Quarantine question

[hobbby3]

Hi Guys,

I have a 10 gallon quarantine with a HOB running a filter sponge, and a heater. I also put a 10 lb piece of live rock and one green chromis in the tank. My 90 gallon is new and cycleing, so I put my starter live rock in quarantine with the fish.

Quarantine parameters:
77-80 deg
Ammonia unknown (test strip doen't have it) buying one today.
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10ppm
alk 300
ph 8.4

Finally to my question. The fish hasn't eaten in the 6 days I've had him. I present the food but he ignores it. I bought the food from the LFS same food I saw the chormis eating before I purchased him. At what point should I become concerned? He swimms around from time to time but spends most of his time behind the HOB or in a crack in the live rock.

After 10 minutes or so I remove the food.

[sponger0]

What are you using to feed?

[Hal]

6 days is starting to get a little long for not eating. What are you feeding it?

Since it's been so long since it ate, I'd make sure you're trying the foods that are most likely to get it to eat. As a minimum, go with frozen mysis/brine. Personally I find PE mysis brand works pretty well, but some recently say Aquatic Treasures brand is just as good or better. If you can find live brine or blackworms I'd do that as my first choice.

Your QT is a little bare. I'd put construction paper on 3 sides and add a few plastic plants or other things that break up the sightlines within the tank and offer hiding places. PVC pipe or other artificial decor works well too.

Have you checked your salinity lately? I don't see it listed below.

What type of filtration and aeration do you have?

[hobbby3]

It's green and red pellets in an unmarked container. LFS said it was herbivore food the chromis liked and I saw them eating it with gusto!

Maybe he's just lonely?

[sponger0]

Try mysis. I do believe chromis are more of a carnivore.

[sponger0]

Oh yeah....dont trust your LFS. Come ask Reef Central instead

[Lorenz725]

I would not worry to much yet. I had a potters angel not eat for 3 weeks and then one day decided he was going to start eating. I agree with Hal I would put a PVC knuckle in there for the fish to be able to hide. Also like Hal said try many different kinds of foods not just one type. It is up to you in the end but I dont think you need the live rock in the QT tank if you have a bacteria seeded sponge. Also I never test for Nitrite, Nitrate, Alk, or PH in my QT I just do a 5 gallon a week water change on my 29 QT. I do check the Ammonia all the time to me that is the most impotent thing to know in a QT tank. Good luck!

[hobbby3]

Originally Posted by Hal

6 days is starting to get a little long for not eating. What are you feeding it?

Since it's been so long since it ate, I'd make sure you're trying the foods that are most likely to get it to eat. As a minimum, go with frozen mysis/brine. Personally I find PE mysis brand works pretty well, but some recently say Aquatic Treasures brand is just as good or better. If you can find live brine or blackworms I'd do that as my first choice.

Your QT is a little bare. I'd put construction paper on 3 sides and add a few plastic plants or other things that break up the sightlines within the tank and offer hiding places. PVC pipe or other artificial decor works well too.

Have you checked your salinity lately? I don't see it listed below.

What type of filtration and aeration do you have?

only filtration and ariation is the little HOB with a sponge and the live rock.
They sell frozen mysis I'll pick up some of that.
Salinity is 1.024
I also just this morning did a 20% water change

[sponger0]

Yes...make sure you check ammonia. Very important

[hobbby3]

Just got back my ammonia was indeed at 0 as I thought since my nitrate was climbing. The fish went crazy for the PE Mysis! Thank you for everyone that helped out! I feel much better now that I've seen him eat.