advice when a fish won't eat

[Pbh-reef]

I'm currently QTing a pygmy geometric perchlet and a shrimp goby. I've had them since last Thursday (1 week today), got them from LADD. The Goby eats everything I put in the tank and has since day 2. The perchlet has refused everything including live black worms and a variety of frozen foods. I'm trying baby brine shrimp soon. They are in close to 2ppm copper, which I ramped up slowly (over the week). I did a FW dip on the perchlet today and no flukes came off. I don't see much in the way of symptoms like spots or dusting from velvet/ich. Its breathing seems a little heavy to me, but I could be making that up. I don't see white slime on its skin like brook either.

Should I dose GC/metro into the water in case it has flukes or brook? Should I just be patient and wait a few more days for it to eat?

@HotRocks @4FordFamily what do you guys think?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Copper is a known hunger suppressant. If the fish continues to not eat i'd lower copper levels ti'll it does.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Those perchlets can be hard to get on "land" diet. Non-live and what they want. I would definitely try some live baby brine and also get some trigger pods and any other pods available. This can al least get it eating. Good luck!!!

Crud, just reallized it is qt. May have to feed often so food does not die.

 

[blitzkragz]

I'm currently QTing a pygmy geometric perchlet and a shrimp goby. I've had them since last Thursday (1 week today), got them from LADD. The Goby eats everything I put in the tank and has since day 2. The perchlet has refused everything including live black worms and a variety of frozen foods. I'm trying baby brine shrimp soon. They are in close to 2ppm copper, which I ramped up slowly (over the week). I did a FW dip on the perchlet today and no flukes came off. I don't see much in the way of symptoms like spots or dusting from velvet/ich. Its breathing seems a little heavy to me, but I could be making that up. I don't see white slime on its skin like brook either.

Should I dose GC/metro into the water in case it has flukes or brook? Should I just be patient and wait a few more days for it to eat?

@HotRocks @4FordFamily what do you guys think?

I have had several small fish I almost gave up on (threadfin cardinals, jester goby, clown goby), that would refuse absolutely everything. Then I tried this really easy contraption to hatch live baby brine, and to my amazement they went crazy for the live and moving baby brine. It takes less than a day to hatch a clean batch, already in a cup for you ready for feeding. https://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/hatchery-dish

 

[Pbh-reef]

Copper is a known hunger suppressant. If the fish continues to not eat i'd lower copper levels ti'll it does.

Ok if he doesn't eat for a few more days I may lower copper. The other option is to get him through the 2 weeks and transfer him to the next QT tank which will be free of copper. @DeniseAndy and @blitzkragz - I'm hatching BBS now, hopefully they will be ready in less than the 36 hours.

thanks for your help everyone

 

[4FordFamily]

I wouldn’t add additional meds until after it eats. I’d try live brine at very different times of day for a few days and if that doesn’t work, you can reduce copper to see if it helps.

 

[Pbh-reef]

thank you

 

[Pbh-reef]

An update - he’s eating live baby brine shrimp but without much gusto. In fact I can’t 100% confirm that he’s eating it but I see his mouth making sucking/eating motions when i introduce bbs to the qt. I think I may keep him in 2.0 Cu for now but I may transfer in less than 14 days (but over 10 days) to a copper free Qt. I know it’s a little less of cushion for user error on my part with the copper but if he won’t eat more than a few bbs at a time in the copper I think it could be worth it to get him out faster and according to @HotRocks qt thread anything over 7 days in therapeutic copper should be enough baring user error. What do folks think?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

An update - he’s eating live baby brine shrimp but without much gusto. In fact I can’t 100% confirm that he’s eating it but I see his mouth making sucking/eating motions when i introduce bbs to the qt. I think I may keep him in 2.0 Cu for now but I may transfer in less than 14 days (but over 10 days) to a copper free Qt. I know it’s a little less of cushion for user error on my part with the copper but if he won’t eat more than a few bbs at a time in the copper I think it could be worth it to get him out faster and according to @HotRocks qt thread anything over 7 days in therapeutic copper should be enough baring user error. What do folks think?

Yes, I would transfer him also. I would probably add time to my observation period to ensure he is clean but if he doesn’t eat then everything would be for nothing.

 

[Pbh-reef]

I transferred him out of copper to a clean QT this saturday. so far I haven't seen any feeding response except a very weak one to live bbs

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I transferred him out of copper to a clean QT this saturday. so far I haven't seen any feeding response except a very weak one to live bbs

Did he eat at all?

 

[Katrina71]

Have you tried feeding with a powerhead on?

 

[Pbh-reef]

Did he eat at all?

Maybe? He sorta opens his mouth a little bit and closes it. But he won’t approach food and i can’t really tell if he actually eats, if he is eating it’s very small pieces. It’s like he has a toothache

I wish I could see any other symptoms like stringy poo or twitching. He doesn’t look skinny to me so maybe he is eating.

I’m running him through the 9 days of GC and metro in the water now. When that’s done I’ll observe for a bit and if he still doesn’t eat i guess I have to decide if I put him in the display or keep him in isolated qt, but for how long I don’t know

 

[Pbh-reef]

Have you tried feeding with a powerhead on?

Yeah I’ve tried pouring the food near him with a pipette and putting food in the water with the pump running but i do tend to turn off the pumps maybe I’ll try putting food into the water with pumps on tomorrow

 

[Katrina71]

Yeah I’ve tried pouring the food near him with a pipette and putting food in the water with the pump running but i do tend to turn off the pumps maybe I’ll try putting food into the water with pumps on tomorrow

I had a wild caught little guy that decided he'd eat if he chased it. The pipette didn't work with him either.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Have you tried feeding with a powerhead on?

I agree. My Geometric Pygmy Hawk would only eat frozen mysis and only when moving sharply around in heavy flow.

 

[Pbh-reef]

I had a wild caught little guy that decided he'd eat if he chased it. The pipette didn't work with him either.

Huh! Ok i am going to try that! How much food would you recommend I put in? 1/4 of a cube of frozen? I’m worried about polluting the qt...

 

[NY_Caveman]

Huh! Ok i am going to try that! How much food would you recommend I put in? 1/4 of a cube of frozen? I’m worried about polluting the qt...

Not sure the tank size and I do not QT. My display is about 30 gallons and I feed a half cube of mysis to 6 fish.

 

[Pbh-reef]

It’s a 10 gallon... so much less than a quarter. I’m just thinking that having lots of food moving around may help

 

[Katrina71]

Huh! Ok i am going to try that! How much food would you recommend I put in? 1/4 of a cube of frozen? I’m worried about polluting the qt...

I'd do just a little to see if he reacts