New Bandit Angel Will Not Eat [Archive] - Reef Central Online Community

nuxx

12/06/2015, 09:49 AM

Hey Everyone,

Our new Bandit Angel went into quarantine Thursday night. He's just over 3 inches.

So far I haven't been able to get him to eat.

I've offered a mix I made of 3 types of Rod's food, 2 types of Larrys, mysis and brine.

Also offered 3 types of spectrum pellets and 3 types of formula flakes along with spirulina and some nori on a piece of pvc.

Nothing seems to make him eat. All had added selcon as well.

In this round of qt picky eaters like a Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse, tiny Potters Angel and CBB with damaged mouth are eating like pigs.

I'm going by a LFS to look for live foods today.

What live foods and prepared foods should I try? Should I look for sponges as well?

Thanks... guy's starting to worry me :(

elFloyd

12/06/2015, 10:05 AM

Sponges are their natural diet.

alton

12/06/2015, 10:49 AM

I have had angels go 3+ weeks before eating

Dmorty217

12/06/2015, 12:10 PM

twon8

12/06/2015, 12:25 PM

Try live blackworms

BlueMac92

12/06/2015, 12:39 PM

Live Littleneck clams from our local grocery store works almost everytime for me. Pry open, try to keep both halves connected, and drop them in.

That, and pellets worked on the two finicky bandits I took care of....

nuxx

12/06/2015, 07:22 PM

Couldn't find any live brine...

Ended up getting some ghost shrimp, sponges, mega marine angel frozen food and live mussels and clams.

Ghost shrimp were a total failure. No interest and they died right away.

The bandit showed interest in the sponges, might have picked at them, but I stayed a decent distance away and couldn't say for sure. He was in an eating posture, but still nothing concrete.

Seemed interested in both the mussel and clam, but nothing concrete there either.

One question, how long should I leave the mussel and clams in the tank if they aren't eaten?

How long can the hunger strike go on before I need to worry?

Giovanni

12/06/2015, 07:37 PM

A couple of my angels, love thawed raw shrimp. I put it on a bamboo stick and jam it in a crack to hold it in place.

Take the mussel and clam out after a couple hours so they do not start to die and foul the water.

Seems you are already worried. Keep trying and it will eat when it does or doesn't.

Breakthecycle2

12/06/2015, 07:44 PM

I can usually get difficult fish to eat by feeding them ROE or red seaweed. It seems to work every time.

ryanrid

12/06/2015, 08:04 PM

Dmorty217

12/06/2015, 08:24 PM

I would worry after a week or two or if you see the stomach start to pinch. I have faith it will start to eat. Try live black worms and dose with garlic that seems to help with feeding response but not much else

Giovanni

12/06/2015, 08:38 PM

Almost forgot. Docs Eco Eggs

nuxx

12/07/2015, 11:09 AM

Thanks guys :)

Ordered some Docs Eco Eggs as well.

Not sure what's up with this guy!

Dmorty217

12/07/2015, 12:14 PM

I have faith the bandit will start eating

nuxx

12/07/2015, 12:42 PM

I have faith the bandit will start eating

Thanks :)

Looks like the clam might have been moved from this morning... I'll examine it when I take it out to see if any bite marks lol

nuxx

12/07/2015, 12:57 PM

Also water temp is 76... should I lower it?

ThRoewer

12/07/2015, 02:23 PM

Live brine or other live food. Clams on the half shell, oysters, scallop finely chopped are all thinks to try. Is the Bandit by itself? If so you might want to add a fish that's eating to the tank and hope for the fish to get a feeding response

+1 on adding an eating fish. Worked for me most of the time, especially if they were the same species.

I also don't put sensitive fish in a standard QT but rather in an otherwise fishless tank with lots of live rock and macro algae. Some fish need to feel secure before they start eating and I've never seen a fish feeling very secure in a naked tank with just some PVC pipes.

nuxx

12/07/2015, 03:22 PM

+1 on adding an eating fish. Worked for me most of the time, especially if they were the same species.

I also don't put sensitive fish in a standard QT but rather in an otherwise fishless tank with lots of live rock and macro algae. Some fish need to feel secure before they start eating and I've never seen a fish feeling very secure in a naked tank with just some PVC pipes.

Little nervous to add a fish that's at a different position in it's QT procedure.

Have the following in QT:
Small Crescent Tail Fairy Wrasse, Large CBB, Small Potters Angel, Large Midas Blenny and a Large Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse.

Would it be good to pull out a decent sized chunk of Chaeto out of my sump and put it in the 40 gallon breeder? Will the Bandit nip at Chaeto, or maybe the pods in it?

Anything bad about having some Chaeto floating around the tank?

ThRoewer

12/07/2015, 04:05 PM

Chaeto is too hard for fish, snail or even urchins. It may also have something in it herbivores don't like - they all just leave it alone.

The best feeder algae are usually red macro algae. Hairy green algae are also good - I've even had clownfish graze on them.

You also may not need to add an eating fish directly into the tank, adding one to a neighboring tank may work too as long as the fish you want to train can see it.

nuxx

12/07/2015, 04:14 PM

Yeah was thinking he'd pick out pods :/

Just ordered 1/8 lb of live black worms. I'll see if that gets him excited.

Maybe if all of this doesn't work, I'll try to move the crescent tail wrasse over to the Bandit's tank. The Crescent Tail has a strong eating drive, but is reclusive.

Giovanni

12/07/2015, 05:34 PM

I agree that having a place like chaeto where they can "hunt" food is good. Give them something to do and is kind of like hive rock work to hunt in without the rock work.

ThRoewer

12/07/2015, 06:44 PM

For pods to pick I would also try tigger pods.

nuxx

12/07/2015, 07:04 PM

I agree that having a place like chaeto where they can "hunt" food is good. Give them something to do and is kind of like hive rock work to hunt in without the rock work.

I'll try that tomorrow. I go through chaeto like nothing.

nuxx

12/08/2015, 10:27 AM

Well went into the "fish room" today to give the Bandit a fresh mussel and noticed one of the sponges was torn up.

As I was getting ready to put the mussel in, I noticed the Bandit pick at the sponge.

I then put the mussel in and checked on the other QT tanks.

When I came back, the Bandit was picking at the mussel!

Something must have snapped last night or this morning and now he's at least eating live foods.

Next up is getting him to eat some prepared foods. I got some PE Mysis last night and will try that today after giving him a clam later.

At least I know I can fall back on live foods if he takes his time taking frozen/flake/pellets. Also have the blackworms coming soon.

Here's a video of him picking at the mussel:

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Higher resolution (sorry camera phone zoom in low light lol):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tqNv3-jBK0

Sorry for the ghetto "stand", my qt racks are full of other tanks and this was a last minute acquisition...

Thanks for everyone's help so far! :beer:

Giovanni

12/08/2015, 10:31 AM

Congrats on getting him to eat.

Dmorty217

12/08/2015, 10:33 AM

Congrats I'm sure you're feeling much better!

nuxx

12/08/2015, 10:37 AM

Congrats on getting him to eat.

Thanks!

Also when I walked by the room a while ago he was really picking at the mussel.

It's insane what I've done to get this fish eating...

Besides having a huge variety of foods: Rods (Predator, Reef, Fish Only, Coral, Eggs, Herbivore, Plankton), Larrys (Fish and Reef), frozen Brine, frozen Mysis, Nori, 3 Spectrum Pellets and 3 Formula Flakes...

We also ordered him live blackworms, live mussels and clams, fresh shrimp, doc's eco eggs, live ghost shrimp, live sponges, mega marine angel and PE mysis haha

My wife already thinks I get a bit crazy about this hobby, this isn't helping...

nuxx

12/08/2015, 10:38 AM

Congrats I'm sure you're feeling much better!

Haha... you have no idea! :lolspin:

brett559

12/08/2015, 11:39 AM

Nice. Where did you find him? I know those are tough to find sometimes.

nuxx

12/08/2015, 11:47 AM

Nice. Where did you find him? I know those are tough to find sometimes.

Jordan @ Among The Reef:

http://www.amongthereef.com/

nuxx

12/08/2015, 01:48 PM

Just ate some PE Mysis :D

Mussel looks pretty much cleaned out as well.

In other news... looks like the Hawaiian Cleaner is about to die.

Not really sure what happened, noticed he wasn't out today in the morning. Moved a few things around and he came out.

Then he was gone again, now can't stay upwards and breathing hard. He had eaten strong since day one. Maybe something from just being in a small QT tank with no other fish? More mental / stress? I'll just have to give up hope of keeping this species going forward :(

humaguy

12/08/2015, 04:20 PM

glad it worked out...it is common for them to take a few days to get comfy...enjoy!

nuxx

12/08/2015, 04:21 PM

glad it worked out...it is common for them to take a few days to get comfy...enjoy!

Thanks Ted! :)

Dkuhlmann

12/08/2015, 05:05 PM

Congrats on getting him eating. :thumbsup:

I'm sure you feel like a huge weight has been lifted, and you probably did a little "happy dance" :dance:

nuxx

12/08/2015, 05:20 PM

Congrats on getting him eating. :thumbsup:

I'm sure you feel like a huge weight has been lifted, and you probably did a little "happy dance" :dance:

LOL yeah :)

Even ate a few NLS pellets just now as well!

brett559

12/08/2015, 06:35 PM

Mysis and pellets? Sounds like you're home free.

Giovanni

12/08/2015, 07:55 PM

Now to treat him for ich etc...

nuxx

12/09/2015, 11:10 AM

Now to treat him for ich etc...

He's already on Paraguard. Will start Prazi in a few days, then cupramine after 3 treatments of Prazi.

He went nuts for a clam this morning :)

Giovanni

12/09/2015, 11:17 AM

He went nuts for a clam this morning :)
OK now it is just bragging!!

nuxx

12/09/2015, 11:19 AM

OK now it is just bragging!!

Still has a long road to the display...

Even then, my stupid tangs can be nightmares on new fish. Ask the beautiful CBB that was at in QT for 9 weeks and died 3 days after being terrorized by the tangs.

Definitely using an acclimation box going forward...

Giovanni

12/09/2015, 03:04 PM

I leave a gap in my rock work so I can slide a piece of clear lexan in and deiced off a third of my tank for a couple days. Works great as an acclimation box!

Achilles Torben

12/09/2015, 04:09 PM

Still has a long road to the display...

Even then, my stupid tangs can be nightmares on new fish. Ask the beautiful CBB that was at in QT for 9 weeks and died 3 days after being terrorized by the tangs.

Definitely using an acclimation box going forward...
When you have more tanks why you don't put the aggressive tangs in an other for a few days until the new introduced are fine. When aggressive fish come back to DT normally no more aggression against the new fish

kmbyrnes

12/10/2015, 06:07 AM

Congrats and Enjoy!

Dkuhlmann

12/10/2015, 06:30 AM

Where are the pictures?

nuxx

12/10/2015, 10:53 AM

Hoping this little guy could put on some weight...

Do you think I should feed more often?

Offering him a clam and/or mussel in the morning, then pull out at lunch time and feed a some mysis.

Noticed he has also eaten a lot of the nori.

nuxx

01/09/2016, 02:29 PM

Well he graduated and was released into the display after a short time in the acclimation box.

Using a mirror to distract the tangs from the new Copperbanded Butterfly, so thought it was a good time for him to come out of the box...

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cFloor

01/09/2016, 04:01 PM

What a beauty, Congratulations and good job nuxx!

nuxx

01/11/2016, 12:01 PM

What a beauty, Congratulations and good job nuxx!

Thanks!

He picks some stuff out during feeding, but not much.

He also picks at the rocks and back wall a lot.

Then will eat nori when I place it in the tank each day.

Is this level of feeding OK until he gets more aggressive at offered frozen/pellet/flake foods?

CoralsAddiction

01/11/2016, 12:44 PM

Holy shimmer. Are you running kessils?

nuxx

01/11/2016, 12:55 PM

Holy shimmer. Are you running kessils?

Yeah 6 A360WEs.

Still working on skinning the stand:

http://s3.postimg.org/nyqiad3mb/11222015_panels.jpg

nuxx

01/12/2016, 10:28 AM

Seems like the Bandit is learning to eat prepared foods from the other fish now.

Saw him eat up lots of random food dumped in the tank today without spitting it out :)

Hopefully this behavior keeps up!

monkiboy

01/15/2016, 12:43 AM

that is great to hear, good work and best sure to post up an update video of the eating frenzy when you get a chance. thanks for the share!

nuxx

01/15/2016, 02:33 PM

that is great to hear, good work and best sure to post up an update video of the eating frenzy when you get a chance. thanks for the share!

Here are some videos of the Bandit during feeding time:

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