Potters Angelfish won't eat

Fishninja · May 1, 2017

I believe that i am posting this in the right section; I have a potters angelfish that I got on Friday from my LFS. He said that it just came in on a shipment on Thursday so it wouldn't eat at the store but it was so healthy looking I couldn't resist. After having an ich outbreak in the past, I am currently quarantining it in a ten gallon tank. I put a piece of live rock in the tank for it to pick on because it wasn't eating. I just tried again to get it to eat and this time it looked at the brine shrimp but didn't go for any of it. I have tried nls pellets, and frozen brine and mysis shrimp with no luck. I have heard of people putting potters angels right into the display tank because they are grazers and will pick at the live rock, however considering the fact that it probably hasn't eaten in a week I am worried that my corals might look extra appetizing for him. Not to mention any diseases that he might have with him. I haven't began dosing any medications because I know it will stunt his appetite even more. Any suggestions on what I should do now or should I not be worried yet?

Humblefish · May 1, 2017

A new Potters can take a little bit to get eating. Have you tried live blackworms, or a littleneck clam or black mussel (seafood section of your local grocery store)? Also, try live brine shrimp or soak his food in a little garlic to stimulate appetite. Rubberbanding some nori to that rock might work too.

Fishninja · May 1, 2017

Humblefish said:
A new Potters can take a little bit to get eating. Have you tried live blackworms, or a littleneck clam or black mussel (seafood section of your local grocery store)? Also, try live brine shrimp or soak his food in a little garlic to stimulate appetite. Rubberbanding some nori to that rock might work too.

Thanks for the response. I haven't tried live black worms or the mussel/clam. I will definitely give those things a try. For the mussel or clam would I just put a cut up piece of the raw meat into the tank?

Humblefish · May 1, 2017

Fishninja said:
For the mussel or clam would I just put a cut up piece of the raw meat into the tank?

Freeze it for 24 hours to kill off any pathogens. Then thaw, crack it open and feed it whole (with the shell.) Dispose of any leftovers before lights out.

ngoodermuth · May 2, 2017

+1 to live black worms and clams. Also, fwiw the few angels I've had have preferred flakes over pellet foods.

Fishninja · May 3, 2017

Well I just tried the little neck clam and he hasn't showed any interest in it yet.

was I correct in just pulling the shells apart and putting it on the bottom of the tank?

melypr1985 · May 3, 2017

Fishninja said:
was I correct in just pulling the shells apart and putting it on the bottom of the tank?

Yes. Just don't leave it there overnight. You don't want it fouling the water.

4FordFamily · May 3, 2017

Humblefish said:
A new Potters can take a little bit to get eating. Have you tried live blackworms, or a littleneck clam or black mussel (seafood section of your local grocery store)? Also, try live brine shrimp or soak his food in a little garlic to stimulate appetite. Rubberbanding some nori to that rock might work too.

All of this is exactly right!

USMC 4 LIFE · May 3, 2017

Live food (pods) are what mine ate when I initially had him in QT. It took over 3 months before he started to eat anything else.

I put a piece of live rock with pods into the QT so he could graze on that. It added filtration to the QT as well. I started meds two days after I saw him eating pods. Afterwards I threw the rock away rather than curing it. There easy to take care of once they start eating though.

Fishninja · May 3, 2017

melypr1985 said:
Yes. Just don't leave it there overnight. You don't want it fouling the water.

Ok will do. When I take it out can I refreeze it and try to feed him with it again or tomorrow or is it best to use a new clam each time?

Fishninja · May 3, 2017

USMC 4 LIFE said:
Live food (pods) are what mine ate when I initially had him in QT. It took over 3 months before he started to eat anything else.

I put a piece of live rock with pods into the QT so he could graze on that. It added filtration to the QT as well. I started meds two days after I saw him eating pods. Afterwards I threw the rock away rather than curing it. There easy to take care of once they start eating though.

Did you just add the rock and let it pick off of it or did you also supplement with additional pods? I just saw mine poop a little bit so I am thinking that he is eating a little bit off of the live rock but I know that it couldn't be nearly enough to sustain himself.

USMC 4 LIFE · May 3, 2017

Fishninja said:
Did you just add the rock and let it pick off of it or did you also supplement with additional pods? I just saw mine poop a little bit so I am thinking that he is eating a little bit off of the live rock but I know that it couldn't be nearly enough to sustain himself.

I let him graze on the rock only. I saw him picking at it so I knew he was eating something. If he's pooping then that's a good sign that he's eating something.

Let him eat what he can without intervening so he can get comfortable. Then it's up to you on when to start meds and what meds to use. I kept mine in QT for two months. His poop was brown so I knew he didn't have intestinal parasites (it's white and stringy if he does), no white spots but treated with hypo salinity anyways (1.009), his breathing was great, did a fresh water dip twice to see if he had flukes (once when I got him and two weeks later). Then I spent the following week gradually raising the the salinity in the QT to match my DT.

Fishninja · May 3, 2017

USMC 4 LIFE said:
I let him graze on the rock only. I saw him picking at it so I knew he was eating something. If he's pooping then that's a good sign that he's eating something.

Let him eat what he can without intervening so he can get comfortable. Then it's up to you on when to start meds and what meds to use. I kept mine in QT for two months. His poop was brown so I knew he didn't have intestinal parasites (it's white and stringy if he does), no white spots but treated with hypo salinity anyways (1.009), his breathing was great, did a fresh water dip twice to see if he had flukes (once when I got him and two weeks later). Then I spent the following week gradually raising the the salinity in the QT to match my DT.

Ok thanks.

Humblefish · May 3, 2017

Fishninja said:
Ok will do. When I take it out can I refreeze it and try to feed him with it again or tomorrow or is it best to use a new clam each time?

Thaw a new clam each time. Discard the old ones.

Fishninja · May 3, 2017

Humblefish said:
Thaw a new clam each time. Discard the old ones.

Ok thanks! How long should I leave the new one in for?

Humblefish · May 3, 2017

Fishninja said:
Ok thanks! How long should I leave the new one in for?

Add in the morning, remove just before lights out that same day. Uneaten clams/mussels can foul the water quick.

Confuse · May 3, 2017

The potter's is one of my favorite centropyge, but I will admit that I have bought all the ones I've owned from Diver's Den with 99% success, already eating. I've come to the realization that I've wasted more money buying finicky fish from the local fish store, than paying a premium online from a conditioned specimen already eating.

Good luck with yours! Just be persistent and try different foods. You never know what will stimulate their palate!