# Bolivian Ram only eats bloodworms/grindals



## JohnK (Nov 17, 2011)

I've been reading and learning a lot on this great forum, especially the Bolivian Ram Club thread.

I have a problem with a Bolivian Ram that I've had for 6 weeks now. I bought two of them, and one is fine and has been eating like a pig and gotten bigger and more colorful. The second still won't eat anything but grindal worms or frozen bloodworms. He seems healthy and outgoing, but hasn't grown and lacks color. I had him in a quarantine tank until a week ago and tried everything I could think of to get him to take flakes or pellets (NLS 1mm cichlid). I tried a gradual switch (letting flake/pellets fall to the bottom and dropping worms on top of them) for a week or so. I tried starving for 4-5 days and even tried letting him gorge on worms for a couple of days to see if it would stimulate his appetite. He has tried the other foods, but just spits them out. I even tried soaking some food in garlic juice.

After the third week, I did use Jungle Labs Parasite Clear to see if it would help, but no change. I have seen his poop, and it looks normal. He's in the community tank now since I began to wonder if he just needed a different environment. It's a 50G with pair of Pearl Gouramis, school of rummynose tetras and the two rams. He's not being picked on and swims around acting fine. I'm reluctant to let him go more than 4-5 days without eating as I've read that their digestive system can shut down if they go too long without food, though I'm not sure how true that is. He just seems to be wasting away when compared to the other ram.

I'm at a loss. Any suggestions?


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## BelieveInBlue (Jul 17, 2011)

Sometimes, all a fish needs is a little competition to convince to eat; feed the entire tank only flake/pellets for 3-5 days, and by that time he should start to nibble. Once he sees the other fish swarming for the prepared foods, he should at least take in a little bit.


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## JohnK (Nov 17, 2011)

He's been in the community tank for a week now, so there's been lots of competition. I can dump food right in front of him and he ignores it while the other fish snatch it up. I've gone four or five days feeding only flakes/pellets and he doesn't touch it. He must know that it's food, just doesn't have an appetite. Also, for most of the quarantine period he was with the other ram, so he had competition then too.


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## JohnK (Nov 17, 2011)

So it's been seven days since this guy last had some bloodworms and he STILL won't eat flakes/pellets. The only difference is that he used to come see what I was putting in the tank to eat, now he has apparently given up on me and doesn't bother.

He looks about the same though. He pecks around on the bottom a lot. Could he be eating snails or plants? Or, getting some nutrition through the other fish's waste?

Any thoughts on whether I should feed him some worms or is it better to continue cold-turkey? Other ideas? javascript:emoticon(':-?')


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## BelieveInBlue (Jul 17, 2011)

There are probably tons of microorganisms growing in your tank that you can't see (cyclops, infusoria, etc). he's likely getting his food from them, or he could be scavenging the food that the other fish don't eat.


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