40g clowns

[jt8791]

If you aren’t already you could try soaking the pellets in some tank water, a few drops of garlic guard might help too. Seems very odd for clownfish not to be eating, they typically eat just about anything I throw in the tank. Flake, pellet or frozen just mix it up and keep offering a different variety. They do tend to get bored if you feed them the same stuff repeatedly. If you have a decent clean up crew they should take care of any extra food just stick to small amounts.

 

[kittenbritches]

Thanks so much for the info Jay ill be honest i dont think they're eating i ordered new pellets already

My young clowns were eating, but I was having to squish down their normal pellets a bit because they were spitting out anything that was even slightly big. The hermit crabs had a regular feast. I switched to Omega One Mini Pellets (0.5mm) and they aren't spitting anything out now.

I do feed 2-3x per day (pellets, brine shrimp (dried), mysis (frozen)), making sure they get at least 3-4 bites each per feeding.

They wag their tails and eat from my hand now!

I'm not an expert, but I have read that if clowns are going up to the surface of the water, they may be distressed because they're looking for food. Hopefully the feeding changes will help and your clowns will be fat, happy, and reunited.

 

[jt8791]

A few good brands I’ve had luck with them eating are Sera, ocean nutrition, new life spectrum and hikari. I buy hikari and San Francisco Bay brand for frozen to mix it up, my lfs has more variety on hikari but I’ll grab sfbb from Petco from time to time to have a good variety to rotate.

Although I spoil the crap out of my fish, I have just about every food option available at Petco and the lfs minus the cheap stuff. Used to use omega one I think the brand was on freshwater but got scared away by reports of bones in it so I don’t buy it anymore.

edit: think it was just the flakes that were known for having bones. I used to grind up the flakes really fine for a tank of 30 neon tetras and kept noticing stuff poking me so in the trash all the omega one went.

 

[jt8791]

They definitely look hungry in the pictures, hard to tell by the pictures but almost wonder if there is lack of oxygen from not enough flow. The one side of the tank looks to have pretty good flow but the other side is pretty calm. Just a hunch, might be a long shot but definitely keep trying until you find foods they will eat, might be the whole issue but I would consider all possibilities at this point. Don’t think I’ve ever seen clownfish that skinny before.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

You should get some frozen mysids and chop them up, the clowns will eat those better. If they don't, then something else is keeping them from eating.

You should also add an air stone to the tank, to ensure good aeration.

There was a typo in my previous post - my name got inserted where it should have said "gill beats of 100 per minute or less" - sorry!

Jay

 

[Nick96]

If you aren’t already you could try soaking the pellets in some tank water, a few drops of garlic guard might help too. Seems very odd for clownfish not to be eating, they typically eat just about anything I throw in the tank. Flake, pellet or frozen just mix it up and keep offering a different variety. They do tend to get bored if you feed them the same stuff repeatedly. If you have a decent clean up crew they should take care of any extra food just stick to small amounts.

I will try this! Thank you

 

[Nick96]

You should get some frozen mysids and chop them up, the clowns will eat those better. If they don't, then something else is keeping them from eating.

You should also add an air stone to the tank, to ensure good aeration.

There was a typo in my previous post - my name got inserted where it should have said "gill beats of 100 per minute or less" - sorry!

Jay

I am really not sure how to count them haha. They both are still separated but they do occasionally swim together and they both seem happy but I really can't tell

 

[Nick96]

I am really not sure how to count them haha. They both are still separated but they do occasionally swim together and they both seem happy but I really can't tell

They still are not really eating. I am not sure if they are eating the food when I'm not looking or what but they seem relatively calm but they just don't want to eat

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

They still are not really eating. I am not sure if they are eating the food when I'm not looking or what but they seem relatively calm but they just don't want to eat

If you aren’t seeing them eat, then they aren’t feeding normally.

Jay

 

[Nick96]

If you aren’t seeing them eat, then they aren’t feeding normally.

Jay

Best video i can get

 

[Nick96]

My young clowns were eating, but I was having to squish down their normal pellets a bit because they were spitting out anything that was even slightly big. The hermit crabs had a regular feast. I switched to Omega One Mini Pellets (0.5mm) and they aren't spitting anything out now.

I do feed 2-3x per day (pellets, brine shrimp (dried), mysis (frozen)), making sure they get at least 3-4 bites each per feeding.

They wag their tails and eat from my hand now!

I'm not an expert, but I have read that if clowns are going up to the surface of the water, they may be distressed because they're looking for food. Hopefully the feeding changes will help and your clowns will be fat, happy, and reunited.

Thank you so much! They are swimming together again but are both at the top of the water. Not sure what else to do. I've tried two different foods so far and no luck

 

[kittenbritches]

Thank you so much! They are swimming together again but are both at the top of the water. Not sure what else to do. I've tried two different foods so far and no luck

What foods have you tried, and what else is in the tank?

 

[Nick96]

What foods

What foods have you tried, and what else is in the tank?

I have tried Hikari marine small pellets and another medium small pellet. Both haven't worked so far. I have two damsels and the teo clowns, some CUC and small frags. All my frags from a hammerhead to mushrooms and the damsels are all doing awesome. Just the clowns haven't eaten much which worries me. I've had them for a week now.

 

[kittenbritches]

I have tried Hikari marine small pellets and another medium small pellet. Both haven't worked so far. I have two damsels and the teo clowns, some CUC and small frags. All my frags from a hammerhead to mushrooms and the damsels are all doing awesome. Just the clowns haven't eaten much which worries me. I've had them for a week now.

Try the mini pellets I suggested above. They've made a huge difference for my juvenile clowns and their teeny mouths.

 

[jt8791]

Have you tried anything other than pellets? Ocean nutrition prime reef flakes are usually a good option, really suggest mixing in some frozen food options. Baby brine shrimp always gets fish to eat for me. Be sure to grab the green cap version of flakes too, forget the name but clowns need their greens too

 

[Nick96]

Try the mini pellets I suggested above. They've made a huge difference for my juvenile clowns and their teeny mouths.

These pellets are super teeny this is what i tried

 

[jt8791]

I have that one and haven’t had great results with fish eating it, new life spectrum pellets usually sink before the fish see them. The Sera staple diet pellets are good option, every clown I’ve had has gone nuts for those.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Best video i can get

So - they are breathing fast and “shimmying”, combine that with them not eating, and there is a major problem with them.

A happy clown swims like a wiggling puppy - these are shimmying, not happy at all. It could be a protozoan or bacterial infection. It could also be a water quality issue, but if the corals and other fish are doing well, I think you can rule that out.

I’m confused here - early on they were eating good, but now they aren’t? Have you tried any non pelleted food on them? Somebody mentioned brine shrimp, and I suggested diced up krill…

Jay

 

[Nick96]

So - they are breathing fast and “shimmying”, combine that with them not eating, and there is a major problem with them.

A happy clown swims like a wiggling puppy - these are shimmying, not happy at all. It could be a protozoan or bacterial infection. It could also be a water quality issue, but if the corals and other fish are doing well, I think you can rule that out.

I’m confused here - early on they were eating good, but now they aren’t? Have you tried any non pelleted food on them? Somebody mentioned brine shrimp, and I suggested diced up krill…

Jay

I have had them only for a week so they haven't been eating much at all from what I've seen. I can try brine shrimp. I mean everything else is doing really well so I'm confused why they wouldn't be.

 

[jt8791]

I’m starting to question if it’s an issue from mixing them with damsels, always read that it wasn’t suggested. Damsels can be aggressive and territorial, especially if they are bigger than the clowns. Might be worth putting a cheap power head or wave pump on that other side to see if it’s lack of oxygen. It can’t hurt to try, Petco carries the koralia nanos, $50 isn’t a major gamble.