Sterlet wasting away.

[Old Dragon]

Nice one Mel, I told you if anyone could get Ray to eat pellets it would be you.

He's clearly never associated hard pellets with food, poor little bugger was probably confused as to why those funny little stones smelt and tasted like food. It might be worth soaking a few pellets in just water to soften them a bit and see if he will take them so you can wean him off the bloodworm.

[mel]

Cheers Karen , i will try that aswell

[Stresseddad]

gratz mel, to be honest, he must be eating enough to survive this long, you done a great job so far, some people wouldn't bother and see it as a chore and give up on them, best bet is what i mentioned previous post, and OD confirmed, try soaking pellets before hand so their softer, how does the saying go, be cruel to be kind(as you said), give him a day or two on what u fed him now, then i say starve him for a day and try just pellets soaked, see if he will take them, success story so far, nice one..

[mel]

Thanks for the heads up
Tried both today , bloodworm soaked and he eats them again

just on there own pre soaked its hard to tell it really looks like he is eating them but spits them in/out untill they dissintigrate (spelling ..lol.)

But its deffo much better as he is now on the pond floor more and can smell the pellets when i chuck them in for the otheres . I always feed him separate in the bowl hours before i feed the others in the pond so he can get to both lots , he should be massive really !

[Stresseddad]

can i 'hint' for a updated piccie...

[mel]

I will take a piccie in the week mate

[mel]

Not forgotten the picture mate i will take one when he fattens up , quick update ....he is now on just pre soaked pellets

Still can,t find them in the pond yet ..lol..

At least i could now put him in the qt for winter if he hasn,t put any bulk on by winter and can,t find his own food . No way am i messing about at - 5 degs in the middle of winter

[mel]

update...

He is in the QT now . He still can,t find pellets in the pond , he just swims around the sides all day like a Diamond sturgeon does and just looks for midge larvae but still scoffs pre soaked in the bowl .
So i,ve put him in the qt where there is no midge larvae and he is scoffing the pellets off the floor ....still pre soaked

i can now feed him much more especially at night , he has had three feeds already .

Whats the thoughts on him catching up size wise ? He should be around 14 " at a guess by now but was a runt from last season as you know ?


Still not forgot the pic Rich , but he still looks the same , perhaps a month in the qt and he will grow great guns !

[mel]

Well , Ray is now eating the pellets just as they come , dry thrown straught in

I swear he has bulked out in the last 5 days Now on 5-6 small feeds aday so i expect by the end of August he will have increased in girth and length and i will post up a picture .
One thing i have noticed is that the first 6 -8 3mm pellets go straight down , the rest very slowly get eaten , i,m wondering if all sturgeon / sterlets of this size have a limit on how much they can eat , 6 pellets at a go don,t seem a lot unless his gut is getting used to being plied with food again ?
Also Casey (Mark) commented on the competition in there , one tiny diamond and him in only 500 gallons , they both go for the food straight away as there is not many pellets going in, in one go .
Think you was right mate .

[mel]

pics....