Carp

Question
Hi, A friend gave me two fishes from a nearby industrially polluted canal.( in China)they look like a carp.( goldfish like head but with an elongated body each about 3 inches long, with light golden scales)as soon as I got them their fins n scales were covered with a black greasy substance but now they are getting rid of that as I change 25% of the water every 3 days. Their fins were torn, but that also seems to be healing. they live in a 3 gallon tank. Just the two of them.
My problem is what to feed them???
I tried normal fish food, dried shrimp, dried worms but nothing seems working. They don't eat anything. Even a small fish food pallet goes in to their mouth while they breath they put it out. Will a small Hydrilla plant work? Or should I put them back to that polluted canal?
Looking forward for your expert advice. Thank you.


Answer
Hi Tony,
 I would keep trying the fish food pellets.  When a fish encounters a new food type, they "taste" it by pulling it into the mouth, then spitting it out.  This might go on for several days before they trust that it is good enough to eat.  The important thing during this time is not to let the uneaten food remain in the tank to rot and foul the water.

-- Ron C.
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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