Fish have stopped eating the food I feed them.

[Fish are friends not food]

Hi I need some help. I used to feed my fish Hikari Brine shrimp. They've been eating very well for over 3 weeks. My tank is new, and just completed it's 6th week overall. In total I've lost 4 fish 3 clowns and 1 chromis. All the remainder fish have eaten very well. Now they're hungry but when I feed them they keep spitting the food out. Although my cubes of shrimp are still frozen could they have gone bad? I just bought them, and not even close to the expiry date. Any thoughts?
Fish: 1x black clown, 1x blue/black wrasse, 4x Chromis. I have a bi color blenny, and a fire fish are both eating well.

 

[steve&mari]

You need to slow down. Adding fish way too fast. What are water parameters need that to help more information about the system the better for people to answer. You've lost too many fish and have a bunch yet in a brand new setup is telling you to slow down and test n retest. As you add fish bioload increased and bacteria needs time to adjust to the new load as it increases. Do some testing and post parameters.

 

[TomatoSauceTy]

Also, don't add another clown since you already have one in there that is established.

Brine shrimp has no nutrition, so feed your fish a high quality frozen food or pellet.

 

[4FordFamily]

You need to slow down. Adding fish way too fast. What are water parameters need that to help more information about the system the better for people to answer. You've lost too many fish and have a bunch yet in a brand new setup is telling you to slow down and test n retest. As you add fish bioload increased and bacteria needs time to adjust to the new load as it increases. Do some testing and post parameters.

This

 

[D maul]

Good advice to slow down, to many fish died as for food try another brand. You might want to thaw the cube first in a cup of tank water and then put it in the tank.

 

[Fish are friends not food]

Yes I've learned that I added too many fish... My ammonia is zero, No3 zero, salinity is in the correct range. Temp 81 degrees. 50 Gallon tank. I usually thaw the cube in my feeder thing and as the shrimp fall out the fish and shrimp all swim up waiting to eat. They've all eaten very well up until yesterday. Which is why I'm so confused... All but 2 of my 7 fish fish stopped eating at the same time... I was going to try garlic or blood worms... But no one has any ideas as to why they stopped? Do they get tired of brine shrimp? What are some recommendations for other types of food? Thanks all!

 

[D maul]

Yes I've learned that I added too many fish... My ammonia is zero, No3 zero, salinity is in the correct range. Temp 81 degrees. 50 Gallon tank. I usually thaw the cube in my feeder thing and as the shrimp fall out the fish and shrimp all swim up waiting to eat. They've all eaten very well up until yesterday. Which is why I'm so confused... All but 2 of my 7 fish fish stopped eating at the same time... I was going to try garlic or blood worms... But no one has any ideas as to why they stopped? Do they get tired of brine shrimp? What are some recommendations for other types of food? Thanks all!

Don't know why the stop but mix up the food a bit. LRS is great my fish love it and rods is good.

 

[steve&mari]

Agreed lrs is a great food pe mysis is good live bloodworms

 

[Fish are friends not food]

Well sadly my 2 clowns have since died... Now I worry about my Wrasse, as he seems to be turning white colored on the front half, and his tail half is still blue and black lined. He wants to eat but keeps spitting food out. I've tried blood worms, he ate a few but stopped, it was like he was being picky. My 4 Chromis ate the worms. My Blenny and Fire fish continue to do well

My Tank: 50 Gallons + 40 lbs live rock. Tested water 2 nights ago. Ammonia 0 No2 0 No3 0.25 PH in line 8.0 Temp 81 degrees. Salinity within the range of the meter.
Livestock: Inverts: 1 Abalone, 1 Sand sifter Star, 3 small hermits, 2 Cleaner shrimp, 1 banded reef shrimp, 2 feather dusters (1 of them looks weird and less fluffy lately...), 1 fire scallop ---- Fish: 4x chromis, 1 blue blk wrasse, 1 bi color blenney, 1 fire fish.

Can anyone please suggest some good brands or types of food? I currently feed Mysis shrimp (today) Brine shrimp, and pellet food. I hav a bottle of Garlic liquid. At the moment.

Thank you!!!

 

[TomatoSauceTy]

STOP FEEDING BRINE!!!!!!!!!!!! BRINE IS NOT FOOD! I TOLD YOU ON SUNDAY TO NOT FEED BRINE AND TODAY YOU SAY YOU FEED BRINE!!!

Seriously I don't like having to repeat myself. Even chromis will eat the cheapest flakes...

Blue and black wrasse...you mean a cleaner wrasse?

I'm sorry if I'm coming off as a dick, but you should have found the forum BEFORE starting a saltwater tank. If it's a cleaner wrasse it will soon die tool the fish you have aren't large enough to be cleaned by another fish..... Flame scallops never survive home aquariums.

The fish that would survive aren't even picky eaters and would eat any flake put in the tank...

The cubed shrimp could be too big for the chromis to eat...

 

[Tahoe61]

STOP FEEDING BRINE!!!!!!!!!!!! BRINE IS NOT FOOD! I TOLD YOU ON SUNDAY TO NOT FEED BRINE AND TODAY YOU SAY YOU FEED BRINE!!!

Seriously I don't like having to repeat myself. Even chromis will eat the cheapest flakes...

Blue and black wrasse...you mean a cleaner wrasse?

I'm sorry if I'm coming off as a dick, but you should have found the forum BEFORE starting a saltwater tank. If it's a cleaner wrasse it will soon die tool the fish you have aren't large enough to be cleaned by another fish..... Flame scallops never survive home aquariums.

The fish that would survive aren't even picky eaters and would eat any flake put in the tank...

The cubed shrimp could be too big for the chromis to eat...

Your advice is sound but you can lead a horse to water..... Reviewing previously post instructions goes with the territory, for some it's frustrating for others it does not seem to be as trouble some. I avoid topics that cause a rise in my B/P like Marine Ich....


To the original poster.

There are foods out there today that you can feed to a Cleaner Wrasse and have long term success. There are also supplements and feeding regimes that make keeping scallops a reality. Yes both the fish and the invert require commitment to nutritional changes, but it's not dooms day.

Mysis and cyclops are excellent foods. A better food is one of the frozen mixes such as rods. I will look for the specifics regarding the cleaner wrasse, but they can and will thrive when provided with the right diet, things have changed.

You want a food that includes some marine algae for those fish that are omnivores.

It's a huge learning curve, avoid spontaneous buys, chances are it will not end favorably for you or the livestock. Read and research before purchase, you'll save money and have a more satisfying experience and healthy live stock.

Good luck and keep asking questions, stock slowly, it's a hobby not a race.

 

[TomatoSauceTy]

Your advice is sound but you can not lead a horse to water. Reviewing previously post instructions goes with the territory, for some it's frustrating for others it does not seem to be as trouble some. I avoid topics that cause a rise in my B/P like Marine Ich....


To the original poster.

There are foods out there today that you can feed to a Cleaner Wrasse and have long term success. There are also supplements and feeding regimes that make keeping scallops a reality. Yes both the fish and the invert require commitment to nutritional changes, but it's not dooms day.

Mysis and cyclops are excellent foods. A better food is one of the frozen mixes such as rods. I will look for the specifics regarding the cleaner wrasse, but they can and will thrive when provided with the right diet, things have changed.

You want a food that includes some marine algae for those fish that are omnivores.

It's a huge learning curve, avoid spontaneous buys, chances are it will not end favorably for you or the livestock. Read and research before purchase, you'll save money and have a more satisfying experience and healthy live stock.

Good luck and keep asking questions, stock slowly, it's a hobby not a race.

Thanks tahoe, as I'm sure you have seen one of my previous posts...I think the favia one...I'm quick to jump. Jumping is a bad habit and it's just so frustrating when you think about how these things are ALIVE.

 

[Fish are friends not food]

STOP FEEDING BRINE!!!!!!!!!!!! BRINE IS NOT FOOD! I TOLD YOU ON SUNDAY TO NOT FEED BRINE AND TODAY YOU SAY YOU FEED BRINE!!!

Seriously I don't like having to repeat myself. Even chromis will eat the cheapest flakes...

Blue and black wrasse...you mean a cleaner wrasse?

I'm sorry if I'm coming off as a dick, but you should have found the forum BEFORE starting a saltwater tank. If it's a cleaner wrasse it will soon die tool the fish you have aren't large enough to be cleaned by another fish..... Flame scallops never survive home aquariums.

The fish that would survive aren't even picky eaters and would eat any flake put in the tank...

The cubed shrimp could be too big for the chromis to eat...

My comment was "meant" to express was I used to feed brine, then tried blood worms and dry pellets and (today) I've changed to Mysis. So it's OK you can relax Last thing I want is to kill my fish, which is why I'm seeking advice from experienced folks like yourself. Full of passion and advice!

 

[Fish are friends not food]

Your advice is sound but you can lead a horse to water..... Reviewing previously post instructions goes with the territory, for some it's frustrating for others it does not seem to be as trouble some. I avoid topics that cause a rise in my B/P like Marine Ich....


To the original poster.

There are foods out there today that you can feed to a Cleaner Wrasse and have long term success. There are also supplements and feeding regimes that make keeping scallops a reality. Yes both the fish and the invert require commitment to nutritional changes, but it's not dooms day.

Mysis and cyclops are excellent foods. A better food is one of the frozen mixes such as rods. I will look for the specifics regarding the cleaner wrasse, but they can and will thrive when provided with the right diet, things have changed.

You want a food that includes some marine algae for those fish that are omnivores.

It's a huge learning curve, avoid spontaneous buys, chances are it will not end favorably for you or the livestock. Read and research before purchase, you'll save money and have a more satisfying experience and healthy live stock.

Good luck and keep asking questions, stock slowly, it's a hobby not a race.

Thank you for the support! There are just so many food options out there... Can't always trust what the store guys tell you... That's what caused this mess I'm in... Told me ok to get more fish, told me to feed brine shrimp... I feel I can trust the advice here cause there is no gain other than knowing you've helped a newb like me, and of course saving fish and other aquatic life from newbs like me Thanks again!

 

[Fish are friends not food]

So are the fish dying because they're not eating? OR Are they not eating because they're dying? Water is near quality standard that my test kits say.

 

[Mike in CT]

I don't think food is your problem. You either have a major parameter off ( like ammonia) or you have a disease in your tank. Can you have your water tested my a trusted LFS so you have a 2nd opinion? If your parameters are really ok, then you might have a disease outbreak with all the new fish you have added.
Clowns are usually not picky eaters, so I don't think it's the food.

 

[robert]

Your tank is new - your fish have been ok for 3 weeks and then stopped eating and are dying...water params look ok...but I'm guessing they're not...

Get some seachem prime or amquel and dose your tank hard...(prime is probably better)

I don't know whats off...but the prime can't hurt and could help....

 

[chefjpaul]

Couldn't hurt to add some nitrifying bacteria to convert the ammonia over

 

[cmcoker]

Well sadly my 2 clowns have since died... Now I worry about my Wrasse, as he seems to be turning white colored on the front half, and his tail half is still blue and black lined. He wants to eat but keeps spitting food out. I've tried blood worms, he ate a few but stopped, it was like he was being picky. My 4 Chromis ate the worms. My Blenny and Fire fish continue to do well

My Tank: 50 Gallons + 40 lbs live rock. Tested water 2 nights ago. Ammonia 0 No2 0 No3 0.25 PH in line 8.0 Temp 81 degrees. Salinity within the range of the meter.
Livestock: Inverts: 1 Abalone, 1 Sand sifter Star, 3 small hermits, 2 Cleaner shrimp, 1 banded reef shrimp, 2 feather dusters (1 of them looks weird and less fluffy lately...), 1 fire scallop ---- Fish: 4x chromis, 1 blue blk wrasse, 1 bi color blenney, 1 fire fish.

Can anyone please suggest some good brands or types of food? I currently feed Mysis shrimp (today) Brine shrimp, and pellet food. I hav a bottle of Garlic liquid. At the moment.

Thank you!!!

Is the wrasse turning white like something is covering him, like a film?
A picture would be helpful.

 

[Tahoe61]

When one stocks such a young tank so quickly new tank syndrome sets in. Your tank is not yet established enough, has a large enough bacterial filter to complete the nitrogen cycle effectively. You may not catch the elevated ammonia levels or nitrite levels on test results. Fish and inverts become stressed, diseases that they would normally be able to fight off take hold. Fish may indeed stop eating.

The best thing you can do is completely avoid and resist any further purchases of a couple months, preform routine water changes, consider adding some Brightwell Microbacter 7 as per directions.

If you begin to see the fish develop white spots that look like grains of salt, or the surface of their tissue takes on a white appearance with perhaps noticeable mucous then please start another thread in the disease section of this forum.