Picky...slooooooow eating fish! Tips for feeding these fish?

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Can we talk about picky, slow eating fish today?

I have one and it takes forever to fatten him up and patience to keep him a good weight! I have this power blue tang who will grab up a bite of frozen fish food but then will chew on it for a while and then come back for more. Problem is that he misses out on more food because the other fish are gobbling it up as soon as it hits the water. So I have to use a turkey baster and slowly release food to him as he is ready.

Do any of you have slow eating and picky eating fish?

What are some tips for making sure these picky fish get enough food?


Image via ximanamix from FishLore.com

 

[FangsAndGames]

If I get a new arrival or just have a timid fish I tend to over feed until it settles in. I also have Nori clips which I put in before feedings to distract the bigger fish and more aggressive tangs.

 

[PicassoClown04]

I usually feed the tank and watch for fish that are struggling (looking at you geometric hawk) then I take those long aquarium tweezer things and feed directly or I suck food up in a syringe and slow release in front of his face. I’m getting some Madagascar Coral Crouchers in soon so I’m definitely going to seed to spot feed those guys because they won’t compete with the clowns.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I will also had feed nori to this powder blue tang.

 

[sam2110]

I turn off all flow, feed the tank with a few cubes of frozen food or flakes, let everything feed as it wants too. Then I get the good old turkey baister out and spot feed. The other fish tend to leave it alone as they have already had their fill.

I turn flow off to ensure no food gets missed.

 

[Gablami]

On a related note, does garlic really stimulate fish appetite? I’ve tried it before and I really can’t say whether it works or not.

 

[sam2110]

On a related note, does garlic really stimulate fish appetite? I’ve tried it before and I really can’t say whether it works or not.

My yellow tang goes mad whenever I put garlic enriched nori in, even my 6 line eats it.

 

[Octane13]

I had a problem getting my female anthias to eat at first. They were Very picky and only looked at food. I found that they were more likely to try something if i put it in front of the HOB filter. So I put a tiny power head in and fed into that. Seemed to create a more reactive response. Once they started eating the power head wasn't necessary. They eat pretty much anything now in my main display.

 

[BlennyTime]

I just alternate feeding a variety of foods, usually they find something they like and slowly get comfortable eating the other stuff over time.

 

[Gablami]

On a related note, does garlic really stimulate fish appetite? I’ve tried it before and I really can’t say whether it works or not.

Since I asked the question, decided to do some research. Found a good copy and paste post about the actual scientific data behind garlic. Bottom line, that researcher does not believe there is any data to support using garlic and believes it is potentially more harmful to fish than not.

Just Curious/Garlic

I have noticed that number of people mention mixing fish food with garlic for their fish. What is the benefit of this and how is it done?

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Patientman]

I've had success with picky eaters in quarantine by soaking foods in Selcon.

 

[andrewkw]

Unlike 10 years ago, these days there are so many high quality options for food in most cases you can find something that everyone will eat. Personally I've never had a healthy or even semi healthy fish refuse LRS, be it copperband butterfly, or other slow eaters.

Another reason to QT is not just disease it's so you start with a fat healthy fish who is already eating what you are feeding the tank regularly. If you are feeding X product and Y product is all he eats you can slowly mix in the foods while in isolation.

 

[ScottR]

I have a powder brown. It is aggressive but slow to eat. But it grazes all day and keeps his portion of the tank clean. If only he could discover the other side....

 

[Jman76]

Banggai Cardinal. Wouldn't eat for weeks, thought for sure was going to lose it. It finally responded to frozen Mysis one day, and that's the only thing it will eat now. I've tried lots of different foods, just spits it out lol

 

[Mical]

On a related note, does garlic really stimulate fish appetite? I’ve tried it before and I really can’t say whether it works or not.

It's not to stimulate their appetites, it's to help their immune systems against any bacteria that might affect them

 

[JoshH]

If only he could discover the other side....

Oh that other side is some other tangs problem, It's not in his agreement to clean the far side of the tank. Darn Unionized fish!!! ;Shifty

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do any of you have slow eating and picky eating fish?

THE ONLY ONE IVE HAD WAS A POWDER BLUE TANG WHO IGNORED FOOD FOR 3 days and i squirted a little Seachem ENTICE into the tank and two hours later the auto feeder dropped flakes and fish was all over it. I say coincidence but its eating


What are some tips for making sure these picky fish get enough food?

live or frozen brine shrimp always seems to be a good enticer as is flake food but go easy on flake as uneaten ones can jump up nitrates

 

[LordJoshaeus]

I do not currently have any picky eaters, but I have had my fair share of them in the past, all freshwater fishes. My pickiest eaters were my licorice gouramies, Parosphromenus 'sentang'; they only ate live food, and while I was keeping and breeding them they were fed baby brine shrimp, grindal worms, and microworms. Most of my other picky eaters eventually adapted to eating flakes and frozen foods.

Here's a tip on getting fishes to eat dead foods, one I learned from another hobbyist; once the fish are used to taking live food from you, start mixing the dead food in with the live food when you feed - the fish will frequently put two and two together and realize the dead products are also edible. I was able to convert a brood of banded bushfish (Microctenopoma fasciolatum...they are african anabantoids related to climbing perch and, more distantly, to bettas and gouramies) to fry powder from baby brine shrimp and infusoria. Sadly, I later lost all 100 something of the juveniles to an ammonia spike at the eight week mark...

 

[iramack]

My yellow tang goes mad whenever I put garlic enriched nori in, even my 6 line eats it.

My 4 line eats the regular non garlic stuff......goes mad for it!!! Never heard of or saw that behavior............before him!!

 

[bgraen]

My yellow watchman goby will not come out of hiding to eat, and I worry that I will lose him. Have tried to spot feed him but he ignores everything I give him.