eating dead....