Feeling discouraged Help plez

[pfloyd1223]

Quick run thru of my tank... It is 55 gallon read the dummies guide and a lot of stuff online. ran tank with just water and filter, cascade 700, for 3 weeks. added 10 lbs of live rock and 35 base rock set them in for another 3 weeks. added a damsel and ten hermy crabs, no problems. bout 5 snails in there now too. I keep up regular weekly testing nothing has spiked my ph is at 8.0.. salt at 1.024... o yea and i have a sally light foot crab in there, he kicks but.

so, i have gotten the customary clown fish. Two of them. Supposedly mated, per lfs. they stick real close and it seems to b true. It has been 48 hours and they have survived seem healthy but will not eat. Ive tried with the powerhead off. still they stay in the corner. i have omega one marine flakes and freeze dried brine shrimp. The freeze dried stuff is pretty useless it floats on top and even my lively damsel wont go up there to eat. I guess im gonna go try and get a new food. just not sure what. pellets, frozen, something else??

 

[iDream]

Just give it a bit, 48 hours isn't a long time for them to not eat. They're probably just adjusting to being in your tank.

Now if we were talking a week without eating I'd be worried, but now they're just getting used to being in their new home.

 

[Smitty]

Also you don't want to add the frozen food directly into the tank. Put it into a cup of tank water and let it dissolve first.

 

[pfloyd1223]

Thanks for the replys. I feel a little better. After you disolve the food do you just pour it in? i think ive seen videos on youtube where they r using a baster.

 

[hackteck]

Yea a baster or a spoon

 

[ColBen112]

I just put it in a red plastic cup and now whenever i wear red or they see red they get all excited also if they are not eating what ur throwing in there try buying frozing carnviore cubes its it has bloodworms mysis shrimp and brine and when u pour it out of the cup it tends to stay towards the bottom

 

[Henry405]

When I use foods that float, I just push it down mid way and it starts to sink. Are the clowns even trying to eat? like eat it and spit it out? or are they just avoiding the food. I've had my clowns for a week and they eat and swim happily but tend to stay in the corner also

 

[pfloyd1223]

they ignore or get out of the foods way completly. im gonna go to the store this evening and hopefully find something they will eat. theyve been moving around tho. instead of camping out behind the rocks they are right in the middle of my tank now.

 

[joy13]

If you are using frozen food make sure you rinse it because it can cause the nitrates to go up. You might want to try some Rods food, this food I don't rinse before feeding. Chance are they are just adjusting to a tank. Another thing you might want to try is garlic guard for some reason garlic helps increase the appetite.

ROD'S FOOD -Providing your salt water aquarium with the finest food.

 

[Henry405]

All of my fishes love mysis shrimp so maybe try that and if you want to be extra sure, you can use the garlic on whatever you try like joy13 mentioned

 

[pfloyd1223]

so, i tried the mysis shrimp. completly ignored them. ive got pellets that im gonnna try in the morning. btw i did turn pumps off during feeding. they just stay in the middle bottom part of my tank. i really dont know whats the problem. i did a 10% water change last weds. i tested my water the morning before i purchased the fish. AHH EAT NEMO EAT!!

 

[Gti_Leo]

how long have you had it for?

 

[pfloyd1223]

since saturday afternoon.

 

[pfloyd1223]

ok back to not knowing what to do. ive tried flakes, freeze dried brine shrimp, frozen mysis shrimp thawed and basted into water, and now pellets. everything is ignored. my damsel is loving life with all the new foods tho. ugh

 

[jsmith]

There is another thread in sick with clowns not eating.. try live pods if u can. Best bet as i stated in the other have the lfs feed the fish u want. I've never seen a healthy fish not eat even after its just been fed.

 

[pfloyd1223]

one died, im sure the second is going to follow suit shortly. So frustrated. i dont mind the time money and effort i put into my tank. im proud of it. but dam this is pissing me off. idk, i guess im gonna take some water to the store have them check my readings are accurate. ive put so much dam food in the water at this point i should prolly do a water change. o well. i wish i was doing something wrong. atleast then id b able to try something different

 

[ColBen112]

have you tried frozen bloodworms also table shrimp and frozen or fresh water clams mine love the table shrimp they pull it to their cave and go to town on it thoese are all the diffrent types of food mine like they really hate flake food along with mysis shrimp

 

[pfloyd1223]

they are both dead now. really kinda agrivated about the whole thing. im gonna wait a few weeks maybe more before i try again. i really dont know what i coulda done much different. ive got plenty of life in there already. my sallylight foot crab is always on the move. my hermits a few have changed into new shells ive got in there. snails slide along on their merry way. idk.

 

[Henry405]

you could always ask the LFS to feed the fish so you can see if they'll actually eat before you buy them. Also, I think it was stress of moving that cause them to be like that. How did you transport and acclimate them?

 

[pfloyd1223]

i brought them home in the bag. its only a 15 min ride tops. i opened the bag and clipped it inside the tank so the temp could even out. i did the drip in a bucket for an hour. i timed 15 min intervals and took about a cup out each 15. after an hour i put them in. left the light off for most of the night.