Stingray pup Only eating live Worms

[WARCRAFT]

Hi guys,
I recently purchased a 4.5" motoro stingray pup and it's only feeding live tubifex worms (even the seller said they were feeding same),
The first 2,3 days when I offered shrimp pieces it just jumped on it and chew 2,3 times and rejected it and it went to feed on live tubifex. I didn't feed it from 6th day for 2 days and offered shrimp pieces after 2 days and it still refused it. Even I tried with nightcrawlers it just shaked it and rejected it.
Now it just ignores shrimp and tilapia and only going for live tubifex. I tried to crush some tubifex worms and mix the juice and worms with shrimp, tilapia pieces but it still won't eat.
***** Any method or trick to make it eat shrimp, tilapia fillets.
***** If I feed it with live tubifex worms for another week or more will it be attached to the same food and will not accept any frozen food in future or will it change its appetite towards anything with time ?

 

[Gpdriftwood]

Are u mincing the shrimp and night crawlers up into super tiny pieces before mashing together with the worms? This usually works eventually if u keep doing it.

 

[Preacher]

Try and cut the shrimp up. If the shrimp are large in my experience the ray is almost intimated my the size of the shrimp. Especially with a smaller ray. Good luck.

 

[WARCRAFT]

Are u mincing the shrimp and night crawlers up into super tiny pieces before mashing together with the worms? This usually works eventually if u keep doing it.

Yes, I did squish the tiny shrimp pieces in crushed tubifex solution. But still it's just ignoring it. Will the ray get used to live tubifex and be too finiky to accept anything else ?
I don't want to starve it at the moment just wanted to let it out on little bit of fat and strength before doing that.

 

[WARCRAFT]

Try and cut the shrimp up. If the shrimp are large in my experience the ray is almost intimated my the size of the shrimp. Especially with a smaller ray. Good luck.

I did cut the shrimp pieces to thin smaller size like 2mm, even it's a real hassle and safety concern for me to feed these live tubifex worms. and I'm worried the ray will get attached to the same food and be more finiky. I have used the starving method on other fish but the rays are smaller and it's much risky at this smaller size to do it

 

[Gpdriftwood]

Definitely don't starve this young. Some take awhile to switch to other foods. Just have to fatten it up and keep offering the other foods.

 

[WARCRAFT]

Definitely don't starve this young. Some take awhile to switch to other foods. Just have to fatten it up and keep offering the other foods.

On the first 2,3 days it was not eating much tubifex worms but few and on 3rd day ate a lot it was jumping on the shrimp pieces and chewing them 1,2 times and rejected. I did starve it for 2 days after that thinking it will go for shrimp and then offered shrimp my bad now it's not going for shrimp at all like before my fault.
I'm giving it tiny shrimp pieces in the morning mixed with minced tubifex. And after that live tubifex worms. Will do this for a week or so and try starving method again.

 

[Gpdriftwood]

No. I mean it can take weeks or months to switch them. I would never starve a pup till at least 6-7" disk size minimum personally. If I were u, I would give up on shrimp for now and start mixing tubifex with finely chopped red worms (from a bait shop) in hope of getting it on them, then a few weeks down the road start mixing some shrimp in with the redworms. Good luck.

 

[WARCRAFT]

No. I mean it can take weeks or months to switch them. I would never starve a pup till at least 6-7" disk size minimum personally. If I were u, I would give up on shrimp for now and start mixing tubifex with finely chopped red worms (from a bait shop) in hope of getting it on them, then a few weeks down the road start mixing some shrimp in with the redworms. Good luck.

Thanks buddy
Yeah even I have doubts of starving it. It's a real pain in the a.... when they are not eating shrimp what a hassle for us. Will try mixing method with shrimp and tubifex for the meantime. Hope she will eat soon

 

[Gpdriftwood]

For sure. I've had lots of pups take right to it, and some take months...