Getting Cacatuoides to eat prepared food

[Willfull]

I have a male cacatuoides in a 125g planted tank with a bunch of tetras and I'm having trouble getting him to eat prepared food. It's home made and everything else in the tank loves it but he wont eat it. He wont eat flake food either. If I drop in live food, i.e. black worms, he will eat some of those, but I don't want to have to constantly buy or raise live foods. Any advice?

 

[Mike Wise]

First, welcome to the apisto forum. I sympathize with your problem. Apistos can be very picky about their food. I tend to spoil mine - live baby brine with occassional frozen foods. That being said, I suggest that you be patient. If you mix some together with you normal food live foods once in a while, it will eventually accept prepared food - although reluctantly. I doubt that it will starve itself to death when there is something to eat in the tank.