In early November we got a new lima shovelnose (Sorubim lima) cat, the lil guy is about 4". We put him in a 10 gallon by himself for quarantine and to wean him off live fish.
We have a 11" adult living in our 180. When I got him a couple years ago, I had to wean him off live fish as well but it was a breeze, easily done in a week or two using red wigglers. Now we can hand feed him anything from nightcrawlers to silversides to krill, and he'll even eat the occasional pellet.
Since I'm against feeding live fish for health reasons, I wanted to wean the new lima off feeders before putting him in the 180. I figured it would take a couple weeks. Well, it's been almost TWO MONTHS and he won't eat anything! We fed him a feeder once at the halfway point because I was afraid he was going to starve to death. He won't eat red wigglers, frozen silversides, krill, nothing. He's in a 10 by himself--the tank is bare bottomed and has a medium-sized flowerpot in it, as well as one of the floating plants from the 180 (which looks massive in the 10 and takes up half the tank--good hiding spot). We covered the back and sides of the tank with dark paper and keep the light off to make the newbie feel secure. And he looks healthy--but he WON'T EAT!
Anything I can do?? Any advice is appreciated
We keep a stock of quarantined feeders (rosey reds) on hand as the occasional snack for the fish and I can feed the newbie these if I really have to but then I'll just be taking steps backward in trying to wean him off feeders.
