Feeding two small clownfish

[droidus]

I have New Life Spectrum pellets for my two clown fish. I also feed LRS frozen food and mysis shrimp, which they do not go after. I notice that the pellets are too big for them - are there any smaller pellets? Also, why would they not go after the other foods that I provide?

 

[canadianeh]

Tell us more about your tank and fish. How old? When did you set it up and got the fish? Size of the fish? Picture?

wjat size the pellets?

 

[Marten]

I would check with where you got the clowns as to what they were feeding them. NLS does come in different sizes down to about .5mm in size. Just try different foods.

 

[WiscoFishNut]

I have New Life Spectrum pellets for my two clown fish. I also feed LRS frozen food and mysis shrimp, which they do not go after. I notice that the pellets are too big for them - are there any smaller pellets? Also, why would they not go after the other foods that I provide?

I feed mine New Life Spectram Thera +A & Hikari Seaweed Extreme(small pellets). They eat both, but really like the Seaweed Extreme.

Hikari Seaweed Extreme

 

[Peace River]

@Reef Nutrition also has all sizes of food for clownfish including powder, granules, and pellets that are part of their TDO Chroma Boost line. This is what is used by many clownfish breeders so depending on where the clownfish came from this may already be what they are used to. Good luck!

 

[canadianeh]

I wish TDO Chroma is available in Canada. Sigh.

 

[ReeferWarrant]

Like above said, check with LFS for what they were feeding. I ended up making my own fish food from the local Asian Market. Octopus, squid, clams, nori (no additives), flake food and some fish blended up and put in the freezer. I bought a blender on FB for $5 and so far have made it 3 months and have barely made a dent in the cubes I made.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Have you tried the LRS Nano Frenzy? My clowns were a bit picky at first but ate at the store, never EVER buy fish unless you see them eat at the LFS. Trustworthy places will feed a specific fish/tank on request. They took about a week to start eating properly, I believe this was due to them being in separate tanks at the lfs (one was Picasso and the other a snowflake) and the sameish size, so they were fighting for dominance. They just barely picked at it for a while then the slightly bigger one became dominant and they both began eating with vigor as they had at the lfs. Patience, and maybe try feeding a variety of foods at the same time (crushed pellets, pellets, flake, brine, LRS) to get a lot of scent in the water. Also, I feed the LRS without thawing, just rubbing it between my fingers underwater near the surface, I believe that this helps them locate the food source, and allows for a slower release in a smaller area so they can get more and the tiny particles the baby clowns like to eat are not lost by the powerheads (turn them off, you may not need to turn the filter off though)

 

[Uncle99]

I assume that you did not ask what they were feeding on before you purchased.?
Can you call them? This would be the easiest way...
Good LFS or On-Line will ensure you know this.
They may not like the size, texture, and/or recognize what your feeding as a food item.
They may just be new.
If food item is to big, make it smaller, pulverizing flake is easy to match size.

 

[droidus]

I have a 32 gallon tank. It looks similarly like this: they take a pellet in, but can't chew it. I have been crushing the pellet with a spoon, but it gets turned into pretty fine dust, so not sure that it's the best way to feed. I do have my blowers going while I do feed, so maybe turning off will allow them to get more of it. I do turn off my sump for some time while feeding. Hopefully once as they get bigger they can take on the pellets.
As for where I purchased them, I bought them from LA. I could try and contact them to see what they are feeding.
I also do feed at least two things at once: pellets are mainly for clown fish, and then LRS/Shrimp are for CUC/goby/pistol shrimp.
It looks like these pellets are 1mm sinking pellets, so maybe I will try to find .5mm for them. Any good recommendations here?
They definitley see the LRS food, but just don't show any interest. Do you think if I didn't feed them pellets, they would go after the shrimp/lrs food?

 

[Uncle99]

They look about 1/2”
If that’s true, pulverize those flakes.
Captive breeds are mostly fed pulverized flake starting at about 14 days old.

I have the same fish in both species and size in my frag tank.
So far from day 1, this fish will touch nothing but pulverized flake as if that’s all he recognizes.

he takes mysis and brine, but spits it.
He lets pellets go by....even if I crush them
No blood worms, no krill, No oyster eggs,.......nothing.

 

[Perthegallon]

I have New Life Spectrum pellets for my two clown fish. I also feed LRS frozen food and mysis shrimp, which they do not go after. I notice that the pellets are too big for them - are there any smaller pellets? Also, why would they not go after the other foods that I provide?

always do flakes they hate pellets

 

[droidus]

What kind of flakes do you recommend? Will they eventually go after the other foods?

 

[Uncle99]

Flake is flake, nothing extravagant, if you just move some between your fingers, you can reduce the size.
For sure size of food items will get bigger, they should take other food types as they grow, when they are tiny like that, they are probably about 6 months old, and maybe only recognize the original food they were grown on.
Just try introducing new items once in a while, frozen mysis and brine, they will catch on.

 

[Perthegallon]

What kind of flakes do you recommend? Will they eventually go after the other foods?

I do marine flakes and even when there bigger now they still don’t fully get the pellets I just find it’s a waste as most of it goes uneaten. They also love brine shrimp they go crazy for that

 

[droidus]

Isn't brine shrimp more of a treat?

 

[Perthegallon]

Isn't brine shrimp more of a treat?

If they are babies if they are raised and grown then they are healthy