How to get fish that won’t eat to eat

[ARGYGANG]

I’ve tried everything with my bicolor and he just will not do anything but hide when I feed no one is messing with him he’s by far biggest fish in tank and he’s been in for almost two weeks now. Tried reef frenzy, zoo plankton, nori on clip and rocks, flakes/pellets, frozen sponge, mysis and brine (not live) chopped krill and even chopped silversides I always walk away after feeding and I’m even feeding different spots in the tank at the same time so all my anthias and wrasses can’t take it all and he just won’t come out and eat ANYTHING for me. I really don’t want this guy to starve but the few times he’s even come out of the rockwork when it was feeding time he just swam directly through the food and didn’t even recognize it as food. I’m buying brine eggs and a hatchery tonight but I’m afraid by the time they hatch and grow to where he can eat them he will have starved.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

How did you aquire the fish? What was it eating previously?

Are you seeing it pecking on rocks at all?

 

[ARGYGANG]

I’ve tried everything with my bicolor and he just will not do anything but hide when I feed no one is messing with him he’s by far biggest fish in tank and he’s been in for almost two weeks now. Tried reef frenzy, zoo plankton, nori on clip and rocks, flakes/pellets, frozen sponge, mysis and brine (not live) chopped krill and even chopped silversides I always walk away after feeding and I’m even feeding different spots in the tank at the same time so all my anthias and wrasses can’t take it all and he just won’t come out and eat ANYTHING for me. I really don’t want this guy to starve but the few times he’s even come out of the rockwork when it was feeding time he just swam directly through the food and didn’t even recognize it as food. I’m buying brine eggs and a hatchery tonight but I’m afraid by the time they hatch and grow to where he can eat them he will have starved.

Tank mates are a few pink damsels (small non aggressive maybe a inch) cleaner and melanarus wrasse, Picasso trigger (2 inches) purple and scopas tang (2-4 inches non aggressive even to each other) 4 dispar anthias, royal gramma and a pajama cardinal

 

[_Jake_Simek_]

I’ve tried everything with my bicolor and he just will not do anything but hide when I feed no one is messing with him he’s by far biggest fish in tank and he’s been in for almost two weeks now. Tried reef frenzy, zoo plankton, nori on clip and rocks, flakes/pellets, frozen sponge, mysis and brine (not live) chopped krill and even chopped silversides I always walk away after feeding and I’m even feeding different spots in the tank at the same time so all my anthias and wrasses can’t take it all and he just won’t come out and eat ANYTHING for me. I really don’t want this guy to starve but the few times he’s even come out of the rockwork when it was feeding time he just swam directly through the food and didn’t even recognize it as food. I’m buying brine eggs and a hatchery tonight but I’m afraid by the time they hatch and grow to where he can eat them he will have starved.

maybe try soaking the frozen in a garlic product like Brightwell Aquatics garlic power or seachem garlic guard? this worked with my tangs.

 

[ARGYGANG]

How did you aquire the fish? What was it eating previously?

Are you seeing it pecking on rocks at all?

Saltwaterfish.com, wild caught from fiji, and yes she picks at rocks all the time and my rocks are going on a year old now so they have a decent amount of algae etc on them she isn’t skinny yet and she’s a good 4 inches.

 

[Sharkbait19]

#fishmedic

Is this a bicolor angel?
Have you seen it grazing around the tank at all or no interest in any food whatsoever?

 

[ARGYGANG]

maybe try soaking the frozen in a garlic product like Brightwell Aquatics garlic power or seachem garlic guard? this worked with my tangs.

All food is soaked in fishtamine by Serra

 

[ARGYGANG]

#fishmedic

Is this a bicolor angel?
Have you seen it grazing around the tank at all or no interest in any food whatsoever?

Grazes on live rock but will literally swim through a heavy feeding, I’m feeding 5 light times a day for my anthias but I’ve upped it to a heavier feeding each time to try and entice this guy to eat/have some fall on the live rock.

 

[Steve and his Animals]

Bicolors are notoriously finnicky. Try clams/mussels on the half shell. If there's no luck with that, sometimes PE Calanus, Arctipods, or live blackworms get their attention.

 

[nereefpat]

Bicolor angel, bicolor blenny, or what?

 

[ARGYGANG]

Angel my bad I

Bicolor angel, bicolor blenny, or what?

thought I typed it

 

[lion king]

If they are not suffering from internal parasites, you offer them their native food. A rock with established micro algae, if not an established tank, then maybe from another tank, they are grazers. Live macro algae, live ghost shrimp, live brine shrimp, live black worms, pods. Once nibbling they will learn from the other fish in the tank, at 1st they just don't recognize what you are feeding. This is of course as long as they are suffering with internal parasites, which the bicolor does come in with frequently.

 

[ARGYGANG]

If they are not suffering from internal parasites, you offer them their native food. A rock with established micro algae, if not an established tank, then maybe from another tank, they are grazers. Live macro algae, live ghost shrimp, live brine shrimp, live black worms, pods. Once nibbling they will learn from the other fish in the tank, at 1st they just don't recognize what you are feeding. This is of course as long as they are suffering with internal parasites, which the bicolor does come in with frequently.

Do you know if fish eat dragons breath algae? I have most of my rock completely over taken with the stuff, he may even be eating that and that’s why he isn’t interested in food, he does graze on my green algae on my rocks

 

[lion king]

Do you know if fish eat dragons breath algae? I have most of my rock completely over taken with the stuff, he may even be eating that and that’s why he isn’t interested in food, he does graze on my green algae on my rocks

Each fish is different as to which macros they may chose to eat. As long he has some of the foods mentioned which he could graze on, it will get him by until they learn the ropes. Humans fail to realize that many fish that refuse to eat, just doesn't recognize what we are offering is food.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I’ve tried everything with my bicolor and he just will not do anything but hide when I feed no one is messing with him he’s by far biggest fish in tank and he’s been in for almost two weeks now. Tried reef frenzy, zoo plankton, nori on clip and rocks, flakes/pellets, frozen sponge, mysis and brine (not live) chopped krill and even chopped silversides I always walk away after feeding and I’m even feeding different spots in the tank at the same time so all my anthias and wrasses can’t take it all and he just won’t come out and eat ANYTHING for me. I really don’t want this guy to starve but the few times he’s even come out of the rockwork when it was feeding time he just swam directly through the food and didn’t even recognize it as food. I’m buying brine eggs and a hatchery tonight but I’m afraid by the time they hatch and grow to where he can eat them he will have starved.

Bicolors can be tough, even those from Fiji. Try newly hatched brine, I’m often surprised at how larger fish will go for it, that way you don’t need to wait for it to grow.
Have you tried live mussels on the half shell or live black worms?
Jay

 

[ARGYGANG]

Bicolors can be tough, even those from Fiji. Try newly hatched brine, I’m often surprised at how larger fish will go for it, that way you don’t need to wait for it to grow.
Have you tried live mussels on the half shell or live black worms?
Jay

No live food tried yet, am attempting to source some, I’m in a apartment so only way I can feed live is freshly hatched brine I can’t have the smell lingering I also can’t even fit a small tote to even grow them in so the brs brine shrimp hatchery is the only chance I have to feed live so I have purchased that and will attempt the feeding when it arrives and the eggs hatch

 

[Magic031707]

Maybe try a garlic supplement to soak the food in. It might trigger the bicolor to try something