A Discussion on Getting New Fish to Eat

[brandon4432]

We all get new fish once in awhile and it's one of the most rewarding parts of the hobby to see them thrive and live a healthy, disease free, and active life. I know I'm planning to get a Yellow Watchman Goby and a Bangai Cardinal the end of this week. While they are in quarantine I've often found it stressful knowing that they don't always eat well and a by product of that is disease outbreak and malnutrition. I figured this would be a good time for everyone to share their personal tips and tricks to successfully get a fish to eat and how it relates to immunity and long term success. Personally I feed my fish once a day with NLS Thera+A which I soak in garlic( Kent Garlic Extreme) and on occasion Selcon. I also feed a mixture of frozen and reef chili once a week to help with coral growth and give my CUC etc a little treat. Share your own trick to success! This is a topic that can benefit EVERYONE!

 

[Eva Rose]

If a fish has a profile of being more shy or reclusive (like Jawfish etc) I like to get them introduced to a turkey baster for target feeding, if needed. I like to first let them try to eat freely in the tank. Later in QT you can ease a baster in to acclimate them to target feeding. I try to ease the baster in the tank and slowly release the food (not burst it out of the baster). This way they associate the baster with food.
So once a fish is in the display, if it is stressed by tank mates the baster can elicit a feeding response. I still try to use the baster only if needed. This has encouraged many of my once cryptic fish to get out among its tank mates and acclimate to the tank.
I like to still 'treat' my Jawfish with a target feeding occasionally. If I don't release food fast enough for him , he rams the baster. Lol.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I find most new fish have a reluctance to take pellets and flakes. In most cases, starting with frozen can help get them started, and once they are eating readily, pellets and flakes can be introduced.

Planktivores seem far more eager to eat in high flow, so for these types of fish, a supplemental powerhead is helpful.

Grazers can often be enticed by clam on the half shell.

When a fish is new, a calm setting with plenty of hiding places can help them settle faster and make them more inclined to accept food.

 

[x_burt]

I soak the food, pellet, flake, grazer depending on the fish in ATM Paradigm. Stressed fish are attracted to the vitamin C, works really well.

Here's a gold flake I used it on