Spoiled fish? won't eat anything but roe

[Amandajb]

I'm hoping someone can help me with a plan to get this resolved.... I have a new tank, a little over 7 months and in it, currently have a Lyretail Anthias (new to tank, about 6 weeks), clown goby (at least a year old from old tank) and a mandarin dragonette (probably close to a year, from old tank). Water parameters are good and they follow me anytime they see me waiting for food. Problem is... the only food they eat (except for my mandarin, she is from algaebarn biota and eats everything!), is Dragon Roe. Not even other roe I have bought... My clown goby seems to of been on a life long feeding strike (ate great for first few weeks), but feel he's getting food somewhere when he's not getting his roe. That being said, I expect it from him even though I don't like it... My Anthias; however, took down everything when I first got her (brine, mysis, pellets) - until I put my clown goby in and started feeding the dragon roe. I am going out of town for a few days end of July so very scared they won't take any pellets from auto feeder and don't have it in me to just try and stop. I'm dirtying my tank 3 times a day trying to feed (have deep tank, trying to salvage lost food is impossible). Can anyone give me advice to help? I just got some Rods food from BRS and they were somewhat interested, but spit most of it out. Is something wrong with them? Or... just spoiled, maybe sick?? I hate to think sick, would my clown goby of lived this long?? And anthias super active (seems pretty happy, especially in roe frenzy mode).

Sorry to go on and on... Can anyone give me their advice?

 

[Fish Think Pink]

I'm hoping someone can help me with a plan to get this resolved.... I have a new tank, a little over 7 months and in it, currently have a Lyretail Anthias (new to tank, about 6 weeks), clown goby (at least a year old from old tank) and a mandarin dragonette (probably close to a year, from old tank). Water parameters are good and they follow me anytime they see me waiting for food. Problem is... the only food they eat (except for my mandarin, she is from algaebarn biota and eats everything!), is Dragon Roe. Not even other roe I have bought... My clown goby seems to of been on a life long feeding strike (ate great for first few weeks), but feel he's getting food somewhere when he's not getting his roe. That being said, I expect it from him even though I don't like it... My Anthias; however, took down everything when I first got her (brine, mysis, pellets) - until I put my clown goby in and started feeding the dragon roe. I am going out of town for a few days end of July so very scared they won't take any pellets from auto feeder and don't have it in me to just try and stop. I'm dirtying my tank 3 times a day trying to feed (have deep tank, trying to salvage lost food is impossible). Can anyone give me advice to help? I just got some Rods food from BRS and they were somewhat interested, but spit most of it out. Is something wrong with them? Or... just spoiled, maybe sick?? I hate to think sick, would my clown goby of lived this long?? And anthias super active (seems pretty happy, especially in roe frenzy mode).

Sorry to go on and on... Can anyone give me their advice?

My child exists only because hot dogs and chicken nuggets exist. I worry she'll get scurvy but have found if I rinse and put strawberries in front of her while she watches videos... strawberries disappear. Based on this, I'm probably wrong person to give food advice.

Think you might need backup plan - see if a neighbor will come over and feed dragon roe while you are away in July. I've had to fly East 2x past 2 months for parents... first time my home family decided I was overfeeding and cut back (or stopped... not really sure and no one gave details) but they reported two fish disappeared (suspect eaten by crab out of hunger)... and feeding resumed...

Keep tempting with pellets... maybe try Masstick - I've heard such great things I bought some but haven't gotten around to trying it. I've also learned with picky eaters its keep trying... they can take weeks to show interest. I also leave some pumps going when tempting with new food so it waffles and floats mid tank and not settles on bottom. You still have weeks between now and then so maybe they'll eat pellets from autofeeder by then if you keep trying but if no one is eating and you're trying 3x daily... did you cut back on dragon roe or are you doing tiny amounts 3x daily? They may also associate YOU with food based on your post, so YOU adding pellets might also be helpful to get this started - and maybe even bit of roe *with* pellets ... try rubbing roe on pellets or something until they get the idea (remember in anthias' case)

GOOD LUCK!

 

[Amandajb]

My child exists only because hot dogs and chicken nuggets exist. I worry she'll get scurvy but have found if I rinse and put strawberries in front of her while she watches videos... strawberries disappear. Based on this, I'm probably wrong person to give food advice.

Think you might need backup plan - see if a neighbor will come over and feed dragon roe while you are away in July. I've had to fly East 2x past 2 months for parents... first time my home family decided I was overfeeding and cut back (or stopped... not really sure and no one gave details) but they reported two fish disappeared (suspect eaten by crab out of hunger)... and feeding resumed...

Keep tempting with pellets... maybe try Masstick - I've heard such great things I bought some but haven't gotten around to trying it. I've also learned with picky eaters its keep trying... they can take weeks to show interest. I also leave some pumps going when tempting with new food so it waffles and floats mid tank and not settles on bottom. You still have weeks between now and then so maybe they'll eat pellets from autofeeder by then if you keep trying but if no one is eating and you're trying 3x daily... did you cut back on dragon roe or are you doing tiny amounts 3x daily? They may also associate YOU with food based on your post, so YOU adding pellets might also be helpful to get this started - and maybe even bit of roe *with* pellets ... try rubbing roe on pellets or something until they get the idea (remember in anthias' case)

GOOD LUCK!

My child exists only because hot dogs and chicken nuggets exist. I worry she'll get scurvy but have found if I rinse and put strawberries in front of her while she watches videos... strawberries disappear. Based on this, I'm probably wrong person to give food advice.

Think you might need backup plan - see if a neighbor will come over and feed dragon roe while you are away in July. I've had to fly East 2x past 2 months for parents... first time my home family decided I was overfeeding and cut back (or stopped... not really sure and no one gave details) but they reported two fish disappeared (suspect eaten by crab out of hunger)... and feeding resumed...

Keep tempting with pellets... maybe try Masstick - I've heard such great things I bought some but haven't gotten around to trying it. I've also learned with picky eaters its keep trying... they can take weeks to show interest. I also leave some pumps going when tempting with new food so it waffles and floats mid tank and not settles on bottom. You still have weeks between now and then so maybe they'll eat pellets from autofeeder by then if you keep trying but if no one is eating and you're trying 3x daily... did you cut back on dragon roe or are you doing tiny amounts 3x daily? They may also associate YOU with food based on your post, so YOU adding pellets might also be helpful to get this started - and maybe even bit of roe *with* pellets ... try rubbing roe on pellets or something until they get the idea (remember in anthias' case)

GOOD LUCK!

Lol, my sons diet also consists of hot dogs and nuggets, but I can sometimes bribe him with a new game if he just tries to take a bite . If only I could bribe my fish. I'm glad mention Masstick as I just received that from BRS yesterday. I will post reply on how it goes, fingers crossed!!

Thank you for your response!! I will be trying all your suggestions, starting with Masstick - then soaking pellets in Roe.

 

[dedragon]

I'm hoping someone can help me with a plan to get this resolved.... I have a new tank, a little over 7 months and in it, currently have a Lyretail Anthias (new to tank, about 6 weeks), clown goby (at least a year old from old tank) and a mandarin dragonette (probably close to a year, from old tank). Water parameters are good and they follow me anytime they see me waiting for food. Problem is... the only food they eat (except for my mandarin, she is from algaebarn biota and eats everything!), is Dragon Roe. Not even other roe I have bought... My clown goby seems to of been on a life long feeding strike (ate great for first few weeks), but feel he's getting food somewhere when he's not getting his roe. That being said, I expect it from him even though I don't like it... My Anthias; however, took down everything when I first got her (brine, mysis, pellets) - until I put my clown goby in and started feeding the dragon roe. I am going out of town for a few days end of July so very scared they won't take any pellets from auto feeder and don't have it in me to just try and stop. I'm dirtying my tank 3 times a day trying to feed (have deep tank, trying to salvage lost food is impossible). Can anyone give me advice to help? I just got some Rods food from BRS and they were somewhat interested, but spit most of it out. Is something wrong with them? Or... just spoiled, maybe sick?? I hate to think sick, would my clown goby of lived this long?? And anthias super active (seems pretty happy, especially in roe frenzy mode).

Sorry to go on and on... Can anyone give me their advice?

Try LRS fertility frenzy, it has roe in it as well as its a mixed food product. I would mix it with some extra dragon roe for a couple of days until they start eating. I find LRS useful for this, helped me get my copperband butterflyfish onto frozen

 

[Goaway]

I take flake food - roids - frozen table shrimp - a few drops of selcon - torn up seaweed and chop the crap out of it all. Everyone eats everything.

Will it work for anthias and a mandarin dragon? Probably not not the mady. They eat what they want.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

I take flake food - roids - frozen table shrimp - a few drops of selcon - torn up seaweed and chop the crap out of it all. Everyone eats everything.

Will it work for anthias and a mandarin dragon? Probably not not the mady. They eat what they want.

when I try adding selcon or garlic, my fish act as if there is no food - even if I put in so much food that it hits them... can't get them to taste it... my fish are all probably defective...

 

[Goaway]

I know how that goes, I added squid and muscle to the mix. They would spit out the squid for almost a week. They stopped after that.
Keep adding small bits with the roe, eventually they may accept.
All takes patience.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Hope this finds you well

@Amandajb was wondering how vacation worked out with feeding, and wondering how your fish are doing.

 

[Amandajb]

Hope this finds you well

@Amandajb was wondering how vacation worked out with feeding, and wondering how your fish are doing.

It was awful, but recovered . We found sister in law was going to be in town and willing to help, so was lucky to continue with frozen (currently only eating rods food). I put daily chunks in plastic cups, but they missed that and found some mysis cubes, fed them whole cube a day. After return (only 3 days total), couldn’t see through glass. Good news… off roe, but only fish that will eat pellets are my mandarin and melaranus wrasse. Tried all suggestions on this post, LRS works ok. Still trying, I would be so happy to see my anthias and clown goby eat everything vs. spitting out majority. I know they’r hungry (think). I may try making my own food… shipping on frozen is so expensive, may even be cheaper

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Pellets don't meet the approval of all my guys either.

I have one super picky (spoiled) fish. I rip my hair out trying to feed that fish (over two years now). The only thing she eats with enthusiasm is live baby brine shrimp. Talk about not being the most convenient if you have to be away! And I hate having to feed that fish something special when every other fish in the tank eats anything and everything.

I think I'm finally having some luck with LRS Nano Frenzy. It seems to have big enough chunks to make the pigs happy and small enough pieces to make miss picky happy. It's only been a few days so I'm not holding my breath but it sure would be nice to finally have a one size fits all, even if it is frozen. I also like that it doesn't seem to make a mess of my tank. As far as roe goes, she also seems to approve of Rods Polyp Poppers. Similar size to baby brine shrimps but way more convenient!

I'm thinking the next time I need to be out of town I might try putting daily feedings in one of those weekly pill containers for whoever is left in charge.

I hear ya on the frozen food shipping costs. Still looking for a magical pellet that will let me occasionally use an auto feeder.

Best of luck!

 

[homer1475]

Have you guys tried TDO chromoboost pellets? I have not found anything that will not at least try TDO.

My fish will eat pellets from an auto feeder, but since the TDO is red, they actually seek out the TDO before any of the other pellets I feed.

 

[Goaway]

Have you guys tried TDO chromoboost pellets? I have not found anything that will not at least try TDO.

My fish will eat pellets from an auto feeder, but since the TDO is red, they actually seek out the TDO before any of the other pellets I feed.

That's a good point. They like red over green foods. Wonder why?

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Have you guys tried TDO chromoboost pellets? I have not found anything that will not at least try TDO.

My fish will eat pellets from an auto feeder, but since the TDO is red, they actually seek out the TDO before any of the other pellets I feed.

They all love these...well all except my one "special" fish. Even the crabs and shrimps mobilize for these. I might try another size, though. My picky fish seems to favor really tiny food.