I use ocean nutrition food(frozen), and I use angel formula at lease once a week. Mine also loves pellets. I usually keep some sort of dry seaweed on a veggie clip. I have a trigger(3-4")a snowflake(30")and 4 small damsels in with him. Good luck, do you have a grounding probe? When I got mine he had some HLLE, I have been told that it could have been the diet(they need sponge) and it could be electric current, they are really cheap so I bought one just in case. Mine will eat almost anything that I feed the tank.