QT Fails

[Fastpitch]

My last QT appears to have been at best, a partial success. I lost two of five chromis to aggressive uronema. I think because metro was not dosed as consistently and with more potency. Lesson learned. Though I found out I dont really like this fish anyway.

My CB angel is another story. I brought her through quarantine without issue. She had ich and probably more. She completed treatment and was showing no signs of any disease that I could see. So I released her to DT.

The problem is that I never saw her eat. Not once. I figured she would eventually come around, but never did. Mainly I presented frozen foods and nori. I guess she slowly starved herself to death.

My question is what could I have done differently? (I know. Besides see her eat at the LFS) I have a great bicolor in QT now and she is not eating either. Maybe aiming to meet the same fate as my CB.;Sour

 

[ngoodermuth]

I actually think QT is a good place to get a fish eating, without sacrificing water quality in your DT and the added competition of a community tank.

That said, it can be very hard to get a CB to eat in any circumstances. They are just one of those fish that are hit or miss in captivity. Sometimes live black-worms work or live baby brine. I usually just feed a little bit of everything until something sticks (with lots of water changes in my QT, again why this is a good place to get a fish to eat)

Now, medications that we use to get our fish pest free, while important, are not easy on their appetites. You can go two ways, if a fish looks healthy enough (no signs of illness, scratching, excessive yawning, head shaking, swimming into the flow, spots or blotches, etc) you can give it a week or two to settle in and start eating before starting any prophylactic treatments.

If the fish does look to be infected, obviously it’s better not to wait. In this case, if I have a fish that has not eaten through any treatments (like my current CB ironically)... I will finish his treatments and then transfer him and his QT-mate into an observation tank with a few pieces of live rock for grazing. There I can observe him a while longer in a more “natural” environment while continuing my efforts. Sometimes a more reluctant fish does better with a buddy... like monkey-see monkey do.

Eventually, they go into the DT... and some fish just won’t eat. I went through two regal angels...one ONLY ate fresh clams and only picked at those - for months- before he finally passed. The first never ate anything at all. Unfortunately, if you ever mail-order fish there is no guarantee they are eating. If you are lucky enough to find the fish you want in your LFS... try to take advantage and only choose fish that are already eating. But, keep in mind that some species are much harder to acclimate to captivity, and to find one eating might take a great deal of time....

 

[Big G]

I have a great bicolor in QT now and she is not eating either

Sorry for your loss. CBBs are so beautiful. Dwarf angels like your bicolor naturally feed on algaes. Do you see it hunting around the tank pecking at everything?

 

[Radman73]

My last QT appears to have been at best, a partial success. I lost two of five chromis to aggressive uronema. I think because metro was not dosed as consistently and with more potency. Lesson learned. Though I found out I dont really like this fish anyway.

My CB angel is another story. I brought her through quarantine without issue. She had ich and probably more. She completed treatment and was showing no signs of any disease that I could see. So I released her to DT.

The problem is that I never saw her eat. Not once. I figured she would eventually come around, but never did. Mainly I presented frozen foods and nori. I guess she slowly starved herself to death.

My question is what could I have done differently? (I know. Besides see her eat at the LFS) I have a great bicolor in QT now and she is not eating either. Maybe aiming to meet the same fate as my CB.;Sour

For my Potter's angelfish I sacrificed a small piece of LR for it to have something to graze on. I also started using a rubber band to attach small pieces of nori. It ate a little bit of nori but ultimately ended up eating small bits of mysis, brine, and Ocean Nutrition's Formula One frozen cubes. For any grazing fish, be willing to sacrifice a small rock, even better if it actually has some algae on it to eat.

I agree with the idea of feeding a little of everything. I do that with new arrivals and try to get a feel for what they will and won't eat. The idea is simply to get them eating something, nearly anything, that will get them through QT. The same Potter wouldn't touch flake in QT now devours it in the DT because it sees other fish doing the same, so I just had to get it there, though in this case it eventually accepted frozen food in QT.

 

[Fastpitch]

Sorry for your loss. CBBs are so beautiful. Dwarf angels like your bicolor naturally feed on algaes. Do you see it hunting around the tank pecking at everything?

Yeah, I was pumped to get this fish in my tank. I saw no feeding response at all. Nothing. Ever. I just kept thinking sooner or later it would change. Nope.

 

[Big G]

Yeah, I was pumped to get this fish in my tank. I saw no feeding response at all. Nothing. Ever. I just kept thinking sooner or later it would change. Nope.

Is the Bicolor hunting around looking/pecking for food?

 

[Fastpitch]

Is the Bicolor hunting around looking/pecking for food?

I saw the bicolor take a little nori a few days ago. Nothing since. Mainly fights his reflection off the bottom glass.

 

[Big G]

Consider trying some of this Masstick. You mix it with the food (frozen, flake, fresh, etc.) and stick it on rocks, tank wall, etc. in the tank. It simulates their natural feeding behavior.

 

[Fastpitch]

Consider trying some of this Masstick. You mix it with the food (frozen, flake, fresh, etc.) and stick it on rocks, tank wall, etc. in the tank. It simulates their natural feeding behavior.

Thanks. For tonight I rubberbanded some nori onto a large lava rock