Should only need to get the food to it tentacles and they'll attach to the food. Any way that's how mine feeds.
That's true, Greg, but only for healthy animals. Unhealthy ones will not have a proper prey capture response, unfortunately.
In any case, owl, don't put food in the mouth or you risk damaging it. Always try to sit it on the tentacles. If it doesn't accept one food, try others (silversides, clam, squid, mysis shrimp--anything). If that doesn't work, you can only provide appropriate conditions, including lighting, flow, substrate, etc. and hope for the best.