Barbonias won't eat

Breakthecycle2 · Dec 26, 2015

Lionfish Lair said:
I would do that. She if we can get hi settled enough to figure out what's going on. Hopefully it's just "newness jitters".

OK. I ll try that.

Breakthecycle2 · Dec 27, 2015

So far the low light helped.

Jlobes · Dec 27, 2015

get em eating? or at least seeing an interest/response?

Breakthecycle2 · Dec 27, 2015

Jlobes said:
get em eating? or at least seeing an interest/response?

Nothing. Not even interested.

Lionfish Lair · Dec 27, 2015

Ugg. Have you tried live foods yet?

Breakthecycle2 · Dec 27, 2015

Lionfish Lair said:
Ugg. Have you tried live foods yet?

Sadly I have not yet. I got him out from under the rock, but he went back to the side of the rock and was seemingly "glued" to it.

Lionfish Lair · Dec 27, 2015

I just got this feeling it's the swim bladder..... I hope not.

Breakthecycle2 · Dec 27, 2015

Lionfish Lair said:
I just got this feeling it's the swim bladder..... I hope not.

When I stick my hand in the tank and try to move the rock he stocks to it or swims in my hand and wont leave.

Lionfish Lair · Dec 27, 2015

Was he eating at the store? I assume not.

Breakthecycle2 · Dec 27, 2015

Lionfish Lair said:
Was he eating at the store? I assume not.

He was interested at least. His belly is swollen or anything. He appears to swim normally when I move the rock.

Lionfish Lair · Dec 27, 2015

It's not easy to detect, especially in the short bursts of time you're able to observe him swimming. They can maintain it for awhile and then they get tired. Don't look for the belly to swell with this type of injury. I hope I'm wrong and he's just a nervous Nellie, but we're getting into heading into a second week of not eating......

EAT!!!!!!!!!!

buckroe07 · Dec 28, 2015

I would try turning off any filters/powerheads and wait until water is still. Then use a feeder/dropper and drop a few pieces of food in front of him. At first, mine glued himself under the rock for 3 days and didn't want to swim for food. When I turned everything off and dropped a mysis shrimp in front of him, he became interested. Didn't eat it but perked up. By the third piece, he went for it! Then every time I unplugged the pump he started peeking and eating although still nervous. Now when Barticus sees me or hears me he fully comes out staring at me and doesn't even let me drop it. He sucks it out of the dropper. I still unplug the pump when I feed him.

Breakthecycle2 · Dec 28, 2015

Lionfish Lair said:
It's not easy to detect, especially in the short bursts of time you're able to observe him swimming. They can maintain it for awhile and then they get tired. Don't look for the belly to swell with this type of injury. I hope I'm wrong and he's just a nervous Nellie, but we're getting into heading into a second week of not eating......

EAT!!!!!!!!!!

It's been one week since I have him. He will not leave the rock at all.

Breakthecycle2 · Dec 28, 2015

buckroe07 said:
I would try turning off any filters/powerheads and wait until water is still. Then use a feeder/dropper and drop a few pieces of food in front of him. At first, mine glued himself under the rock for 3 days and didn't want to swim for food. When I turned everything off and dropped a mysis shrimp in front of him, he became interested. Didn't eat it but perked up. By the third piece, he went for it! Then every time I unplugged the pump he started peeking and eating although still nervous. Now when Barticus sees me or hears me he fully comes out staring at me and doesn't even let me drop it. He sucks it out of the dropper. I still unplug the pump when I feed him.

Might not be a bad idea, although the food circulates and has landed in front of him. I saw his eyes at least look at it, but didn't touch it.

Pfisherman · Dec 28, 2015

@Lionfish Lair

I FEEL that you are right on with your back of the mind thinking that it is a swim bladder issue. I feel that the op is out of luck unless he can find a drawing or better a disection of a borb and is willing to do something very unheard to most modern reefers. You are going to need to fizz the swim bladder. You will need to know exactly where the bladder is and simply poke it with a diabetic syringe. Back when fish were collected in less than ideal ways this was pretty common. If you have an old timer at your lfs he or she can likely do it in 15 seconds.

Breakthecycle2 · Dec 28, 2015

Pfisherman said:
@Lionfish Lair

I FEEL that you are right on with your back of the mind thinking that it is a swim bladder issue. I feel that the op is out of luck unless he can find a drawing or better a disection of a borb and is willing to do something very unheard to most modern reefers. You are going to need to fizz the swim bladder. You will need to know exactly where the bladder is and simply poke it with a diabetic syringe. Back when fish were collected in less than ideal ways this was pretty common. If you have an old timer at your lfs he or she can likely do it in 15 seconds.

Well that's interesting. Wouldn't he not be swimming alright at the store? He was fine and so are the others that are still for sale.

Jlobes · Dec 28, 2015

Pfisherman said:
@Lionfish Lair

I FEEL that you are right on with your back of the mind thinking that it is a swim bladder issue. I feel that the op is out of luck unless he can find a drawing or better a disection of a borb and is willing to do something very unheard to most modern reefers. You are going to need to fizz the swim bladder. You will need to know exactly where the bladder is and simply poke it with a diabetic syringe. Back when fish were collected in less than ideal ways this was pretty common. If you have an old timer at your lfs he or she can likely do it in 15 seconds.

a R2R member recently did this on a blackcap, here the link:

http://reef2reef.com/threads/venting-a-swim-bladder-black-cap-basslet.219954/

Breakthecycle2 · Dec 28, 2015

Jlobes said:
a R2R member recently did this on a blackcap, here the link:

http://reef2reef.com/threads/venting-a-swim-bladder-black-cap-basslet.219954/

I saw that video. I don't think Im up for that, unless someone can tell me exactly what to do.

Jlobes · Dec 28, 2015

@Breakthecycle2 Really hope you get it figured out and get through this. Im totally stressing for ya!
mine is eating... just hoping everything else checks out, disease wise, over the next few weeks.

Pfisherman · Dec 28, 2015

Breakthecycle2 said:
Well that's interesting. Wouldn't he not be swimming alright at the store? He was fine and so are the others that are still for sale.

Maybe. The diver or the wholesaler may have done it already and it may have developed a secondary infection. What type of conditions was his tank at the store? Was it just an empty tank so it had no choice but to be swimming in the open? Anthius in general are very finicky and sensitive. It's possible for an lfs to put a fish on display in an empty tank with surplus flow to keep it moving. If it was fresh out the bag who knows what it's been through.