Fuzzy question

[Huff747]

Over a month ago I picked up a fuzzy dwarf lionfish. He spent the first month in my 10gallon bare bottom QT tank with a couple of clowns and pounded the chopped up shrimp/mysis/etc from day 2 onward. Everything I offered he ate from a turkey baster. Friday since I had had the clowns in QT since August and had the fuzzy in QT for over 30 days without observing any issues I moved them to my display, a 40 gallon breeder, with sand and rock.

Since moving I would say he acts normal, he perches like he perched in my QT, just on the rock now, rather than pvc or the HOB filter tube he use to perch on the QT. But he hasn't eaten. Those three are the only residents of the display currently, corals and inverts are still in their QT. All the params I have checked (haven't looked at calcium/alk/mag since no corals were in either tank) are in line and match between QT and Display.

Ammonia - 0 (Red Sea)
Nitrite - 0 (Red Sea)
Nitrate - 5-10 the pinks are hard to discern (Red Sea)
PH 7.7-7.9 depending on time of day (Apex)
Salinity - 35ppm (refractometer and APex)
Temp 76-78 (Apex)

If I can find them I plan to try getting some ghost shrimp to try. One shop I talked to before I ever got him said they carried them. After I got him they said they didn't have any and blamed the storms in Florida so maybe they're back in stock.

But my main questions are:

How long can they go without eating? He was eating a lot in the QT tank and still look nice and plump.
Should I just leave him completely alone and not try and feed for a few days?
Anything else I should check?
Should I try and move him back to the QT and get him feeding again?

The clowns seem fine. The first day or so they seemed to be nervous but now when they see me they come up looking for food just like they did in QT.

The only real difference other than size and the sand/rock is the lights on the display are on a more normal schedule than the QT. While in QT I'd leave the lights off more to try and prevent algae and turn them on when I was in the room or before I planned on feeding. I can try keeping the lights in the display off more too if it's worth a shot.

Thanks for any input.

 

[lion king]

They can go quite a while without eating, like weeks. Did you happen to do any treatment for parasites while in qt, like prazi pro. Although he was eating food from the water column that proves not to be enough it the long run. You did say he was still plump so that's good. Since he has been eating dead food already I would take a clear rigid tube and skewer bits of the shrimp and other seafood and try and stick feed him. I feed my lions live so I have always found long term success with dwarf lions when they are at least given something live once a week or so, so ghosties are always welcome. He may take a bit to get use to brighter light, but hopefully you have provided him a cave or 2 and some overhangs. I wouldn't over concern myself unless it went over a week and he wouldn't take a live ghosties. Don't move him unless you see stringy poo or signs of something you may need to treat for, just let him settle in, I wouldn't add the other fish until he starts eating again. Don't count that he will get enough food from the water column, stick feeding him will be your best bet to make sure he's getting enough. In the wild they gorge then fast, so feeding every 2 to 3 days is best. Feed him until you see a nice bulge in his belly, but also watch not overfeed.

 

[Huff747]

Thanks. I didn’t use prazi on them in QT. And when i say turkey baster it was more like stick feeding than dumping it in to the water column. He’d come grab the chunks of shrimp from it directly held there by the suction that had been soaked in selcon. i have a video but can’t seem to upload it from my iPad currently.

There are caves and overhangs, he prefers a spot on the backside of the rocks on the one on the left, at other angles those holes are larger than they appear in this shot

Hers a picture of him hanging out more on the outside after the lights went out, kind of an odd angle but he was facing down so I was shooting upwards

 

[Huff747]

Got the video to upload. I would do this with the chopped up food and usually some mysis in there too

 

[Huff747]

And a slowmo one just because

 

[lion king]

Looking good, I think he'll be fine, just needs to settle in.

 

[eatbreakfast]

They can go quite a while without eating, like weeks. Did you happen to do any treatment for parasites while in qt, like prazi pro. Although he was eating food from the water column that proves not to be enough it the long run. You did say he was still plump so that's good. Since he has been eating dead food already I would take a clear rigid tube and skewer bits of the shrimp and other seafood and try and stick feed him. I feed my lions live so I have always found long term success with dwarf lions when they are at least given something live once a week or so, so ghosties are always welcome. He may take a bit to get use to brighter light, but hopefully you have provided him a cave or 2 and some overhangs. I wouldn't over concern myself unless it went over a week and he wouldn't take a live ghosties. Don't move him unless you see stringy poo or signs of something you may need to treat for, just let him settle in, I wouldn't add the other fish until he starts eating again. Don't count that he will get enough food from the water column, stick feeding him will be your best bet to make sure he's getting enough. In the wild they gorge then fast, so feeding every 2 to 3 days is best. Feed him until you see a nice bulge in his belly, but also watch not overfeed.

Agree 100%

 

[Huff747]

Thanks again for the input. Are small mollies worth a shot? I called the shop and now their stance is they don't get ghost shrimp in unless somebody orders them but they have some small mollies they said they offered a fuzzy they have.

 

[lion king]

Thanks again for the input. Are small mollies worth a shot? I called the shop and now their stance is they don't get ghost shrimp in unless somebody orders them but they have some small mollies they said they offered a fuzzy they have.

Yes, that's what I feed my predators; ghosties and mollies. Just make sure they aren't that large; I have a large lfs that specializes more in fresh than salt. and they get babies and small ones turned in all the time. You can even acclimate them and let him eat them at his leisure. My lions take them down as soon as they hit the water, but I acclimate a couple in my angler tank to let him hunt them down.

 

[Huff747]

Yes, that's what I feed my predators; ghosties and mollies. Just make sure they aren't that large; I have a large lfs that specializes more in fresh than salt. and they get babies and small ones turned in all the time. You can even acclimate them and let him eat them at his leisure. My lions take them down as soon as they hit the water, but I acclimate a couple in my angler tank to let him hunt them down.

Thanks again. I stopped by the shop on the way home from work today and picked up 6 pretty small mollies. Almost as soon as the first one hit the water he had him, and he's since taken down 2 more. The shop said they'd see if they could order me some ghosties as well, should know early next week. So then I picked up a small aquarium and a few things to serve as a little freshwater holding tank for mollies/ghosties when I get them.Will go a few rounds with live and then when he's back on schedule maybe I'll try some chopped food again. I'm fine feeding live but I wouldn't mind if he took some dead food as well for those times when the shop is out or I can't make it to the shop for a bit.