# Wild caught Jack Dempsey



## bubbajames (Jan 26, 2015)

I recently sampled Fall River in South Dakota, and caught a Jack Dempsey. I know it sounds weird but they are in there in good numbers too. I have it in a tank, but it is not eating any of the pellets that I have given it. I have feeder fish in there now (which I just learned is actually bad). It is eating those, but not the pellets. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do? And can someone help sex it for me?


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Well this is a first for me :hmm: 

Try soaking the pellets with some garlic. Add a small crushed clove to some tank water and soak the pellets in there for about 5 minutes. Garlic is supposed to be an appetitie stimulant. Do it when he's hungry. It's probably just a matter of unfamiliarity and stress in its new environment.


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## bubbajames (Jan 26, 2015)

Alright thank you. I will have to try that. Since it is caught from the wild, would it be better if I fed it smaller fathead minnow rather than feeder fish, or just try to switch it to pellet food?


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

I would wean it off live food onto a good cichlid pellet as a staple. Keep offering the pellets. Soaking in garlic my help. Don' t offer any live food. It may take awhile but the fish will not starve itself. Do you have any other fish in with the JD. Sometimes having othet fish in that eat the pellets will "teach" your wild fish that it is food. 

Your JD is a male.


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## Kloudz (Jan 28, 2015)

He probably angry that you took him away from his friends and life style. I'd release to his home in the wild and pick one up from a lfs. 
Just my .02


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## RSVBiffer (Feb 3, 2014)

The fish has been removed from its natural environment and placed in another with an entirely different water chemistry. In the wild of course this fish would have never seen a pellet and does not know what they are, I dare say they taste entirely different to what it is used to eating. I have to disagree with jeaninel and say that it is entirely possible that this fish could starve itself if you remove the live food and feed it with just pellets (I am not saying it definitely will but it is a possibility) as there is no guarantee that it will adapt to artificial foods.The biggest loss of wild fish during the initial acclimatisation period is from starvation.

I suppose it is a bit like somebody plucking us up off a nice comfy sofa sat in front of the TV and where you can eat chocolate all the time and dumping you in (say) a garden shed with nothing to eat but boiled cabbage.


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## Embouck7 (Jan 11, 2015)

I would feed this beauty bugs and worms, stuff you would use as fishing bait. A wiggling worm or something like that should peak its intrest. Jack's are smart, pavlov's law should apply...... Its all about conditioning the fish to eat things you give it, then you can switch to other foods. Also keeping it with another fish might help. I keep mine with a oscar haha seems to go pretty well most of the time.....


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## Crazyfish (Feb 3, 2014)

I've caught wild fish with pellets, bread, etc. as bait so I think it's just not quite used to its new home yet so its only eating tasty fresh food but not really hungry enough to go for the pellets. Give it time, it should come around to eating the pellets. I wouldnt starve it, just give it what it wants to eat sparingly.... so it will get hungry enough to go for other food.


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## RSVBiffer (Feb 3, 2014)

Crazyfish said:


> I've caught wild fish with pellets, bread, etc. as bait so I think it's just not quite used to its new home yet so its only eating tasty fresh food but not really hungry enough to go for the pellets. Give it time, it should come around to eating the pellets. I wouldnt starve it, just give it what it wants to eat sparingly.... so it will get hungry enough to go for other food.


Wild fish can be caught on pellet, bread etc but not every wild fish will go for them. There is no guarantee that a wild caught fish will adjust to prepared food, most do but some will never make the transition.


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## Bobs aquarium (Mar 18, 2015)

hi yes i agree with Romad ....... I have been using garlic guard from Seachem... i get just enough aquarium water ( to saok pellets) an add a capful of garlic guard in a small cup an add the pellets and let them soak and swell up ... u can break them easy now up or let him eat them as is... and much better to let them swell in the cup than in his stomach


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## Warhawk (Feb 23, 2014)

I agree with Embouck use worms and small bugs he should eat those after you he calms down.

I don't know if I missed it or not but did you catch him with a fishing pole and hook? I was always told growing up once a fish bits a hook their mouth would be sore for a week and wouldn't bit again until it didn't hurt, if that is true it might take him a week or two before he will eat. The last thing he put in his mouth really screwed up his world.


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