How to get marble/ checkerboard wrasse to eat?

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Was wondering if I should pick up some bloodworms or maybe brine shrimp from my lfs. My marble wrasse won't eat pe mysis shrimp or Hikari Marine S pellets. He has picked up the pellets but spit them back out. Had this wrasse for about a week now. He comes out every now and then to look ok for food, guessing he's looking for pods in the tank. I have spionid worms in the sand that I'm hoping he will eat(why I got the wrasse). I ordered some live tig pods, coming soon. But in the mean time what should I do?

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Was wondering if I should pick up some bloodworms or maybe brine shrimp from my lfs. My marble wrasse won't eat pe mysis shrimp or Hikari Marine S pellets. He has picked up the pellets but spit them back out. Had this wrasse for about a week now. He comes out every now and then to look ok for food, guessing he's looking for pods in the tank. I have spionid worms in the sand that I'm hoping he will eat(why I got the wrasse). I ordered some live tig pods, coming soon. But in the mean time what should I do?

Yes, if your LFS has live black worms and/or brine (&/or ...), try both (...all)

the worms will die in the salt water, but they'll wiggle 'enough' that it often helps. My grandpa wrasse is dying of old age and I just gave him a tiny pinch of worms - he was so happy but wore himself out and then flopped upside down on sand... My CBB ate its first black worm today too! I got the worms for the CBB and have been trying to tempt for nearly a week but today CBB slurped a long whole one...

Guessing you didn't see him eat at store and did not learn what that was it was used to eating... if not, then its a guessing game... OR they just get picky... My CBB *ate* thawed spirulina mysis repeatedly at LFS before I bought it... came home, spent 2 weeks not eating and its been an uphill battle temping with pods, etc.

 

[38bill]

How big are the PE mysis? I've had several wrasse that preferred smaller food like brine shrimp.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

How big are the PE mysis? I've had several wrasse that preferred smaller food like brine shrimp.

About 1/4 to 3/8 inch long

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Yes, if your LFS has live black worms and/or brine (&/or ...), try both (...all)

the worms will die in the salt water, but they'll wiggle 'enough' that it often helps. My grandpa wrasse is dying of old age and I just gave him a tiny pinch of worms - he was so happy but wore himself out and then flopped upside down on sand... My CBB ate its first black worm today too! I got the worms for the CBB and have been trying to tempt for nearly a week but today CBB slurped a long whole one...

Guessing you didn't see him eat at store and did not learn what that was it was used to eating... if not, then its a guessing game... OR they just get picky... My CBB *ate* thawed spirulina mysis repeatedly at LFS before I bought it... came home, spent 2 weeks not eating and its been an uphill battle temping with pods, etc.

Don't think they have any live food I only have Petco near me I think.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Nvm guys, tried to feed him 1 last time and he ate Hikari Marine S pellets and kept em down.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll be sure to look back at this thread for picky eaters!

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Ok so the last time I saw him eat was when I posted this post. He won't eat frozen brine shrimp, the pellets, or PE Mysis, even though it is soaked in garlic. Pls help. Here is what he looks like now. Does he look skinny?

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

 

[BanjoBandito]

Pretty sure they eat worms in the wild....bristle and fire worms? Might be a good place to start.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Pretty sure they eat worms in the wild....bristle and fire worms? Might be a good place to start.

I'm not adding fireworms to my tank...

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Ok so the last time I saw him eat was when I posted this post. He won't eat frozen brine shrimp, the pellets, or PE Mysis, even though it is soaked in garlic. Pls help. Here is what he looks like now. Does he look skinny?

If he has only eaten those 5 pellets back on 7/19, then not good

Agree no purposeful adds of fireworms - that's the funniest suggestion ever!

Are you Tom's River NJ? If so google shows more than just Petco in your area... Call everyone within an hour or so drive and see what they have; some pet (dog focused) places I'd never normally go turned out to have [edit: live] brine and wider frozen food assortment than my usual LFSs. Keep tempting him with food multiple times a day. This can be why its better to do in a QT environment so excess food isn't impacting your DT parameters, but maybe that ship has already sailed for this fish. Next fish, get a 5g Petco/Petsmart rectangle kit/combo setup (just need to add a little heater, and they sell those also) so you can more easily cleanup uneaten foods. When I'm not using my QT, it stores under my desk.

If you are committed to saving this fish, keep trying to tempt with foods multiple times a day. Go to seafood market, get 2-5 small live clams or similar, bring home, smash with hammer so wrasse can get into shell and put in tank for few hours, then remove left overs. Everyone has live food, just have to think outside box... might have something else at your local seafood market; an Asian seafood market here has interesting additional things I've tried. AlgaeBarn does online pod and/or nano brine shipments; I have some enroute to me right now. Eastern Aquatics ships live black worms; I have a pound coming overnight arriving this morning, now that my new fish is eating those (still not eating what I watched it eat at LFS early July ... yes these black worms first shipment cost me as much as my fish... and I may be paying this out monthly until I can get it eating something more convenient to me (thawed anything)). Those tig pods you had on order 7/19 might be what has helped him hang on, but a single jar isn't enough as sole food source

Frozen fish eggs are tempting to many fish once thawed. Even if your Petco doesn't have those as a sole content pack, it might be in a multi-pack.

Once you get this fish eating and fattened back up, then you can work on transitioning it to foods YOU want it to eat (pellets, seems like) instead of it wanting to eat only what it knew in nature (no pellets in nature).

Good luck... he's held on this long, he wants to live... wrasse is lucky to have you watching out for him. I am sending positive energy your way

 

[Uncle99]

What was he eating before you got him?
Maybe he’s snacking when your not looking

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

What was he eating before you got him?
Maybe he’s snacking when your not looking

Idk, I got it from live aquaria. I asked them what he was eating, I got what he should eat not what he was eating. I got the description of the fish I'd already read.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

If he has only eaten those 5 pellets back on 7/19, then not good

Agree no purposeful adds of fireworms - that's the funniest suggestion ever!

Are you Tom's River NJ? If so google shows more than just Petco in your area... Call everyone within an hour or so drive and see what they have; some pet (dog focused) places I'd never normally go turned out to have [edit: live] brine and wider frozen food assortment than my usual LFSs. Keep tempting him with food multiple times a day. This can be why its better to do in a QT environment so excess food isn't impacting your DT parameters, but maybe that ship has already sailed for this fish. Next fish, get a 5g Petco square setup so you can more easily cleanup uneaten foods. When I'm not using my QT, it stores under my desk.

If you are committed to saving this fish, keep trying to tempt with foods multiple times a day. Go to seafood market, get 2-5 small live clams or similar, bring home, smash with hammer so wrasse can get into shell and put in tank for few hours, then remove left overs. Everyone has live food, just have to think outside box... might have something else at your local seafood market; an Asian seafood market here has interesting additional things I've tried. AlgaeBarn does online pod and/or nano brine shipments; I have some enroute to me right now. Eastern Aquatics ships live black worms; I have a pound coming overnight arriving this morning, now that my new fish is eating those (still not eating what I watched it eat at LFS early July ... yes these black worms first shipment cost me as much as my fish... and I may be paying this out monthly until I can get it eating something more convenient to me (thawed anything)). Those tig pods you had on order 7/19 might be what has helped him hang on, but a single jar isn't enough as sole food source

Frozen fish eggs are tempting to many fish once thawed. Even if your Petco doesn't have those as a sole content pack, it might be in a multi-pack.

Once you get this fish eating and fattened back up, then you can work on transitioning it to foods YOU want it to eat (pellets, seems like) instead of it wanting to eat only what it knew in nature (no pellets in nature).

Good luck... he's held on this long, he wants to live... wrasse is lucky to have you watching out for him. I am sending positive energy your way

Yes I'm in tm NJ. I called some of the places but they are like, not open to public, they are like aquarium Maintenance people? Maybe I can try to hatch some live brine shrimp with eggs or order some of those black worms. I think he only wants live foods. I have spionid worms in the sand, but I don't see much anymore. I'm thinking he's almost ate all the worms and he is low on food now. Does he look skinny in the video to you/anyone? To me he looks a little skinny.

 

[Uncle99]

Ok, I see, nice.
He doesn’t look malnourished, (can’t see the video) this would take weeks or more.
Just give him time, I’ve had new comers go 2 weeks without eating…..but I think they were snacking when I was not watching….

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Ok, I see, nice.
He doesn’t look malnourished, this would take weeks or more.
Just give him time, I’ve had new comers go 2 weeks without eating…..but I think they were snacking when I was not watching….

Is it possible he isn't hungry? When I put food in? I wait until he wakes up to put food in.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Yes I'm in tm NJ. I called some of the places but they are like, not open to public, they are like aquarium Maintenance people? Maybe I can try to hatch some live brine shrimp with eggs or order some of those black worms. I think he only wants live foods. I have spionid worms in the sand, but I don't see much anymore. I'm thinking he's almost ate all the worms and he is low on food now. Does he look skinny in the video to you/anyone? To me he looks a little skinny.

Amazon has flat brine shrimp hatcheries that look like black flying saucers. If you read the reviews, they are flimsy side, but I carry them on scrap wood left over in garage from a project. That helps me carry them around with water inside (from kitchen to where they sit to hatch with box over them and an incandescent lightbulb.

Eastern Aquatics is just in Lancaster PA, so shipping isn't as bad for you as me. They are doing overnight because I'm in TX and they'd be cooked black worms otherwise

 

[Uncle99]

Is it possible he isn't hungry? When I put food in?

I think he’s just settling in.
I have fish that “pretend” not to eat when offered.
But if I hide, I see them out.
My gramma doesn’t go out much to eat, but she snacks on stuff floating by her home.
I’d do nothing.
He will get hungry if he’s not coming to dinner.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Amazon has flat brine shrimp hatcheries that look like black flying saucers. If you read the reviews, they are flimsy side, but I carry them on scrap wood left over in garage from a project. That helps me carry them around with water inside (from kitchen to where they sit to hatch with box over them and an incandescent lightbulb.

Eastern Aquatics is just in Lancaster PA, so shipping isn't as bad for you as me. They are doing overnight because I'm in TX and they'd be cooked black worms otherwise

I'm going to check it out now.