Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have my system up and running and fully cycled. My only issue right now is that my fish (bullhead catfish) won't eat the organic pellets I got for them. They will take them in and then spit them back out. I had gone up to 10 days between feedings and they still wouldn't take them. They sure love trout and it is free for me to get that as food, but I am guessing it's not the most balanced diet to keep the system fully happy.

Do I just need to go longer until their survival instincts kick in?

Give them both pellets at once. And slowly take away the trout pellets until they are just eating the ones you want.

The might need to be weaned onto the new pellets.

Mantis has had cats for a long time, he may be able to assist

My Channel Cats won't even make an appearance to eat unless I'm no where in sight so if you can see them spit out the pellets you're doing better than I am .

Try soaking the pellets first, maybe it's the texture.

Maybe the fish don't like organic food. They're screaming "Give us the trout food!"

They don't get trout pellets they get trout. Maybe adding some pellets with the trout will get them to eat them when the trout taste is in the water.

They are wild and not farm raised so they haven't been exposed to pellets at all until now.

Sorry, I misread that then. But I'll stand with my original statement. Them fish have tasted flesh and won't go back to vegetables. Be glad it's trout flesh they enjoy, and not yours.

They are rednecks. They are not interested in that tree huggin hippy food.

Try smaller pellets. My bullheads and sunfish did not take the large (4mm) floating pond/catfish pellets and did as you described... "mouth feeling." After a very long summer of weaning them off live foods, a few freezes over winter and a meager ration of 2mm tilapia feed during the warmer weeks, did they come around.

Edit: The fish are all wild caught as well.

Seriously though...

Getting wild fish to take pellets can be almost impossible. I tried with really, really small redfin (very similar to your yellow perch) and failed every time I tried.

That would be true. They definitely prefer meat, any color and type, over veggie pellets. Can't say I blame them.



I may fail too.

Tonight they will get some pellets mixed in with the trout so they absorb some water and oil. That may make the difference. Kind of taking the dog food transition method as mentioned. Add in the new and start removing the old.

I have no issue feeding them trout and worms. My thing is getting balanced food through them so there is little or no need to supplement the tank

The last few days the fish are out every night looking for food. I am cutting up a half a trout (10") and mixing it with some pellets. The pellets are either getting eaten or dissolving into the water. Hopefully they are eating them and over time I can increase the percentage of pellets and decrease the percentage of trout.

Even us rednecks prefer some veggies every once in a while

I started my channels on floating pellets and have never had a problem. If I even walk through my shop and get close to the fish tank they are at the top beggin for more.

Last night I fed just some pellets. Either they ate them or they simply dissolved. I have a feeling they ate them, but I don't know for sure. Either way, we'll get there.