When to worry about new fish not eating

[cnason3]

Just added a pair on Juvenal Ocellaris clownfish to my 20g reef only other fish is a firefish. And he just hangs out in his hole unless it's feeding time . Water is perfect lots of coral and rock but it's day 2 and they don't seem to interested in food they just hang out in opposite corners up near the surface. my LFS gets them from sea and reef and I believe these showed up last Thursday

 

[Untamedrose]

What are you trying to feed them with?

 

[cnason3]

What are you trying to feed them with?

Oh ya guess that might help. Frozen mysis

 

[Untamedrose]

sea and reef are a captive breed source which is good..... and clowns arnt generally known to be picky eatters should be all over some mysis.

I'd be worried too... But IDK what could be causing it. @Humblefish He knows all.

Ok...what is your actual water numbers and how old is the tank.

 

[cnason3]

Tank is around two months old. Ammonia 0.001 pH 8.38-8.33 temp 75.6-76.3 nitrite and nitrate both test 0 on API kits p04 is 0 Ca came in at around 480 on last test Kh was around 11dkh have not tested mg yet and my ca and kh are first time testing salinity is at 1.026 I use an ato so it's fairly stable

 

[cnason3]

And ya it woories me a little. as my firefish has eaten from day one and looks great aside from being a little antisocial

 

[Lonely reefer's]

Mind take over a week before it started to eat

 

[cnason3]

Mind take over a week before it started to eat

That seems like a long time. But I guess there are some people that only feed once or twice a week

 

[Untamedrose]

Tank is around two months old. Ammonia 0.001 pH 8.38-8.33 temp 75.6-76.3 nitrite and nitrate both test 0 on API kits p04 is 0 Ca came in at around 480 on last test Kh was around 11dkh have not tested mg yet and my ca and kh are first time testing salinity is at 1.026 I use an ato so it's fairly stable

Have you cycled this tank? shouldnt be seeing any ammonia at all at two months.

and thats just firefish are just that way. my pair will disappear for days.

 

[cnason3]

Have you cycled this tank? shouldnt be seeing any ammonia at all at two months.

and thats just firefish are just that way. my pair will disappear for days.

Oh ya tank has been cycled for some reason the seneye always shows that reading all tests show 0 ppm I have live rock and sand bed some zoa's a few frogspawn emerald crab snails I have been adding little by little one my parameters went stable firefish was added two weeks ago clowns went in yesterday

 

[Humblefish]

I wouldn't be too worried yet. If they still aren't eating in another day or two, then it's time to do some investigating.

 

[cnason3]

I wouldn't be too worried yet. If they still aren't eating in another day or two, then it's time to do some investigating.

Thanks I will wait and see how it goes

 

[Woolleson]

I'd be worried once you are up at 10 days, some fish take time to settle in and eat. Ive found live food, brine shrimp/mysis, if you can get it. Most cant resist. Give them a week to settle in first

 

[njtiger aquariums]

most of my fish took at least two to three days before start eating. They also were very shy when I was around the tank so another tip is to 'feed' your tank and then walkaway after a couple of days they started getting used to me by the tank. now they go nuts when every I'm near the tank.

 

[eatbreakfast]

In a lightly stocked tank fish are more timid. I wouldn't worry yet.

 

[4FordFamily]

I personally worry when fish don't eat even a day - but after a week it's far more mission critical

 

[Lenny_S]

Email Sea and Reef and find out what they feed their Ocellaris. Then just use the same food. Over time you can start to blend with other foods if you want to switch to something different. But you have a better chance of them acclimating if you feed what they've been getting probably their whole lives to this point.

 

[ReeferReefer]

I wouldn't worry let, it can take a week or so for them to settle down. Try a different frozen food like LRS or Rods Food.

 

[cnason3]

They seem content and are starting to explore . I just dont remember clowns being finicky. been a few years since I have had a tank. they are tasting and spiting now. starting to wounder if they are eating my pod's as I have a very large population of them . on sea and reef's web site it states that they feed a variety of pellet and flake frozen brine and mysis so i will just wait they look very healthy so probably worried about nothing. I am going to see if I can find some rod's here local the mysis I have is just the hikari . got it free when I picked up my firefish

 

[ReeferReefer]

Rods has a good variety of ingredients making it more likely it will have something they like. Good luck