Help with feeding!

[TheAquatard]

Hows it going, I bought my first marine fish three days ago now. A pair of ocellaris clownfish. They were very active and engaged in eating at my LFS but I can't seem to get them to fish now. They send all day hiding behind my rocks together and only come out in total darkness.

I have a 30 gallon DT tank and a 20 gallon sump. I have about 45 lbs of live rock I bought cured from my LFS and about 40lbs of live sand which I also bought locally. The tanks been running for about three weeks and all my test indicate the cycling process is complete. SG stays around 1.025 and PH 8.2.

Even when I suprise attack these guys they won't eat. I've tried frozen brine, frozen bloodworms and this istant ocean gel stuff that came with my salt. the foods literaly bounced off their heads and they still completely ignore it.

I figured that when they got hungry they'd eat but nows it's approaching day four and I'm getting more concerned. Any ideas?

Thanks alot

[Dustin1300]

Give it some time and they will acclimate. If they don't eat in the next couple days you can soak it in some garlic and that should get them eating!

[Hoolagan]

+1 on the garlic. Might need to leave the lights off for a day. If they are healthy they will eat when they get hungry enough.

[TheAquatard]

garlic? haha is that like the catnip of fish food?

[Dustin1300]

Originally Posted by TheAquatard

garlic? haha is that like the catnip of fish food?

Sort of Also helps keep rid of ICH. I soak the algae sheets for my tangs in it about twice a week as it makes them more resistant to ICH.

Below is the stuff I use:

http://premiumaquatics.com/store/mer...Category_Code=

[TheAquatard]

Day 4! I've left the lights off in my tank and room since last night and just tried feeding them again with some mashed up garlic in the mix, they didn't respond to it at all. Now I'm getting mad, they just sit there swimming in place behind the same rock all day. There's literally nothing besides rocks and sand in my tank and they get terrified when the lights on.

Should I tank more drastic measures now? Like moving them to my 5 gallon tank?

[SuperNemo]

no, dont move the clowns again. they were stressed from the inital move from the LFS to your tank. they will hide for a while and you just need to be paitent with them. mine didn't eat in the QT for about a week. what i did was offer then different types of food to get them to start eating. frozen food is a plus for these guys; such as mysis, cyclops, brine. also try to get Rod's food, they go crazy for that. garlic, entice and selcon are good additives to entice their appetite.

[clownfreak]

Also try feeding blackworms. My clowns were really shy but attacked blackworms

[TheAquatard]

the worst thing ever happened today. I left for work this morning and both fish were fine, swimming in place as clownfish do, when i returned 8 hours later one had died. Its back fin looks pretty chewed up. I don't know how this would have happened. Starvation possiblely? This is such a bad expierence for my first time taking care of marine fish. Any ideas on how to keep the other clown alive? He hasn't been eating either.

[StonyReefer]

Originally Posted by TheAquatard

the worst thing ever happened today. I left for work this morning and both fish were fine, swimming in place as clownfish do, when i returned 8 hours later one had died. Its back fin looks pretty chewed up. I don't know how this would have happened. Starvation possiblely? This is such a bad expierence for my first time taking care of marine fish. Any ideas on how to keep the other clown alive? He hasn't been eating either.

Was these fish wild cought clowns? The store should have told you if they was wild or tank raised. If they are wild most clowns come in with Brook. I have had a few wild clowns in the past and most all of them had to be treated for Brook. My clown didnt eat until day 5 of treatment and he would only eat live brine shrimp. I would link to the sick thread I made but it is on another forum and I dont wanna get into trouble.

I will link to my youtube vids instead. The vids will show you what brook looks like.

Day 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMabQXKP6qo

You can follow the vid if you like by clicking my name at the top and looking at my posted vids.

Did you Quarantine the fish before putting it into your display?

[lexiz1]

3 weeks is not a long time for a tank to establish bacteria/bio and cycle. You may still have fluctuations in chem levels. Clowns are hardy but you will probably lose a few this early in the game. Just a suggestion..... Buy some cheap damsels, run tank for a couple months and then add others.

How long did you acclimate the fish?

[TheAquatard]

I did not quarantine him, but i was very careful to acclimate him. My dad said that he saw both my clowns swimming around together about an hour ago. I don't think starvation could happen that fast. Although I did notice about that particular clown is that every once in a while he'd twitch and sometimes he'd stop swimming drift on his side and then continue swimming. My remaining clown looks as though he's breathing kind of heavy, definitely not as bad as the one in the video you've posted but like 2 breaths every second or so. Ahhh

[Dustin1300]

Typically twitching and rubbing on side is a sign of ICH IME. Don't do anything drastic as you'll just stress the fish out more. You really jumped the gun early in the first place and should not even be housing fish IMO. Very stressful on fish with your tank being so immature. Gain some patience in the hobby or you'll be broke and quit.

[small alien]

Originally Posted by lexiz1

3 weeks is not a long time for a tank to establish bacteria/bio and cycle. You may still have fluctuations in chem levels. Clowns are hardy but you will probably lose a few this early in the game. Just a suggestion..... Buy some cheap damsels, run tank for a couple months and then add others.

How long did you acclimate the fish?

No, do not "buy some damsels". There's a million reasons not to do that.

Ask your question in the reef fishes forum. You'll get better answers. Good luck.

[lexiz1]

Originally Posted by small alien

No, do not "buy some damsels". There's a million reasons not to do that.

Ask your question in the reef fishes forum. You'll get better answers. Good luck.

Good thing you offered up some great advise for the issue he is having small alien!

[Dustin1300]

I was thinking the same thing...

[TheAquatard]

I figured the tank had finished cycling since my readings were and still are as follows :
SG: 1.025
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: ~0ppm
Although today I noticed the PH was at around 8.0 (i tested mid day), I'm going to do a 20% water change now and see if the pH gets better, if not I'll go purchase something to help it stabilize. My remaining clown made it through the nightbut he's still swimming in place in the same spot, hopefully some new water and better pH will cheer him up and get him to eat.

[small alien]

Originally Posted by lexiz1

Good thing you offered up some great advise for the issue he is having small alien!

I did offer some great advice, don't follow yours. Anybody with any experience will say the same thing. There are many reasons not to cycle with damsels, cheap or otherwise. The problem with this "new to the hobby forum" is you end up with people who don't know what they're talking about giving advice. That's why I suggested the reef fishes forum where, I guarantee you, no one is going to let half baked advice like yours stand uncontested.

Good luck to the OP with their tank.

[Virtuoso]

Originally Posted by small alien

I did offer some great advice, don't follow yours. Anybody with any experience will say the same thing. There are many reasons not to cycle with damsels, cheap or otherwise. The problem with this "new to the hobby forum" is you end up with people who don't know what they're talking about giving advice. That's why I suggested the reef fishes forum where, I guarantee you, no one is going to let half baked advice like yours stand uncontested.

Good luck to the OP with their tank.

This person is obviously new to the hobby, so he is posting in the correct spot. If you are not going to give good advice, at least do not give bad advice like "post this in the wrong subforum!"

I agree with you on the damsel idea. If his tank isn't cycled, then it isn't cycled. But at this point I am not even sure we've established that. Either way, no one is forcing you to read this subforum. If you do not like it, do not read it.

[small alien]

I think someone new can still post in the reef fishes forum if their question is about reef fishes. It's not that I don't like this forum, I think the questions are good and I visit occasionally to see if I can help answer them. Sometimes I'm shocked at the advice being given from newbie to newbie. That's all.

And once and for all, I did give good advice, "don't cycle with damsels". Jeesh you guys are touchy. Ciao.

[bobbychullo]

damsels belong in tanks 100+ gallons

a thirty gallon DT and he will never keep another fish in there as long as he had the damsel

NOT TO MENTION using a live fish to cycle a tank is inhumane to the fish

[bobbychullo]

most people advise to wait at least 2 weeks after your cycle has ended to make sure your parameters are stable.

Originally Posted by TheAquatard

Hows it going, I bought my first marine fish three days ago now. A pair of ocellaris clownfish. They were very active and engaged in eating at my LFS but I can't seem to get them to fish now. They send all day hiding behind my rocks together and only come out in total darkness.

I have a 30 gallon DT tank and a 20 gallon sump. I have about 45 lbs of live rock I bought cured from my LFS and about 40lbs of live sand which I also bought locally. The tanks been running for about three weeks and all my test indicate the cycling process is complete. SG stays around 1.025 and PH 8.2.

Even when I suprise attack these guys they won't eat. I've tried frozen brine, frozen bloodworms and this istant ocean gel stuff that came with my salt. the foods literaly bounced off their heads and they still completely ignore it.

I figured that when they got hungry they'd eat but nows it's approaching day four and I'm getting more concerned. Any ideas?

Thanks alot

[TheAquatard]

Anyones imput on my situation is highly appreciated. I thank you all for trying to help. I did a water change today and tested my levels again. Everythings right where it should be. I notice that there is white stringy poop hanging off the fish which leads me to belive its an internal parasite. I don't know there is much more I can do for this fish. I tried Kent's garlic and it didn't even phase the fish. Is there any reef safe medication or something I could do? I have a 5 gallon tank I could set if it really needs to come to that.