New fancy Occy proven pair

I just picked this pair up yesterday, what a cool couple of fish.  Very friendly fishies.  I took them home in a bag with a black "slip" in between the two bags so they would feel comfortable.  While I was floating them to match temp before acclimating the female was poking her nose over the top of the black part looking out at me.  Very cute!  She was bopping around in there looking as if she was hungry so I put a couple pellets in there and she ate them in the bag!  I laughed.  Hehe.  An hour later when they were acclimated and out swimming I did the last feeding of the night and offered them some food as well and they both ate.  Since they are so mellow and outgoing I am hoping they will be comfortable enough to continue breeding in short time!  I hope!  They are about 1.5-2 years old, and have been spawning for about 6 months already.  I've "known" this pair for about 8 months and am happy to have them in my broodstock banks. 
 
I put them straight into my broodstock system, have the flow cut off to their tank so they are "quarantined", and I won't have to disturb them to take them out of quarantine.  I wouldn't do this from an unknown source because I don't like quarantine water to be mixed with broodstock water, but I know nothing was added to their old tank in over 6 months as the previous owner was planning a move out of the country.

Nice pair! The male looks like a snowflake to me.

Yes, he is indeed!  I think technically he is "semi-snowflake".  I am almost positive they are both ORA fish.

that male is so nice!

Thanks!  I've been training them to be pigs as they weren't big eaters when I first got them.  They are pigs now, and will eat until their bellies bulge.

How do you train them

I have a few that are excellent eaters and then a few that are only so so. That being said I have 8 breeding pairs and 2 of them are the so so eaters. I've tried all different pellets and frozen. I even make my own mush up.

As long as they aren't skinny I will "starve" them for a day or day and a half, and then offer their favourite food, but only one bite.  Then I feed them twice a day only one bite for a couple days, then start using different foods, but only one bite.  Then I slowly ramp up give them two bites, then three, so on.  They turn into ravenous pigs.  If they become poor eaters again I will start over.   These two are now the biggest pigs I have.  They eat more than the Clarkii.

Don't let fear and common sense stop you! =]

Interesting... they both have the eyes of Perc's... but the female has a Occy color pattern - I bet she is a hybrid.

-Adam