# how to get them to eat of the surface



## StuartDanger (Aug 7, 2003)

when i put a chunk of beefheart in my tank my p's always wait until its on the bottom to go and eat it. are there ne ways to cox them to the top i was thinking suspending the beefheart on a bit of string, would that work. i heard putting a caribe in would help but i can get one and my tank wud b to small.

stuart


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## o snap its eric (Feb 19, 2003)

moneky see monkey do it the name of the game for piranhas. Adding a pacu or two will make them ore prone to eat at the surface.


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## pamonster (Jun 26, 2003)

Dont get a pacu, they have no business being in a home aqu. under a few hundred gallons. I dont even think pet stores should sell them. Just dont feed them for a few days and then toss in some pelets or sonething that floats, mabye like krill. I bet they will fo to the top for it.


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## SimplyOrange (Jun 5, 2003)

the string works fine but i put mine right in the middle. mine also eats (mainly) cichlid floating pellets.

if you use a string make sure its not fishing lines. i use sewing threads since that they may eat a bit of it but it wont kill em. maybe. better than a fishing line.

my kids usually wait until they feel comfortable to go taste it. they wait for the runt to check things out.


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## VOYAGERXP (Jul 18, 2003)

My 6 reds eat from my hand.I just dangle a dead fish in the water and they come to the surface and rip it out of me hand. I use pincers to hold cubes of beef heart and they don't wast no time.


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## icepick36m (Feb 19, 2003)

I would try krill...I drop that in and my p's come to the surface so aggressively that I sometimes get a free bath :nod:


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Occasionally, my reds come up to the surface to snag a few flakes I dropped in for the community fish living in that tank.
But most of the time, they just wait until the food (no matter what: pellets, shrimp, fish fillet) starts sinking, and eat it before it hits the ground.

And I agree: don't buy a Pacu to get your to eat from the surface, unless you have the space and money to house it once it gets larger...


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## Dave~X (Sep 6, 2003)

cool i'll need to try some of those things!!


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## Trillyen (Sep 2, 2003)

Ok i had some ps that was to scard and wouldnt go to the top for nothing, and 1 of them steal wont.What size tank do u have?I have a 40 long and i just recently added some rocks and stacked them up mid way, and after i did that they started swimming over them and through them and when they r swimming over them they notiice the pellets at the top and they love um they hit the water real real hard, and seem to swallow it in 1 gulp
So if ur problem persists i would try this method, it was an accident for me now they love nothing more.
I just went out in the street and found some broken up concret to throw in there, and it looks great, way better than going to the store to buy those expensive orniments. Good luck, keep me posted friend.


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## StuartDanger (Aug 7, 2003)

thanks for the advice, they have actually stared eating on the top,i turn the feed them fozen bloodworm and it floats so if they want the food they have to go up to the surface for it.


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