Fish won't eat on the surface

[PietschBR]

Hello guys,

well, i'm having a problem feeding my pseudocromis bicolor.. it is the only fish so far at the tank.
I have 2 situations.
I made up with a DIY floating device so i can place the food without it going away with the overflow to the sump. Wich was happening. But when the food is in there the fish just ignore it and will only eat when it is sinked and right in front of it.
I'm worried about overfeeding because he is not eating at the surface and the food that sinks mostly he doesn's find.

How can i make him to eat at the surface?

Thanks.

[lordofthereef]

What sort of device is this? It is possible that it is just afraid of this device. Sounds like a new fish in new surroundings. Couple that with whatever contraption you made and it may just be too afraid to eat.

[Chris27]

Use some sinking pellets at first to entice it to eat - after that you can slowly acclimate it to eating off the surface. If you're feeding frozen food, which you should , turn off your pumps, it'll sink to where the fish is. Fish like that tend to dart out of their hole, grab the food, and then return to their hole, eating off the surface really isn't something they do from the start.

[fatdaddy]

Doesn't the food sink with time? If so, no problem.

My fish started eating at the surface just to out-compete the other fish, but they never did that before my pig of a tang figured it out.

[PietschBR]

Originally Posted by Chris27

Use some sinking pellets at first to entice it to eat - after that you can slowly acclimate it to eating off the surface. If you're feeding frozen food, which you should , turn off your pumps, it'll sink to where the fish is. Fish like that tend to dart out of their hole, grab the food, and then return to their hole, eating off the surface really isn't something they do from the start.

I tried to turn off the pumps so the food would not be dragged to the sump by the overflow, but by doing so the sump floods and the water get back to the display tank by the overflow. My system is a JBJ 28g nano-cube led.

He is not shy, he's always appearing and show off a lot. But when it comes to food he just won't eat if the food isn't at his face.

I'm getting worried about phosphate going up because of the wasted food that is not eaten.

Do you guys have any sugestion on how should i feed it? and the frequency?

thanks.

[lordofthereef]

Originally Posted by PietschBR

I tried to turn off the pumps so the food would not be dragged to the sump by the overflow, but by doing so the sump floods and the water get back to the display tank by the overflow. My system is a JBJ 28g nano-cube led.

Can you explain how your system is set up? This seems like a different issue entirely. If you have a power failure this same thing will happen. You should set it up in such a way as to avoid this.

As far as phospahtes and such, a CUC should take care of that for you. Early on, just feed little bits at a time. You will soon get a good feeling of how much to feed and how often.

[Palting]

I made a simillar device using a ring made or airline plastic tubing and a suction cup. Worked well with my pseudochromis and percs.

As far as I know, pseudochromis are surface fish and like to cruise in that area. Maybe he is acclimating or not hungry? Try not feeding him for a few days, and see what happens.

A more important thing, though, is that your sump floods when you turn off the pumps. This is just a catastrophe waiting to happen. You definitely need to revise your set-up so that your sump does not flood in case of a power outage.

[jeff@zina.com]

Most marine fish don't eat from the surface and won't even look there. A simple solution is to target feed, food on a stick or in a tube, directed at the fish.

Jeff

[saltymight]

I usually use a eye dropper and push it under the surface.

[fatdaddy]

+1 for what lord of the reef said. You should have things configured (including the size of your sump) such that it does not flood when the power goes off. This is one of the first things to test when you setup the tank. Also, if you drill holes in your return just above the water line, then it will break the siphon before your sump over flows. (being careful not to get your electric drill in the salt water. Ouch).

I thought your DIY device was a feeding ring:


That way the food doesn't drift away without it sinking. If you fish doesn't surface feed, then no biggie. It will eventually sink.

(btw, I could never get the suction cup on these to work well, so I Usually mod it by attaching it to the feeder itself with drill, glue, etc.)

[fatdaddy]

+1 for what lord of the reef said. You should have things configured (including the size of your sump) such that it does not flood when the power goes off. This is one of the first things to test when you setup the tank. Also, if you drill holes in your return just above the water line, then it will break the siphon before your sump over flows. (being careful not to get your electric drill in the salt water. Ouch).

I thought your DIY device was a feeding ring:


That way the food doesn't drift away without it sinking. If you fish doesn't surface feed, then no biggie. It will eventually sink.

(btw, I could never get the suction cup on these to work well, so I Usually mod it by attaching it to the feeder itself with drill, glue, etc.)

[returnofsid]

You need to feed the fish at the level they're comfortable eating at, not force them to eat where you want to feed them at. Different fish exhibit different feeding habits. Different fish populate different "zones" or levels, of our tanks. The shape of the fish, and shape of it's mouth, will give you a good clue as to how it's meant to feed.

For instance, a fish with an "up turned" mouth, naturally feeds at the surface. A fish with a mouth that's slung low, naturally feeds off the bottom...etc.

[PietschBR]

Originally Posted by fatdaddy

+1 for what lord of the reef said. You should have things configured (including the size of your sump) such that it does not flood when the power goes off. This is one of the first things to test when you setup the tank. Also, if you drill holes in your return just above the water line, then it will break the siphon before your sump over flows. (being careful not to get your electric drill in the salt water. Ouch).

I thought your DIY device was a feeding ring:


That way the food doesn't drift away without it sinking. If you fish doesn't surface feed, then no biggie. It will eventually sink.

(btw, I could never get the suction cup on these to work well, so I Usually mod it by attaching it to the feeder itself with drill, glue, etc.)

Yes, I tried to create a similar device such as this one. I did it with a plastic cup, cutted the top side and made a hole at the bottom. It floats and don't let the food be dragged away to the sump.

Well about the sump.. It's not that it floods, but the water reach a level that matches the overflow, making a comunication between the sump and display. I don't know but I think that would not be so bad in case of a energy crash.

What do you think?

[SwampyBill]

I agree with Returnofsid's post. I'd get a pipette or turkey baster & feed your bicolor at level it's comfortable at now. As things are now, you're running the risk of it quitting eating altogether & starving to death.

[nd31male]

a good leaner crew should clean up any food that falls to the bottom and doesnt get consumed