A. Cacatoides not eating

[Will]

I recently picked up 2 pairs of Cockatoos and they look great. I am new to apistos so maybe it's their behavior that I am unfamiliar with. They pick at the food and the males like some food I give them but they don't seem to be hogs like my Bolivians. All of them sift through the sand and pick out some chunks of food. My main concern is the tiny females. The food I have tried: Flakes, pellets, algae wafers, and freeze dried blood worms(they liked these a lot). Thanks!

 

[deliriouz]

Make sure they are not getting harassed by the males. Separate if so to condition them up to size. For food, try mossie larvae..not many fish say no to them.

 

[abrooks12376]

Saw your post in tpt. Say they've only been in for a day? Give them a little time to settle.

 

[Mike Wise]

Also, apistos aren't really fond of processed foods. It sometimes takes a while for them to eat dry foods immediately after being added to the aquarium. They more typically wait until it has softened/disintegrated and sift it from the sand as small particles. Sand sifting is a normal behavior for apistos. They are a geophagine cichlid after all. Try frozen or live foods to start them off.

 

[Will]

Ok, could I get by with freeze dried or do you suggest trying to get frozen? Is there a big difference?

 

[gerald]

Yes some fish that will not eat dry food (flake, pellet, freeze-dried) will eat frozen or live foods. Nutritionally it may not be a big difference, but it can make a big difference in whether a fish will swallow it. Especially important with newly-acquired small fish that may have been starved during shipping.

 

[abrooks12376]

At this point all.the dwarf cichlids I keep take flake (cobalt tropical). My apistos all came from an lfs that fed green flake so they were used to it I guess? I could see wild types and breeder raised being a little more tricky in a new tank. For frozen foods the spirulina brine shrimp goes fast!! Since they are sand sifters, as mentioned above, they readily take sera krill pellets. Absolutely inhale them actually. I've recently employed NLS Thera A, that seems to be going over well.

 

[Will]

Well they are pretty small. If I soaked them would it be better?

 

[gerald]

Sometimes soaking pellets in the juice from frozen bloodworms (thawed) makes them more palatable. But obviously you'll need to get frozen bloodworms to do that. Can you find some tiny earthworms (look under leaf piles) and chop those up for her?

 

[Mike Wise]

Since you don't seem to want to feed frozen/live foods, just continue feeding quality dry foods. They will still (grudgingly) eat it eventually - if the other fish in the tank don't eat it first.

 

[Will]

Good news! My males have become hogs! The females are still not. They are really focused on breeding and defending territory. Is this a reason for them being not as hungry?

 

[Will]

Got some earth worms. The male went crazy when the females could care less. Maybe they are to big?