How to get a fish to eat properly...

Kryofrozen

Kryofrozen

My fish have names!
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Hi Guys,

And here I thought getting my son to eat properly was a mission! I have a lipstick tang that does not eat anything but granules, he point blank refuses to eat and fresh foods or frozen foods. He occassional nibbles on a bit of nori but that's about it! He is a very active friendly fish and swims around merrily all day long...

I've had him for almost a year now and I'm worried that he is not getting all the nutrition he should be getting from the granules as he seems to be developing a small round bump near his anal area. I'll try and get a photo of it tonight and post tomorrow. I'd hate to loose him because of his own stubborness and I think it's time I try and force him to eat properly!

My question to you all is what can I do to MAKE him eat something else? I've tried starving the tank for a day or two but then my fish look so miserable as I usually feed them at least 3 times a day!

Any ideas suggestions??

Thanks in advance!

Cher
 
their main diet is seaweed so i assume that the nori is providing nutrition for him as well as the granules .... i normally mix my food with garlick paste to entice fish to eat and it works
 
Mix flakes with fresh (not the oil soaked pieces of onion with garlic oleoresins) crushed garlic, then add it to frozen food. Also try Tetra Bits

My Naso no eats anything, frozen, nori, flakes, Tetra bit (discus food) as well as yellow tang poop
 
Thanks guys, my frozen food is home made and consists of selco, garlic, nori and a host of other stuff that my other tangs and fish go MAD for... This bugga just won't take it... I'll try increasing the amount of garlic in my DIY food and soaking the nori in garlic and see if that helps.

I'll post a photo of his tummy tomorrow maybe he has worms or something???? How do treat worms in a marine environment???
 
What granules is he eating? Most commercial foods have all a fishes vital ingredients so maybe dont worry especially if he`s been with you for a year or more.
Mine has the opposite preferance, nori only,but slowly trying kelp flakes from Omega One.
 
Just to add, a small pinch(best way to describe it) between the eyes and top fin in a fish indicates malnutrition so rather check for that. An indentation is probably the correct term.
 
Midasblenny

He's eating the Tetra Marine Granules and another brand mixed together (I'll check the name of the other brand of granules)

He does not have a pinched forehead and his bones aren't showing he just has this little ball down there... As I said a pic will really explain what I mean!

Thanks for the input so far, gonna try everything...
 
Do you have a refuge with caulerpa in? They enjoy a few strands of the fern looking one and rasemosa, the grape caulerpa. Maybe pop in an algae covered rock for it to peck on as well.
 
You're gonna have to give him an enema and then bring him around to my place for lessons once a week. :lol: Mine eats just about anything.

What about just stopping feeding the granules for 3 or 4 days. Feed everything else. Man I would eat broccoli if I really was hungry.
 
try feeding him some bananas.DR told me about that and i was suprised how wild the tangs/surgeons go for it
 
I know Sea Chem make a product called Entice and it has a banana odor. What i would do is soak the pellets in this stuff and feed it for about a week and then stop the pellets. Then soak the nori in the same stuff so it at least smells the same and he should eat the nori after a few days.
 
Yea I got some of that entice did not do much for my poor copper band.....but maybe worth a try...
 
SIMS said:
Hi Kryo where did you get Selco from?
Click to expand...

I have friends in high places! :razz:

I got it from the Marine Research Lab in CT, I have a few friends there who gave me some...
 
Photos....

Ok guys, I took some photos of my boy last night. Luckily he wasn't feeling camera shy and posed for me nicely!

Photo 1
RevlonsTummy5_Edited.jpg


Photo 2

RevlonsTummy4_Edited.jpg


Photo 3

RevlonsTummy3_Edited.jpg


Photo 4

RevlonsTummy1_Edited.jpg



Am I stressing for nothing?????

Cher
 
Here is a full photo of him so you guys can see he is not skinny it just that lump I'm worried about...

Revlon.jpg
 
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