Peacock Bass!

Anyone on here rock the Peacock Bass? In the past or currently?

I used to keep pbass about 5 years ago, they were my first Monster Fish..
I still regret selling them, they were sooo close to breeding too..

sweet! Looks like those rays are cool to keep too! I'm actually looking for feeding options. I have read numerous threads on monsterfishkeepers that had good info, i'm just looking for some more input. They are juvies, about 2-2.5" and so far wont take brine shrimp and earthworm sticks or krill. One of the two eats frozen brine shrimp and thats it! What did you start yours on?

For me I got lucky, mine were all 6"+ when I got them and were already eating tilapia fillets. I would just keep trying to train them on taking non live food. It might take awhile though.. I have a Dat that's stuck on feeders and I'm still having a hell of a time converting him. I know there's a few good threads on MFK on how to train them.

Thats pretty much my only option. Feeders and frozen food will just get way to expensive as they get bigger. I have used the starve method in the past, maybe that will work here. Being about 2.5" I just need to be careful! Thanks for the input

Addicted2CAs wrote:I'm actually looking for feeding options. I have read numerous threads on monsterfishkeepers that had good info

I remember one of the threads had something to do with teaching the fish through its natural trigger mechanism to attack a live food item.... cant remember the whole thing but I remember it was a good read. You could always get them going on Massivore

Yea at 2.5" i wouldn't be starving for too long, they're not that hardy at small sizes.. For me frozen fish was a perfect fit being i can get it for free half the time from work. But if i didn't have access to what i do, i'd go for pellets for sure. Way cheaper than feeders, and healthier too..
My one Dat is killing me, i'm going through 60-90 feeders a month for him only..
I even starved him for 2 months and i gave in before he did.. Now i'm giving him feeders again to fatten him back up..

Thats my concern now, starving for too long at this size and water temp is risky business! I may just keep on with frozen and try pellets in between then use the different converting methods when they are 4-5"+.

Wow 2 months that is impressive!
Ouch man thats alot of feeders! Do you breed your own?

DMD123 wrote:

Addicted2CAs wrote:I'm actually looking for feeding options. I have read numerous threads on monsterfishkeepers that had good info

I remember one of the threads had something to do with teaching the fish through its natural trigger mechanism to attack a live food item.... cant remember the whole thing but I remember it was a good read. You could always get them going on Massivore

Thats what I thought, "hey everyone likes massivore!" Crushed a few up and tossed in, they acted like it wasnt there......then the stink came lol

Just found a post on monster that recommended dropping the food in from a good height above the tank to simulate a moving, live fish. Maybe what your talking about with the natural trigger? Either way this is challenging and quite fun!

My fish go crazy when i shoot baskets with their food from a distance. Its like they see it coming and they literally catch it as it hits the water.

But as for your Bass, they should eventually start eating. They are still small and young so they dont know the difference really. Give them time, and dont give in or else they will get expensive.

madness wrote:My fish go crazy when i shoot baskets with their food from a distance. Its like they see it coming and they literally catch it as it hits the water.

Thats just weird.

That is why they are so interactive with me. My male Isletas and Hoga let me stick my hand in their tank and hand feed, and they also let me play with them and spin them around my hand.

Anyway, sorry for the derail. Just stay persistent. They will hopefully eat sooner or later.

haha! that is awesome. That is why I love the amphilophus guys as they are always interactive. That means time for more tanks hehe!

I will just keep at it. They get what I give them and i'm sure they will eat when they get hungry. If not, I cant say I didnt do my part!

I kept peacock bass for years or Tucanare as we called them in Hawaii. Used to catch my own out of the local ponds. Fed them local Medakas or mosquito fish. We had them in every pond and stream back home also used to feed green and yellow swordtails and when they got to about 6-8 inches baby tilapia again from the streams or taro patches. Oh yeah also Dojo or the common brown loach. Splash the surface when feeding it drives them crazy and will hit what ever goes in is dead.

My cousin had some with his arowana not that long ago and both the arowana and bass refuse to eat at first. He kind of starve them close to a week. I think like 3-5 days. Once they start nibbling on the food than your safe. Hope that helps

P. Bass can be tricky. If you start them small and have them in with other non aggressive small fish around their size, they can pick up on pellets. My old temensis did. If hes large you might want to try a powerhead and some frozen krill or something of the sort. Put the krill in so the pump jets it across the tank. From my experience their feeding response is triggered by fast movement. Maybe you could try this.

Well I got rid of the bass a couple days back, only because I am going a different route and could not guarantee a large tank for them later on. In the process a couple months back I lost one that was being incredibly stubborn and starved himself to death. The other one was almost to that point and an order of 4 small Kraussii came in. After the Kraussii nailed pellets for a few days the Bass started to join in, as if the Kraussii taught him a thing or two. Very interesting!