Help: New fish not eating?

[BrianJR]

Is it normal for new fish not to eat? Even after 4 days in the tank?

Here's the long story. I bought my first fish last week...two cardinal tetras. They seem relatively happy, swimming around and playing. However, they always stay near the bottom of the tank and are very shy. Whenever I approach the tank, they hide. I've been feeding them a few small flakes twice a day, but they never eat them. The flakes float on the top of the tank for a minute before they get pushed underwater by the filter waterfall, and eventually settle on the bottom. I don't think they eat the settled food, but it's hard to tell since I'm not home most of the day.

Should I be concerned? Is there anything I can do to help them eat?

 

[Zagz]

For starters how long has your tank been set up? What are you water parameters? I would guess that the tank is not cycled and they are suffering from ammonia poisioning. I would do a pwc and if you don't have a test kit, I'd recommend getting one as soon as possible.

 

[BrianJR]

The tank had been cycling for two weeks before I got the fish. My current parameters are:

pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 2
Nitrate: 5

I've been doing a 20% PWC everyday since I got the fish. I realize I probably added fish before the cycle was complete, but with the ammonia levels at zero I thought I was close enough, and I didn't want my ammonia bacteria to die.

The fish seem to be relatively healthy and active, so they must be getting energy from somewhere! I just wish they would eat the food when I give it to them.

 

[Zagz]

The nitrite is likely causing them trouble, do a water change and don't feed them very much and keep an eye on them. Over feeding will cause problems with your cycle, possibly an ammonia spike. Keep up with what you are doing.

 

[BrianJR]

Thanks for the help Anne! I fed them today and watched very carefully for 20min afterwards. I was so happy when I saw them eating! The fish will eat the flakes only when they are floating in the water column. The problem is they only float for a short time before they settle to the bottom. Is this typical for tetras/fish in general? If this is normal, is there any way to keep the food suspended in the water? I was expecting the fish to swim to the surface and have a mass feasting there.

 

[odobenus]

Try turning off your filter when you feed your fish. The flakes will float on the surface a bit longer that way.

 

[Zagz]

Once your tank is cycled and the fish are not stressed by water conditions, they will swim to the food. As suggested by odobenus, turning off the filter will go a long way in helping keep the food up there. My neon tetras are shy when going for food but my serpaes and zebra tetras are pigs!

 

[TXFish]

If it helps at all, my Lemon Tetras did the same thing about the first week or so that I had them--they'd only catch the flakes that made it to mid level. With the other fish going to the surface, needless to say they were missing out on most of the food. They finally figured out that they'd get more to eat if they went to the surface---now they're very aggressive about getting their share at feeding time--at the surface. When all the flakes at the surface are gone, they dive down to the middle looking for any stray flakes they can find that might've floated down.

 

[BrianJR]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I just gave them their evening treat, and they actually swam to the surface! It's about time!