Take it from someone that worked at a fish store for a couple years, feeders that come in are in horrible condition. I'd say, on average, 30% of the received fish died in a week. And sometimes we'd lose the whole order.
But you better believe that management wanted us to sell these diseased fish.
I would never feed any of my fish feeder fish unless I was the one raising them.
Its interesting you say that because since I've been a regular at my local fish store, I became friends with the manager. So last Thursday, I came in to purchase feeders and he sent me away. I said you have a full load of smalls, mediums and large. He said, "Because you are my friend, I can't sell these to you." I was furious because I ran out of feeders for my Armatus, Scombs, Nile Perch, Datnoid, Vit ATF, Dorado, Jardini, and Peacock Bass. He had other customers coming in and he willingly gave them feeders. So after they left, he told me not to take it personal. He explained that they just got that batch and it was their worst batch ever. They were all dying and staying towards the bottom of the corner of the tank. He said that they were literally giving the feeders away because the owner doesn't care when it comes to money.
Problem is all my fish know to eat is feeders. I just acquired a beautiful 13' Armatus that is tilapia trained and I want to get all of my fish trained to eat tilapia or pellets. Ironically, when I had my 12' Tigrinus Catfish, it was already shrimp/tilapia trained and whenever I fed it, none of the other fish I mentioned above besides my Jardini would eat it.
I heard that I should try starving them. So Saturday was the last day my fish were fed feeders. None of the fish ate yesterday. And I just put some pellets in the tank this morning. My Dorado was the only one to eat them along with my silver dollars and red hooks because they only eat that. But the others just looked at the food and didn't attempt to eat.
