I have been feeding my Jack Dempsey pellets and switched to earth worms. Will JD get enough nutrition just eating earthworms? I like watching him attach the worm so dont mind the extra cost. I dont want the JD to get bloat or disease because of poor nutrition. Is it ok to primarily feed earthworms?
Jack Dempsey - feeding Earth Worms -enough nutrition? now wont eat pellets
- Thread starter jumpin joe fish
- Start date
not really, not that they are bad for them....you just will want to mix it up some. try talapia, shrimp, other types of frozen fish perhaps. You want to make sure he has a varied diet.
It all depends... My Fahaka gets primarily worms and snails, seems find, growing like crazy. I had a Flowerhorn that I was feeding pellets/earthworms/bloodworms to that contracted some type of parasite, and I believe it was from the earthworms.
Try not feeding him for a week or so and then give pellets again. I'm sure he'll go back to them.
Try not feeding him for a week or so and then give pellets again. I'm sure he'll go back to them.
Jack's love a varied diet, as mentioned before. They also love veggies - so try to throw those into the mix as well - either in the form of frozen/skinned peas, or spirulina wafers.
Eating earthworms all the time would be more or less equivalent to us eating steak at every meal - we would probably love it, but may not be the best nutritionally.
Eating earthworms all the time would be more or less equivalent to us eating steak at every meal - we would probably love it, but may not be the best nutritionally.
A good pellet is best staple for everyday feeding. They are designed with the proper nutrients, protein, etc that a cichlid needs.
If you want to treat your fish with worms, shrimp, etc, that is fine. But not everyday as the main food.
...Bil
If you want to treat your fish with worms, shrimp, etc, that is fine. But not everyday as the main food.
...Bil
Gut load the worms first. This can be done by feeding them on veggies first. A trick that I used on my fish was to stuff small pellets into the worm. Kind of a cannelloni for the fish!
I have been feeding my JD pellets in the morning and evening (he also eats some flakes that are givin to my silver dollars which is enevitable). Every other day I give him a third meal at lunch which is either frozen blood worms, brine shrimp or krill. His colors are amazing and growing very fast. Problem with earth worms is that you don't know what was in the soil where they were grown, chemicals, parasites etc. Most frozen worms/shrimp are garunteed to be steralized multiple ways. Make sure to feed things that are the size of the space between there eyes as to prevent choking. Also make sure that frozen foods are completely thawd to keep their body temp regulated.