Tusk feeding?

redlazer · 09/15/2017, 05:48 PM

I just got my Tusk in yesterday, and he is swimming around all over the place on his side and upright. How long does it normally take for these fish to start eating?

tkiry1 · 09/15/2017, 07:05 PM

A few days.. Maybe stick a piece of pvc in so he can hide in the there

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Sweeper13 · 09/16/2017, 07:18 AM

Hi..I just got one also the other day. Hes in qt right now. I have 2 pieces of pvc so he can hide , which he does, but behind the pipes. Anyway, I tossed a few small pieces of shrimp in the tank and took him about 15 secs to eat them both. If he didn't eat give him a day and try again. Hes just getting used to things. GL

Kremis · 09/17/2017, 06:59 PM

krill

redlazer · 09/22/2017, 06:24 PM

Well before today I hadn’t seen him eat anything, but he grabbed a pice of squid and ate it all. I guess it just took some time for him to become comfortable. Maybe this indo tusk will live. He still is hiding most the time but seeing him eat has me feeling good about him. Also today was the first time I seen the blue throat trigger eat. Now if both will stop hiding I will feel even better.

Kremis · 09/23/2017, 09:37 AM

yeah, mine hid a lot and didnt eat very well for the first few weeks that i had him. mine is an indo too

slay · 09/23/2017, 06:16 PM

I have an Australian tusk in my predator tank, but I asked to see if it fed in the shop before I spent my $200 on it. So mine ate immediately, but from seeing my friend's experience, if they aren't eating in 2-3 days of acclimation you may have a problem IMO - not an insurmountable problem, I've kept virtually anything that doesn't absolutely break the bank or a 480g tank in my salt career, and *most* difficult species I've found at least possible, if high in demands. Harlequin Tusks are IMO are pretty hearty eaters and should be eating once the initial "I'M IN A NEW TANK OMG" freakout subsides.

Mine loves, loves, loves live food first, (I'm fortunate enough, and I recognize more than most, to be able to afford 'ornamental' shrimp as food), I live in a large city that has live 30-40 per lb shrimp for sale as human food as well, but he'll take frozen shrimp and mixed seafood (cephalopods, mussels, shrimp etc.) as his second preference, with frozen prepared foods a distant third. He's about 8-9" now and finds frozen mysis and the like still "suspect", but readily eats frozen food in the absence of anything better - I suspect he likes to bite into bigger morsels now just as a personal preference.

I have an 18" or so Volitans lionfish (with a couple other large fish that aren't interested in eating the eyes off my sharks) in the same tank that I feed the same diet, and they all love my fresh offerings, or second my 20-30 per lb fresh gulf or Argentinian fresh shrimp, fresh squid (in pieces), or fresh scallop (the smaller kind, bay scallop) or small chunks of halibut. Frankly, I wish my diet was as nice lol.

scooter31707 · 10/06/2017, 11:39 AM

Fresh clams from the supermarket.

Lfunnyfarm · 11/13/2017, 07:46 PM

My Harlequin tuskfish ate pellets from the start - NLS. And, of course, any meaty fresh seafood. Good appetite!

09/15/2017, 05:48 PM	#1
redlazer Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 87	Tusk feeding? I just got my Tusk in yesterday, and he is swimming around all over the place on his side and upright. How long does it normally take for these fish to start eating?

09/23/2017, 06:16 PM	#7
slay Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 118	I have an Australian tusk in my predator tank, but I asked to see if it fed in the shop before I spent my $200 on it. So mine ate immediately, but from seeing my friend's experience, if they aren't eating in 2-3 days of acclimation you may have a problem IMO - not an insurmountable problem, I've kept virtually anything that doesn't absolutely break the bank or a 480g tank in my salt career, and most difficult species I've found at least possible, if high in demands. Harlequin Tusks are IMO are pretty hearty eaters and should be eating once the initial "I'M IN A NEW TANK OMG" freakout subsides. Mine loves, loves, loves live food first, (I'm fortunate enough, and I recognize more than most, to be able to afford 'ornamental' shrimp as food), I live in a large city that has live 30-40 per lb shrimp for sale as human food as well, but he'll take frozen shrimp and mixed seafood (cephalopods, mussels, shrimp etc.) as his second preference, with frozen prepared foods a distant third. He's about 8-9" now and finds frozen mysis and the like still "suspect", but readily eats frozen food in the absence of anything better - I suspect he likes to bite into bigger morsels now just as a personal preference. I have an 18" or so Volitans lionfish (with a couple other large fish that aren't interested in eating the eyes off my sharks) in the same tank that I feed the same diet, and they all love my fresh offerings, or second my 20-30 per lb fresh gulf or Argentinian fresh shrimp, fresh squid (in pieces), or fresh scallop (the smaller kind, bay scallop) or small chunks of halibut. Frankly, I wish my diet was as nice lol. __________________ 180 mixed soft/lps/sps reef, 75 sump. Radeon XR30w G3 Pros,MP40qdx2, Vectra return, Reeflink, SRO-3000 skimmer, UV/calcium reactor/carbon/gfo. 480 predator, two cat sharks. 18" lionfish & friends.

09/15/2017, 07:05 PM	#2
tkiry1 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 134	A few days.. Maybe stick a piece of pvc in so he can hide in the there Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

09/16/2017, 07:18 AM	#3
Sweeper13 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Northlake Posts: 189	Hi..I just got one also the other day. Hes in qt right now. I have 2 pieces of pvc so he can hide , which he does, but behind the pipes. Anyway, I tossed a few small pieces of shrimp in the tank and took him about 15 secs to eat them both. If he didn't eat give him a day and try again. Hes just getting used to things. GL

09/17/2017, 06:59 PM	#4
Kremis Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 799	krill

09/22/2017, 06:24 PM	#5
redlazer Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 87	Well before today I hadn’t seen him eat anything, but he grabbed a pice of squid and ate it all. I guess it just took some time for him to become comfortable. Maybe this indo tusk will live. He still is hiding most the time but seeing him eat has me feeling good about him. Also today was the first time I seen the blue throat trigger eat. Now if both will stop hiding I will feel even better.

09/23/2017, 09:37 AM	#6
Kremis Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 799	yeah, mine hid a lot and didnt eat very well for the first few weeks that i had him. mine is an indo too

10/06/2017, 11:39 AM	#8
scooter31707 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 4,971	Fresh clams from the supermarket.

11/13/2017, 07:46 PM	#9
Lfunnyfarm Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: near Atlanta, Ga Posts: 52	My Harlequin tuskfish ate pellets from the start - NLS. And, of course, any meaty fresh seafood. Good appetite!