Some fish are just not that bright...

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 21, 2015

I'm sure folks have their own stories to add to this thread, but here's one of mine from today...

I have a Chelmon marginalis (a type of copperband butterfly) which does a great job of eliminating aiptasia.

But I feed him and the rest of the fish every day from a pipette, primarily for him as he doesn't open water feed very well. I spend 2-3 minutes slowly adding the mix (Rods Food) this way as the fish crowd around.

Occasionally he grabs a chunk that is too big for his narrow little mouth. But instead of spitting it out and going after some of the other chunks that are more his size, he keeps trying to swallow it, missing all the other food.

Eventually, he spits the chunk out and some other fish (often my foxface) grabs it.

So because he is so greedy for a big chunk, he ends up getting nothing to eat that day.

Tahoe61 · Sep 21, 2015

LOL, sounds frustrating but comical.

At least he/she CBF is not choking to death ( well not successfully). Is the fish eating the Aiptasia?

Guess you need a food processor.

So you end up changing the way you present the food, hmmm who is smarter.

jlanger · Sep 21, 2015

When it comes to feeding, I think many fish exhibit a lapse in common sense.

As I feed my fish, my Randall's Goby will be eagerly waiting for food to come towards the burrow. And sincet the pistol shrimp will want to eat also, it tries to exit the burrow and the goby will dart back into the burrow to protect the shrimp causing them both to miss out on the food.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 22, 2015

Tahoe61 said:
At least he/she CBF is not choking to death ( well not successfully). Is the fish eating the Aiptasia?

I've not seen any in the main tank for a couple of years. It also eats small pods and such, but likely has those mottly depleted despite the fact that I bring more up from the refugium periodically.

250mixreef · Sep 23, 2015

I have a blond naso from day one won't eat any frozen foods Lrs/mysis /brine it actually gets angry when I put in and swims back and forth frantically .till this day it will only eat pellets and nori

Daniel@R2R · Sep 23, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I'm sure folks have their own stories to add to this thread, but here's one of mine from today...

I have a Chelmon marginalis (a type of copperband butterfly) which does a great job of eliminating aiptasia.

But I feed him and the rest of the fish every day from a pipette, primarily for him as he doesn't open water feed very well. I spend 2-3 minutes slowly adding the mix (Rods Food) this way as the fish crowd around.

Occasionally he grabs a chunk that is too big for his narrow little mouth. But instead of spitting it out and going after some of the other chunks that are more his size, he keeps trying to swallow it, missing all the other food.

Eventually, he spits the chunk out and some other fish (often my foxface) grabs it.

So because he is so greedy for a big chunk, he ends up getting nothing to eat that day.