Emergency hand feeding a fish in hungar strike

Rickybobby · May 3, 2021

Hey everyone. I posted about acquiring a new 4” hippo tank 2 weeks ago. Arrived looking perfect. Went into qt. Was fine but wouldn’t eat. Gave every food known to man. Nori scallops shrimp salmon clams. Flakes pellets brine and mysis. Would t touch anything. Did copper and prazipro decided ok. Need to get her into the main display with perfect water quality. She hid for days on end. Would come out have a look around. Would t eat so today it’s been a few weeks I got her in the next. Put her into a 1 gallon bucket and got a mixture of salmon clams etc with some brine. Put it into a syringe and gently pushed it into her stomach. Nothing came out of her gills so she definitely got something. Has anyone does this before? I am desperate I know she doesn’t have much time left. I’m surprised to see her everyday when I wake up. If this works I will keep going until she has strength back

Uncle99 · May 3, 2021

The BT allowed you to put something in her mouth?
She does not run and hide? That doesn’t seem right at all.
Is she sluggish?
Could she have ick?

Rickybobby · May 3, 2021

No ich no velvet no hlle has not eaten in my presences in 2 weeks. Got a Wyze cam to follow up on her. Her mouth is tiny but the exit of the syringe was able to force food in

Uncle99 · May 3, 2021

Maybe she’s just shy, and getting something when your not looking.

Frogspon · May 4, 2021

DUDE do not force feed that fish... the stress you're putting it through just getting it into the bucket will introduce it to way more problems than leaving it alone.

If it has been in your tank for two weeks without eating It has to be grazing on small algae from the rocks or left over food when it wants.

Rickybobby · May 4, 2021

Deathly skinny. Not eating. Since my horrible in humane feeding last night she has swam around a little more. But not eating and hides. I’m able to pinch her top fins she doesn’t swim away and bring her up gently and slowly gently feed some frozen food into her mouth I may keep doing this until who knows I will not give up. I have no choice. Iam not a bad person I will not let this fish die

Rickybobby · May 5, 2021

ying yang · May 8, 2021

From what you explaining.it didnt sound like that fish was doing good and sure does look skinny as hell.yeah maybe grazing on rocks but how you describe i would guess not.
So i take my hat off to you for your dedication on hand feeding that fish.in video it didnt seem that stressed out that you catch/ feeding it.and i never seen nothing of this kind before and it like 3 days since you posted video.how is the fish ? Still with us and gaining weight i hope.

NoahLikesFish · May 8, 2021

I would try and dose nitrate, make your tank have lots of algae for it to graze on temporarily till it gains strength

Rickybobby · May 9, 2021

ying yang said:
From what you explaining.it didnt sound like that fish was doing good and sure does look skinny as hell.yeah maybe grazing on rocks but how you describe i would guess not.
So i take my hat off to you for your dedication on hand feeding that fish.in video it didnt seem that stressed out that you catch/ feeding it.and i never seen nothing of this kind before and it like 3 days since you posted video.how is the fish ? Still with us and gaining weight i hope.

Thanks. Because of the lockdown here in Ontario dory was shipped to me. I never got to see her eat or observe before I got her. Which sucks. Dory is doing ok. I’m hand feeding her 3 times a day. Now I have switched to roe soaked in selcon. I firmly believe if I hadn’t been doing this. She would have been long gone. So I will keep trying

NoahLikesFish · May 9, 2021

Rickybobby said:
Thanks. Because of the lockdown here in Ontario dory was shipped to me. I never got to see her eat or observe before I got her. Which sucks. Dory is doing ok. I’m hand feeding her 3 times a day. Now I have switched to roe soaked in selcon. I firmly believe if I hadn’t been doing this. She would have been long gone. So I will keep trying

Good luck! Are you growing algae for the tang to graze on?

Wrigley&Ivy17 · May 9, 2021

Wishing you guys the best. I know you are trying and hate seeing anything starve when you are offering food. My tang I got from the lfs was thin, they had not been feeding it nori strips. Once I started adding the nori strips to his diet along with other food choices, he fattened up!

Wen · May 9, 2021

@Jay Hemdal any suggestions?

Benjammin · May 9, 2021

Frogspon said:
DUDE do not force feed that fish... the stress you're putting it through just getting it into the bucket will introduce it to way more problems than leaving it alone.

If it has been in your tank for two weeks without eating It has to be grazing on small algae from the rocks or left over food when it wants.

I disagree. I’ve had to force feed animals in the past and works, but should be only be done as an absolute last resort and very carefully.
You suggest he should stand there and do nothing? I doubt a farmer would take that advice.

NoahLikesFish · May 9, 2021

Benjammin said:
I disagree. I’ve had to force feed animals in the past and works, but should be only be done as an absolute last resort and very carefully.
You suggest he should stand there and do nothing? I doubt a farmer would take that advice.

+1 would you want someone to force feed you if you couldn’t eat, or would you want them to stand there and watch you die.

Rickybobby · May 9, 2021

I do it very gently and little bits. Iam confident with time she will get some more strength. This fish hid in the rocks for 2 weeks. Never moved an inch. Please don’t judge me. Just trying my best to save my little girls fav fish

Rmckoy · May 9, 2021

Have you tried soaking nori in garlic ?

squatchaquarist · May 9, 2021

Force feeding, if done gently and correctly, can save lives. I haven’t done it with fish but have experience administering food to young barnyard birds. Just like humans and NG tubes and the like, sometimes critters are too sick to eat but the induced nutrition gives them enough energy to successfully recover.

Good luck and keep us updated.

Tamberav · May 9, 2021

NoahLikesFish said:
Good luck! Are you growing algae for the tang to graze on?

Hippos are different from other tangs and are planktivores. That’s not to say they won’t eat algae but meaty food out of the water column is actually what they naturally eat.