Flame Angel will not eat

madmatt357 · 02/03/2007, 08:39 PM

I just added my first fish to my tank yesterday and it is a Flame Angel. It doesn't show its self to much and is always hiding in the live rock and swimming behind the live rock and not in the front of the tank. Is it normal that the Angel has not eaten yet? I am feeding him frozen Carnivore LifeLine from my LFS. Is this normal or when should i start to worry about him not eating?

jer77 · 02/03/2007, 08:50 PM

Sometimes it takes a few days or a week for the fish to feel safe in its new tank. Just try to get the food close to him if he's hiding somewhere. He should become less scared soon. I know my baby emperor angel didn't eat for atleast 3 days when I added him to my tank. He then slowly found a spot where he felt safe and began to feed.

luke33 · 02/03/2007, 08:52 PM

Try a variety of food, and is he picking on the LR? If so i wouldn't be to worried. He'll eat

madmatt357 · 02/03/2007, 09:50 PM

Thanks for the help! I will watch him a little closer tomorrow to make sure that he is eating something.

Txcowboy22 · 02/03/2007, 11:03 PM

Was he eating when you bought him? These fish come in all the time and it may be likely that your just came in. Always make sure the fish eats before you buy him, ALWAYS. If the fish doesn't eat=DEATH.

As to help him, try getting some live brine from your LFS, I always like to use live brine when I eat a new fish it will usually do the trick.... GOODLUCK

mjm1969 · 02/04/2007, 12:03 AM

Mine didn't eat any food I offered for several days after I brought it home. They seem to be very shy at first. It started picking at the rocks after a couple of days and within a week came out whenever I approached the tank. It will eat anything I drop in now.

Angel*Fish · 02/04/2007, 09:20 PM

As J said, it is normal for them not to eat for several days. Frozen cyclopeeze & live brine are generally hard to resist. There needs to be plenty of live rock for him to graze on and hide in. They are grazing fish - primarily on detritus & microalgae like diatoms. Once he starts eating, keep this in mind and try to avoid giving him too much meaty food.

Good luck - keep us posted

Joshua1023 · 02/04/2007, 09:32 PM

How long was your tank cycling before you put the angel in? I chose a flame angel for my first fish in my 90 gl as well. I found most pygmy angels do be great eaters of brown diatom algae. If your tank is too new you may not have enough stuff for it to pick at on its own. The first processed food my angel ate was actually nori on a lettuce clip. This is good because you can put the nori in before you go to work and it can pick at it all day. My grocery store sells it in the international food section.

Angel*Fish · 02/04/2007, 09:41 PM

Good point - I didn't notice it was his first fish. Usually you would want to wait 4-6 months at least.

StephM33 · 02/04/2007, 09:49 PM

Matt said in another thread that he does have some dark purple algae in the tank and he's trying to determine if it's coraline algae or cyano. My coral beauty angel is a week old and has does nothing but graze so far Matt (though he isn't nearly as shy as yours sounds) but give it some time. My last 2 fish added took 4 and 5 days to eat. I was worried too, but they *usually* come around.

Good luck Matt!

Steph :-)

Joshua1023 · 02/04/2007, 09:58 PM

Good point Steph. I read that thread. It seemed to me that Matt has coraline and not cyano. The angel will not eat either. If the rock is fresh it could be covered w/ coraline and not anything really edible. Keep trying to feed, but by all means don't give in to the temptation to overfeed thinking this will coax it. I have a Potters Angel that didn't touch processed foods for over a month. If there wasn't 100 lbs of live rock in the tank it would have starved to death. Put the nori in your tank Matt.

madmatt357 · 02/04/2007, 10:01 PM

Well he isn't going to be eating anything else! We found him dead this morning. It was the first fish for the tank. I have been following all instructions from the LFS as far as live stock. I took my water back up to the LFS and the water tested normal. So right now I have nothing but turbo snails and hermit crabs!

Joshua1023 · 02/04/2007, 10:08 PM

Sorry to hear that dude.

Mariner · 02/04/2007, 10:09 PM

Wow, really sorry for your loss. Flames are beautiful fish. I added one to my 75 about 10 days ago. It's doing well; picking at the rock most of the time, but also grabbing a bite or two of whatever I feed the other fish.
FWIW, you've certainly been given some great advice in this thread. Making sure that a fish is eating at the LFS is always a good policy. And, waiting for a tank to mature before adding a dwarf angel is also wise. I might add, that dwarf angels can also be aggressive, and the problem is worse when they are in a tank first.
Mariner

madmatt357 · 02/04/2007, 10:14 PM

It starts getting confusing on what to add and when to add. I have been trying to follow the advice from my LFS and Reef Central and trying to meet in the middle.

Joshua1023 · 02/04/2007, 10:29 PM

There is no right answer. Each species and fish within that species is different. Advise is just that, advise. Knowing the backround of the new specimen before purchase is always advisable, but not always possible. Try to resist the old impulse buy. I know I've been guilty of that along with 99% of the other members here on this site. Personally I chose to not go with damsels first because I don't like them. Period, end of story. You should go with what you like. Make your choices now and design your tank around what you want way before you buy it. Stick with your plan and you will be rewarded.

Angel*Fish · 02/04/2007, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by madmatt357
It starts getting confusing on what to add and when to add. I have been trying to follow the advice from my LFS and Reef Central and trying to meet in the middle.

IME you are much better off researching and asking questions here than your LFS. That goes also for anyone else with an interest in selling you something. Without knowing the details of your fish, acclimation technique and tank parameters, it's hard to really know - but there's a very good chance you did nothing to cause the death of this fish

But that thing about trying to meet in the middle between RC and your LFS makes me cringe

Angel*Fish · 02/04/2007, 10:43 PM

Posting your info at the bottom of your sig will help us help you and keep you from repeating it over and over.

Not sure why we're talkng about damsels (I must have missed something) , but there is one that is mild mannered and an excellent first fish.

I have 3 that get along fine in my 100g,depending on your tank size you might not want more than 1

They are C. hemicyanea, very desirable - good fish to start with

madmatt357 · 02/04/2007, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Posting your info at the bottom of your sig will help us help you and keep you from repeating it over and over.

Done!

Joshua1023 · 02/04/2007, 11:07 PM

good deal.

02/03/2007, 08:39 PM	#1
madmatt357 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Georgia Posts: 164	Flame Angel will not eat I just added my first fish to my tank yesterday and it is a Flame Angel. It doesn't show its self to much and is always hiding in the live rock and swimming behind the live rock and not in the front of the tank. Is it normal that the Angel has not eaten yet? I am feeding him frozen Carnivore LifeLine from my LFS. Is this normal or when should i start to worry about him not eating?

02/03/2007, 08:50 PM	#2
jer77 Phish Lover Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,642	Sometimes it takes a few days or a week for the fish to feel safe in its new tank. Just try to get the food close to him if he's hiding somewhere. He should become less scared soon. I know my baby emperor angel didn't eat for atleast 3 days when I added him to my tank. He then slowly found a spot where he felt safe and began to feed. __________________ - Jonny -, 120g 5 Year Old Reef w/ SPS, BTA, Zoos & some Softies. 40g Frag Tank. 40g Sump. Super Reef Octopus XP 3000 External Cone Skimmer. 250W Radiums. TaoTronics LED. PanWorld 200PS w/SQWD

02/04/2007, 12:03 AM	#6
mjm1969 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Wasilla, Alaska Posts: 99	Mine didn't eat any food I offered for several days after I brought it home. They seem to be very shy at first. It started picking at the rocks after a couple of days and within a week came out whenever I approached the tank. It will eat anything I drop in now. __________________ Michael Current Tank Info: 120RR FOWLR Awaiting release from storage

02/04/2007, 09:20 PM	#7
Angel*Fish cats and large squashes Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Houston Posts: 5,951 Blog Entries: 1	As J said, it is normal for them not to eat for several days. Frozen cyclopeeze & live brine are generally hard to resist. There needs to be plenty of live rock for him to graze on and hide in. They are grazing fish - primarily on detritus & microalgae like diatoms. Once he starts eating, keep this in mind and try to avoid giving him too much meaty food. Good luck - keep us posted __________________ Marie So long, & thanks for all the fish! __________________________ Current Tank Info: Pairs: flame angels, cherub angels, Red Sea mimic blennies, yellow fin fairy wrasses, clowns, mandarins, blackcap basslets, shrimp gobies, damsels, dispar anthias, yellow clown gobies, threadfin cardinals --- Tanks: 100g reef, 2 x 30g refugiums

02/04/2007, 09:32 PM	#8
Joshua1023 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Reading PA Posts: 1,526	How long was your tank cycling before you put the angel in? I chose a flame angel for my first fish in my 90 gl as well. I found most pygmy angels do be great eaters of brown diatom algae. If your tank is too new you may not have enough stuff for it to pick at on its own. The first processed food my angel ate was actually nori on a lettuce clip. This is good because you can put the nori in before you go to work and it can pick at it all day. My grocery store sells it in the international food section. __________________ Only bad things happen fast. Only bad thing happen fast. Only bad things happen fast. Man,I'm friggen hard-headed!!! Current Tank Info: 90 gl tank,Coralife 14K MH lights,2 Current dual daylight/actinic 40 watt fixtures, tidepool sump,Coralife SS 220 protein skimmer,six inch sand bed w/ plenum, Current Prime Tower 1/3 hp Chiller,RedSea ozonizer w/ orp

02/03/2007, 08:52 PM	#3
luke33 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 8,375	Try a variety of food, and is he picking on the LR? If so i wouldn't be to worried. He'll eat

02/03/2007, 09:50 PM	#4
madmatt357 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Georgia Posts: 164	Thanks for the help! I will watch him a little closer tomorrow to make sure that he is eating something.

02/03/2007, 11:03 PM	#5
Txcowboy22 Moved On Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: long beach Posts: 2,098	Was he eating when you bought him? These fish come in all the time and it may be likely that your just came in. Always make sure the fish eats before you buy him, ALWAYS. If the fish doesn't eat=DEATH. As to help him, try getting some live brine from your LFS, I always like to use live brine when I eat a new fish it will usually do the trick.... GOODLUCK

02/04/2007, 09:41 PM	#9
Angel*Fish cats and large squashes Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Houston Posts: 5,951 Blog Entries: 1	Good point - I didn't notice it was his first fish. Usually you would want to wait 4-6 months at least. __________________ Marie So long, & thanks for all the fish! __________________________ Current Tank Info: Pairs: flame angels, cherub angels, Red Sea mimic blennies, yellow fin fairy wrasses, clowns, mandarins, blackcap basslets, shrimp gobies, damsels, dispar anthias, yellow clown gobies, threadfin cardinals --- Tanks: 100g reef, 2 x 30g refugiums

02/04/2007, 09:49 PM	#10
StephM33 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Brampton, Ontario, Canada Posts: 101	Matt said in another thread that he does have some dark purple algae in the tank and he's trying to determine if it's coraline algae or cyano. My coral beauty angel is a week old and has does nothing but graze so far Matt (though he isn't nearly as shy as yours sounds) but give it some time. My last 2 fish added took 4 and 5 days to eat. I was worried too, but they usually come around. Good luck Matt! Steph :-)

02/04/2007, 09:58 PM	#11
Joshua1023 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Reading PA Posts: 1,526	Good point Steph. I read that thread. It seemed to me that Matt has coraline and not cyano. The angel will not eat either. If the rock is fresh it could be covered w/ coraline and not anything really edible. Keep trying to feed, but by all means don't give in to the temptation to overfeed thinking this will coax it. I have a Potters Angel that didn't touch processed foods for over a month. If there wasn't 100 lbs of live rock in the tank it would have starved to death. Put the nori in your tank Matt. __________________ Only bad things happen fast. Only bad thing happen fast. Only bad things happen fast. Man,I'm friggen hard-headed!!! Current Tank Info: 90 gl tank,Coralife 14K MH lights,2 Current dual daylight/actinic 40 watt fixtures, tidepool sump,Coralife SS 220 protein skimmer,six inch sand bed w/ plenum, Current Prime Tower 1/3 hp Chiller,RedSea ozonizer w/ orp

02/04/2007, 10:01 PM	#12
madmatt357 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Georgia Posts: 164	Well he isn't going to be eating anything else! We found him dead this morning. It was the first fish for the tank. I have been following all instructions from the LFS as far as live stock. I took my water back up to the LFS and the water tested normal. So right now I have nothing but turbo snails and hermit crabs!

02/04/2007, 10:08 PM	#13
Joshua1023 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Reading PA Posts: 1,526	Sorry to hear that dude. __________________ Only bad things happen fast. Only bad thing happen fast. Only bad things happen fast. Man,I'm friggen hard-headed!!! Current Tank Info: 90 gl tank,Coralife 14K MH lights,2 Current dual daylight/actinic 40 watt fixtures, tidepool sump,Coralife SS 220 protein skimmer,six inch sand bed w/ plenum, Current Prime Tower 1/3 hp Chiller,RedSea ozonizer w/ orp

02/04/2007, 10:09 PM	#14
Mariner Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: North Alabama Posts: 3,952	Wow, really sorry for your loss. Flames are beautiful fish. I added one to my 75 about 10 days ago. It's doing well; picking at the rock most of the time, but also grabbing a bite or two of whatever I feed the other fish. FWIW, you've certainly been given some great advice in this thread. Making sure that a fish is eating at the LFS is always a good policy. And, waiting for a tank to mature before adding a dwarf angel is also wise. I might add, that dwarf angels can also be aggressive, and the problem is worse when they are in a tank first. Mariner __________________ DESIGN DEMANDS A DESIGNER. ~The perception is that perception is reality, but the reality is that it isn't. Current Tank Info: 75g mixed reef; 135g mixed reef

02/04/2007, 10:14 PM	#15
madmatt357 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Georgia Posts: 164	It starts getting confusing on what to add and when to add. I have been trying to follow the advice from my LFS and Reef Central and trying to meet in the middle.

02/04/2007, 10:29 PM	#16
Joshua1023 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Reading PA Posts: 1,526	There is no right answer. Each species and fish within that species is different. Advise is just that, advise. Knowing the backround of the new specimen before purchase is always advisable, but not always possible. Try to resist the old impulse buy. I know I've been guilty of that along with 99% of the other members here on this site. Personally I chose to not go with damsels first because I don't like them. Period, end of story. You should go with what you like. Make your choices now and design your tank around what you want way before you buy it. Stick with your plan and you will be rewarded. __________________ Only bad things happen fast. Only bad thing happen fast. Only bad things happen fast. Man,I'm friggen hard-headed!!! Current Tank Info: 90 gl tank,Coralife 14K MH lights,2 Current dual daylight/actinic 40 watt fixtures, tidepool sump,Coralife SS 220 protein skimmer,six inch sand bed w/ plenum, Current Prime Tower 1/3 hp Chiller,RedSea ozonizer w/ orp

02/04/2007, 10:43 PM	#18
Angel*Fish cats and large squashes Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Houston Posts: 5,951 Blog Entries: 1	Posting your info at the bottom of your sig will help us help you and keep you from repeating it over and over. Not sure why we're talkng about damsels (I must have missed something) , but there is one that is mild mannered and an excellent first fish. I have 3 that get along fine in my 100g,depending on your tank size you might not want more than 1 They are C. hemicyanea, very desirable - good fish to start with __________________ Marie So long, & thanks for all the fish! __________________________ Current Tank Info: Pairs: flame angels, cherub angels, Red Sea mimic blennies, yellow fin fairy wrasses, clowns, mandarins, blackcap basslets, shrimp gobies, damsels, dispar anthias, yellow clown gobies, threadfin cardinals --- Tanks: 100g reef, 2 x 30g refugiums

02/04/2007, 11:07 PM	#20
Joshua1023 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Reading PA Posts: 1,526	good deal. __________________ Only bad things happen fast. Only bad thing happen fast. Only bad things happen fast. Man,I'm friggen hard-headed!!! Current Tank Info: 90 gl tank,Coralife 14K MH lights,2 Current dual daylight/actinic 40 watt fixtures, tidepool sump,Coralife SS 220 protein skimmer,six inch sand bed w/ plenum, Current Prime Tower 1/3 hp Chiller,RedSea ozonizer w/ orp