Aggressive Coral banded shrimp

[Allisonzim28]

Hi all,

So I noticed he is aggressive at feeding time and tries to pinch at the other fish (especially my watchman I think because he can reach him best) then he chases him when he sees him out sometime.. He actually got him once but no damage done. Is this normal?
Also he stopped eating which is weird because he's a pig. I noticed it was after live brine shrimp (sad that makes him a carnivore but it wasn't for him) he started spitting the food out and now isn't interested. It's been a week.

12 gal
1.024 SG
75 degrees
(Let me know if you need more).

 

[mr_X]

Yep. it's not uncommon to see aggression out of them. I see mine fight the sally lightfoot crabs on a regular basis. One day the CB loses a claw, the following week the sally loses a claw....

 

[Allisonzim28]

Okay thank you! I can always rely on you to help me out how about the not eating? Do you think he was spoiled and now isn't interested in the usual pellets? I don't want him to die.

 

[mr_X]

I don't think he's going to go on a hunger strike for spite. The one I have takes very little while I'm watching. Sometimes none at all.

 

[Allisonzim28]

When I start feeding he used to come out to the front and it looked like he was begging. Now he's disinterested. I guess I'll have to keep a close eye on him

 

[Trueerfan]

Feed him a piece of raw shrimp or krill every couple days. Mine was very aggressive until I started feeding him directly.

 

[Allisonzim28]

He doesn't even seem aggressive anymore. He just hangs back and won't eat the regular food anymore

 

[Ricksreef]

When is the last time he molted?Maybe he's off his game getting ready to molt.

 

[Allisonzim28]

Touché. I just found his mold, can't be more than a day old. Lets hope that's all it was

 

[Allisonzim28]

Hmm... Been a few days since molting and he came out, picked up food and put it right back down like before...

And pointers?

 

[mr_X]

I never see mine eat, but he keeps getting bigger. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[Allisonzim28]

Alright. I guess since its a change in behavior I was worried but he looks okay. Thank you.

 

[Trueerfan]

What are you feeding him?

 

[Allisonzim28]

Omega one marine pellets. He ate them everyday as soon as I put them in until the one day he ate some brine shrimp. Then I noticed he's uninterested.

 

[Trueerfan]

Does he not eat either? Brine or pellets?

 

[Allisonzim28]

He actually used to eat the pellets everyday and go crazy during feeding and then one day I got live brine as a treat (his first experience as he was new) and then when I started feeding the pellets again he started spitting them out. This has me thinking he's being spoiled.

 

[marty20]

Have you been over feeding to compensate? Is possible he had been scavenging after you feed the tank when you're not looking. I notice mine picking at the rocks often but he does come out whenever I feed the tank too

 

[Allisonzim28]

I make sure I don't over feed but I leave one extra at the bottom for him or my watchman to eat. I just find it so weird how all the sudden he's not chasing the food down. Oh well.

 

[Allisonzim28]

He took one pellet today! He came to the front of the glass like he used to. Thanks everyone