clowns not eating

cpittmx · 11/27/2009, 10:46 PM

I got two true perculas (tank raised) 5 days ago now. So far i have not been able to get them to eat. They have been offered flake food and mysis shrimp and have not eaten. I have seen them picking at rocks etc, but the tank is only a couple months old and there is not a lot to pick at. Should I be worried just yet?

sedor · 11/27/2009, 11:05 PM

I wouldn't be concerned for the first week. Sometimes it takes a little while for them to get used to the tank. You could always go to the LFS you got the fish from and ask for a sample of what they feed their fish, then take that food home and see if it makes a difference. With clowns you generally don't have to ween them onto your food, but who knows...they are crazy little fishies.

Aquarist007 · 11/27/2009, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpittmx

I got two true perculas (tank raised) 5 days ago now. So far i have not been able to get them to eat. They have been offered flake food and mysis shrimp and have not eaten. I have seen them picking at rocks etc, but the tank is only a couple months old and there is not a lot to pick at. Should I be worried just yet?

try soaking the flake food in garlic guard or similar garlic product

cpittmx · 11/27/2009, 11:27 PM

I'm not familiar with garlic guard or similar products...what are they for?

Aquarist007 · 11/27/2009, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpittmx

I'm not familiar with garlic guard or similar products...what are they for?

Regular feeding of garlic mixed with the fish food is "suppose to" increase fish immunity systems over time. A healthy fish immunity system can help the fish get over some cases of ich without intervention for eg.
It would be similar to us taking vitamens over the winter for colds etc. We still get colds etc but perhaps they don't last as long as if we didn't

jenjen · 11/28/2009, 01:40 AM

Garlic also seems to be 'tasty' to fish, so soaking food in garlic will often temp them into eating.

TRichardson79 · 11/28/2009, 02:23 AM

I had the same problem with my clowns. They are slowly getting over it. My remedy was New Life Spectrum and Rod's Food. Hopefully they start eating for you soon.

cpittmx · 11/28/2009, 08:44 AM

Ok..thanks for the information.

Lightsluvr · 11/28/2009, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jenjen

Garlic also seems to be 'tasty' to fish, so soaking food in garlic will often temp them into eating.

Just like humans...

My fish room smells like an Italian restaurant for a while after I feed food soaked in Garlic.

No way to tell if it works, but it makes me feel good... and the fish eat like pigs.

LL

dudley moray · 11/28/2009, 10:54 PM

also try brine shrimp if the garlic fails but it won't ...shouldn't

cpittmx · 12/01/2009, 07:20 AM

Thanks for the suggestions. The clowns are eating now....they are not very aggressive about eating and are not really eating a lot, but they are eating now so I feel better.

bertoni · 12/01/2009, 03:31 PM

There might be plenty of live prey available on the live rock. If these are the first few fish, they might be getting by on that. Some fish live in systems that have enough live prey, the fish won't eat processed food.

11/27/2009, 10:46 PM	#1
cpittmx Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Ravenna, Ohio Posts: 260	clowns not eating I got two true perculas (tank raised) 5 days ago now. So far i have not been able to get them to eat. They have been offered flake food and mysis shrimp and have not eaten. I have seen them picking at rocks etc, but the tank is only a couple months old and there is not a lot to pick at. Should I be worried just yet?

11/27/2009, 11:05 PM	#2
sedor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 4,689	I wouldn't be concerned for the first week. Sometimes it takes a little while for them to get used to the tank. You could always go to the LFS you got the fish from and ask for a sample of what they feed their fish, then take that food home and see if it makes a difference. With clowns you generally don't have to ween them onto your food, but who knows...they are crazy little fishies. __________________ Ryan

11/28/2009, 01:40 AM	#6
jenjen Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Langley BC, Canada Posts: 1,710	Garlic also seems to be 'tasty' to fish, so soaking food in garlic will often temp them into eating. __________________ "Challenges forge the greatness in you" Current Tank Info: 180gal softy reef (Apr '09)

11/28/2009, 10:54 PM	#10
dudley moray sisternofuselessknowledge Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: orillia ontario Posts: 795	also try brine shrimp if the garlic fails but it won't ...shouldn't __________________ We urge hobbyists to develop a good 'BS' detector that will allow you to question information presented to you without any experimental evidence to support it. chris Current Tank Info: 90 gal south pacific biotope 40 gal sump/fuge ,65 gal rebuilding

12/01/2009, 03:31 PM	#12
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	There might be plenty of live prey available on the live rock. If these are the first few fish, they might be getting by on that. Some fish live in systems that have enough live prey, the fish won't eat processed food. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

11/27/2009, 11:27 PM	#4
cpittmx Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Ravenna, Ohio Posts: 260	I'm not familiar with garlic guard or similar products...what are they for?

11/28/2009, 02:23 AM	#7
TRichardson79 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 112	I had the same problem with my clowns. They are slowly getting over it. My remedy was New Life Spectrum and Rod's Food. Hopefully they start eating for you soon.

11/28/2009, 08:44 AM	#8
cpittmx Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Ravenna, Ohio Posts: 260	Ok..thanks for the information.

12/01/2009, 07:20 AM	#11
cpittmx Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Ravenna, Ohio Posts: 260	Thanks for the suggestions. The clowns are eating now....they are not very aggressive about eating and are not really eating a lot, but they are eating now so I feel better.