Tips/Tricks to get fish to eat in QT

[Chitown tom]

I need some help. I have a powder brown in qt since 3/29.

The powder brown came from a store known to have ich in the water. From day 1 I placed him in copper although he has no signs of ich.

I have failed to get him to eat. I have tried nori (with garlic drops) attached to a rock, pellet, and frozen Mysis shrimp.

He has not eaten for 3 days. On Saturday I did a 100% water change to get the copper out and tried frozen Mysis again with no luck.

Any tips or tricks to get him to eat before I start copper again?

 

[ngoodermuth]

Live clam? Live brine? Live worms? Nutrimar ova? Flake? Different sized pellet? Frozen spiralina brine? Sometimes it just takes finding the one thing they "like" and expanding from there. Although, I just lost a regal in QT that wouldn't eat anything I tried...and I tried everything.

 

[melypr1985]

Are you sure he's not eating? I find that even if a fish is refusing to eat while you watch, they often start picking at it once you walk away. Try moving as far from the tank as possible and watching to see if he starts to pick at the nori or mysis. Live foods are also and option. They almost always elicit a feeding response.

 

[Chitown tom]

Are you sure he's not eating? I find that even if a fish is refusing to eat while you watch, they often start picking at it once you walk away. Try moving as far from the tank as possible and watching to see if he starts to pick at the nori or mysis. Live foods are also and option. They almost always elicit a feeding response.

I have the tank wrapped in cardboard because I did not want to add stress to him while in qt. The nori defiantly does not looked touched.

Tangs usually produce some good sized excrement and the bottom of the tank is pretty spotless. I left the Mysis in the tank last night when I went to bed so I will check it when I get home from work.

Usually tangs are veracious eaters chasing the Mysis and he shows zero interest.

 

[tcampbell23]

When I first bought my powder blue it took him nearly a week to start eating. I tried everything from garlic soaked mysis, brine, and nori. What eventually did the trick was the red seaweed that comes in the LRS Variety pack. It's nutrient rich and extremely messy (meaning be conservative in the amount you use) but he loved it and it sparked his feeding interest. They are a harder fish to get eating but he will come around. Good luck!

 

[melypr1985]

Yes, red nori can be very tempting to tangs for sure.

 

[Chitown tom]

Looks like ill be making a trip to the LFS on my way home. Lots of good tips thank you!

 

[Chitown tom]

So I went to the LFS looking for the LRS variety pack and of course that's the one they don't have.

Picked up some Rods food for the clowns and made them happy lol!

While talking to the guy he suggested a series of 7 fw dips. He says he does that to all the powder brown/blue tangs that come in and that gets them to eat.

It seems pretty harsh to me especially since he does not show any symptoms. But it did get me thinking he might have something that I cant see so I started the first dose of prazi just in case.

 

[Humblefish]

While talking to the guy he suggested a series of 7 fw dips. He says he does that to all the powder brown/blue tangs that come in and that gets them to eat.

7 FW dips?!

 

[Chitown tom]

7 FW dips?!

That was exactly my reaction too!!!

 

[tyler1503]

I've never heard of anyone purposely stressing a fish out to get a feeding response. Maybe try garlic first [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

[Chitown tom]

Went to another LFS last night and picked up the LRS and it struck out too.

I even put some drops of garlic on it. The lightning maroons in with the tang loved it but he did not touch it.

I am going to hatch some baby brine shrimp tonight to see if he will eat that.

Could he have some sort of aliment that is causing him not to eat?

He has no signs of anything, no flashing, regular breathing, ect.

I dosed first dose of prazi on 4/3.

 

[ngoodermuth]

I had a Lamarck angel that wouldn't eat for a week, finally got it to take some random, cheap flake food that I had in a box of stuff that someone gave me. Within a week from that, it was eating everything. Keep trying different things, and hope something piques it's interest. Brine might be hit or miss for a tang (mine don't touch it, I think it's too small for them), can you get live worms or a couple live clams?

 

[Cflip]

Went to another LFS last night and picked up the LRS and it struck out too.

I even put some drops of garlic on it. The lightning maroons in with the tang loved it but he did not touch it.

I am going to hatch some baby brine shrimp tonight to see if he will eat that.

Could he have some sort of aliment that is causing him not to eat?

He has no signs of anything, no flashing, regular breathing, ect.

I dosed first dose of prazi on 4/3.

What is the name of your LFS?

 

[Lonely reefer's]

If the fish is fat and healthy one week without eating won't kill the fish.Some of my fish take them 2 weeks to starting eating
Sorry i don't think there's a tricks to making the fish to eat

 

[Chitown tom]

What is the name of your LFS?

I found a new one called 7 seas in Mt prospect right by my house. I have driven past that place probably a 1000 times and never knew that a cool shop was in this tiny parking lot lol.

 

[Chitown tom]

I hatched some baby brine shrimp and threw them into the qt.

The lightning maroons went crazy chasing them!

The powder brown just kept patrolling the tank.

Another strike out

 

[Chitown tom]

I have a temporary tank that has been holding my livestock since I took down the main display and startered rebuilding it last year.

The temporary tank does not have the best maintence schedule on it lol and one of the reasons for the rebuild was the takeover of hair algae.

I plucked off a good size clump and rubber banded it to a piece of rubble rock and threw it into the qt. I started getting ready for work and decided to peek into the tank before I went upstairs and to my amazement the powder brown was picking at the algae!!

Perhaps he only likes the live stuff or he finally got hungry!!

 

[Humblefish]

I have a temporary tank that has been holding my livestock since I took down the main display and startered rebuilding it last year.

The temporary tank does not have the best maintence schedule on it lol and one of the reasons for the rebuild was the takeover of hair algae.

I plucked off a good size clump and rubber banded it to a piece of rubble rock and threw it into the qt. I started getting ready for work and decided to peek into the tank before I went upstairs and to my amazement the powder brown was picking at the algae!!

Perhaps he only likes the live stuff or he finally got hungry!!

Good deal!

 

[Chitown tom]

Well the powder brown took frozen mysis yesterday and today he took pellets!

I think I am out of the woods!!!!