Emaciated Dragonet

[Cole_Voeller]

Hello all. There was a Ruby Red Dragonet at my LFS for a while, and unfortunately there aren’t many pods in the fish systems. I brought some baby brine from home as well as pellets (super small ones I feed my mandarin), to try getting him to eat, as he was extremely emaciated. I managed to get him to eat both almost immediately, so I figured I’d bring him home with me. I currently have him in a breeder box, where I’ve been feeding him constantly, both baby brine and pellets, as well as adding pods to the tank (there are enough where I see pods running around in his breeder box that he eats). He has been eating quite a lot, but even after having extremely large meals, his belly is still very sunken in. Will he recover with continuous heavy feeding? Or could this be a sign of disease?
(Using a breeder box so there is absolutely no competition for him to eat)

 

[sfin52]

Hello all. There was a Ruby Red Dragonet at my LFS for a while, and unfortunately there aren’t many pods in the fish systems. I brought some baby brine from home as well as pellets (super small ones I feed my mandarin), to try getting him to eat, as he was extremely emaciated. I managed to get him to eat both almost immediately, so I figured I’d bring him home with me. I currently have him in a breeder box, where I’ve been feeding him constantly, both baby brine and pellets, as well as adding pods to the tank (there are enough where I see pods running around in his breeder box that he eats). He has been eating quite a lot, but even after having extremely large meals, his belly is still very sunken in. Will he recover with continuous heavy feeding? Or could this be a sign of disease?
(Using a breeder box so there is absolutely no competition for him to eat)

Hoe long have you had it

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello all. There was a Ruby Red Dragonet at my LFS for a while, and unfortunately there aren’t many pods in the fish systems. I brought some baby brine from home as well as pellets (super small ones I feed my mandarin), to try getting him to eat, as he was extremely emaciated. I managed to get him to eat both almost immediately, so I figured I’d bring him home with me. I currently have him in a breeder box, where I’ve been feeding him constantly, both baby brine and pellets, as well as adding pods to the tank (there are enough where I see pods running around in his breeder box that he eats). He has been eating quite a lot, but even after having extremely large meals, his belly is still very sunken in. Will he recover with continuous heavy feeding? Or could this be a sign of disease?
(Using a breeder box so there is absolutely no competition for him to eat)

Please post pics and how is the breathing rate?
Often when they thin or starve, the rarely recover

 

[Cole_Voeller]

Hoe long have you had it

I’ve only had him for three days. He was emaciated when I got him, I promise I’m not the one starving him.

 

[DaJMasta]

If it's eating well, I think it's on good track, you really do have to keep up with the food, though (and making sure it's not having to swim a lot or escape from other fish and burn those calories). There's the possibility of other issues, but if it's active and eating and has been around a few days, I think you're out of the danger zone.

They can usually get pretty large stuff in their mouth, so especially if it's already eating pellets, I would try frozen mysis or bloodworms too. If you've got a sump or refugium with a bunch of amphipods, you could also catch some with a turkey baster and offer them up - a large meal like an amphipod or bloodworm is going to be the rough nutritional equivalent of a hundred or more copepods, so if it will accept larger foods, those should help put on weight faster.

 

[littlefoxx]

Awe poor guy. My female came to me pretty thin but she also is young too based on her size. I was worried about her and put her in the tank and shes getting bigger. Picture would help to see what youre working with! For what its worth Im happy you took him. Im known at my LfS for taking rescue fish all the time (almost all my fish are rescue) so to see someone else do that with a fish people just pass up warms my heart

 

[Cole_Voeller]

Please post pics and how is the breathing rate?
Often when they thin or starve, the rarely recover

He’s been eating like a pig all morning. I just turned whites on and got close for this video, so he didn’t eat when I recorded him here. Also please excuse how many pellets and brine are in there. When I say I’ve been feeding a lot I mean it haha.

 

[Cole_Voeller]

Him eating pellets in case anyone believes that he will only eats pods.

 

[Cole_Voeller]

If it's eating well, I think it's on good track, you really do have to keep up with the food, though (and making sure it's not having to swim a lot or escape from other fish and burn those calories). There's the possibility of other issues, but if it's active and eating and has been around a few days, I think you're out of the danger zone.

They can usually get pretty large stuff in their mouth, so especially if it's already eating pellets, I would try frozen mysis or bloodworms too. If you've got a sump or refugium with a bunch of amphipods, you could also catch some with a turkey baster and offer them up - a large meal like an amphipod or bloodworm is going to be the rough nutritional equivalent of a hundred or more copepods, so if it will accept larger foods, those should help put on weight faster.

Oh yeah, he definitely doesn’t need to move very much haha. I can definitely try mysis, however this guy is super small. No sump, and it’s a small tank, which is why I dose pods in quite often. My mandarin mainly eats pellets though so pods have never been an issue for me. I do like the mysis idea though, if I have success with that later I’ll let you know!

 

[Cole_Voeller]

Awe poor guy. My female came to me pretty thin but she also is young too based on her size. I was worried about her and put her in the tank and shes getting bigger. Picture would help to see what youre working with! For what its worth Im happy you took him. Im known at my LfS for taking rescue fish all the time (almost all my fish are rescue) so to see someone else do that with a fish people just pass up warms my heart

I posted a couple videos just now!

 

[DaJMasta]

Oh yeah, he definitely doesn’t need to move very much haha. I can definitely try mysis, however this guy is super small. No sump, and it’s a small tank, which is why I dose pods in quite often. My mandarin mainly eats pellets though so pods have never been an issue for me. I do like the mysis idea though, if I have success with that later I’ll let you know!

It's still surprising how large their mouth can extend. I've seen a ~1.5" ruby red eat a nearly inch long bloodworm - actually ate it and spit it out several times before it was comfortably in there, and one of the first things I saw one of my mandarins eat when training them onto prepared foods was the head of a krill, which was too big, and it sat there sort of coughing and wriggling every few seconds for most of a minute before it could swallow it.

In the case of many fish, their eyes are bigger than their stomachs, and the physical limits of how far their mouth can stretch is likely the only constraint.

 

[braaap]

I’ve seen worse that recover. I think you are on the right path. I had one about 10 years back that ate pellets too. Had him a long time until I tore down my tanks.

 

[littlefoxx]

Him eating pellets in case anyone believes that he will only eats pods.

To be honest he doesnt look like he is beyond help! My female looked like that when I pulled her out of the shipping bag. This is her 2 days after being in the tank

 

[Cole_Voeller]

I’ve seen worse that recover. I think you are on the right path. I had one about 10 years back that ate pellets too. Had him a long time until I tore down my tanks.

Awesome, thank you for your input!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

He’s been eating like a pig all morning. I just turned whites on and got close for this video, so he didn’t eat when I recorded him here. Also please excuse how many pellets and brine are in there. When I say I’ve been feeding a lot I mean it haha.

I wouldn't flood it with food, that can actually lower the feeding response due to "over stimulation" and confusion. It's the same reason fish school up - to confuse predators. Feed it lesser quantities, so there is just a few food items for it to choose from, but then do that all day long....as much as you can anyway.

Jay

 

[Cole_Voeller]

I wouldn't flood it with food, that can actually lower the feeding response due to "over stimulation" and confusion. It's the same reason fish school up - to confuse predators. Feed it lesser quantities, so there is just a few food items for it to choose from, but then do that all day long....as much as you can anyway.

Jay

Oh gotcha, yeah I’ll do that!
With how he’s looking, do you think he’ll be alright?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Oh gotcha, yeah I’ll do that!
With how he’s looking, do you think he’ll be alright?

Looks good in terms of coloration and breathing rate. The big question is - did the fish's liver become damaged due to long term lack of calories? No way to tell, so just keep feeding it as best you can.

Jay

 

[Cole_Voeller]

Looks good in terms of coloration and breathing rate. The big question is - did the fish's liver become damaged due to long term lack of calories? No way to tell, so just keep feeding it as best you can.

Jay

This was my main concern. I read about this in another thread you had responded to, and I really really hope he didn’t get to that point. I really wish I had brought in some food for him sooner.