New Flame Angel is a picky eater

firebirdude · 03/10/2015, 03:07 PM

So I got a new Flame Angel 6 days ago. She's swimming around a seems to be doing fine for the most part. But I never see her eat. I feed pretty darn lightly with Spectrum Thera+. I drop one granule at a time and watch where it goes. It'll drop right in front of her face and she'll ignore it OR she'll wait until it hits the bottom, pick it up off the sand, and then spit it right back out and swim away. I feed every other day and have yet to see her actually eat anything.

Jason S · 03/10/2015, 03:18 PM

Have you tried a different food? It probable that it has never seen processed food, so it has no idea it is supposed to eat it. That is why you see it pick the food up and spit it out... It tastes like food, but does not feel like food. Try something natural like Mysis to see if you can get it to eat, and then you can usually transition it to processed food

firebirdude · 03/10/2015, 03:21 PM

That's why I was posting. Just to see what ya'll thought. All I have is the Spectrum at this time. And unfortunately, I don't have an LFS in town other than Petco. Anything else is 1+hr away. My Petco doesn't sell frozen food.

Maybe if I soak the Spectrum in tank water for awhile before feeding it will soften it up? Probably just turn to dust and just fuel an algae outbreak. lol

hotelbravo · 03/10/2015, 04:06 PM

Go buy some raw/uncooked fish, shrimp, scallops, clams, squid, or octopus from the market and finely chop up some. Make sure it doesnt have anything added to it like flavoring or spices. Pure raw seafood.

Tsancho82 · 03/10/2015, 05:01 PM

The Petco by me has frozen mysis and brine, your's should too.

firebirdude · 03/10/2015, 05:07 PM

Nope. The location near me before I moved sold it too. Then I moved and now bupkus.

airtime23 · 03/10/2015, 06:17 PM

Move to a better city.

No, but seriously, try what hotelbravo said.

albano · 03/10/2015, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotelbravo

Go buy some raw/uncooked fish, shrimp, scallops, clams, squid, or octopus from the market and finely chop up some. Make sure it doesnt have anything added to it like flavoring or spices. Pure raw seafood.

+1... IMO , a few granules every other day will not keep that fish alive, when it is eating

Robert M · 03/10/2015, 08:54 PM

My flame likes the dried algae sheets along with frozen food. I have a bunch of different frozen offerings. I rarely feed pellets or flakes due to the fact most of my fish won't touch them. Try picking up some algae/sea weed sheets for now until you can track down some frozen food.

albano · 03/10/2015, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert M

I rarely feed pellets or flakes due to the fact most of my fish won't touch them...

What kind of fish do you have?...I have ~80 fish in my DT, and they practically jump out of the tank when they see me pick up the can of flake or pellets.

1fstnsx · 03/10/2015, 11:31 PM

Only my Clowns and Chromis will eat Pellets. Ever since then, I've only fed them Reef Frenzy and mysis, alternating every other day. Even the corals love it.

tkeracer619 · 03/11/2015, 12:03 AM

You need to rethink your food options. If it isn't available order it or make your own.

Live worms also help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by albano

they practically jump out of the tank when they see me pick up the can of flake or pellets.

My experience as well but they weren't always like that. Some of them needed to be fed live foods before they took frozen. My copperband won't touch anything prepared, the spoiled brat gets hand fed each day... the rest of my fish will eat anything I put in the tank.

A sea K · 03/11/2015, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firebirdude

That's why I was posting. Just to see what ya'll thought. All I have is the Spectrum at this time. And unfortunately, I don't have an LFS in town other than Petco. Anything else is 1+hr away. My Petco doesn't sell frozen food.

My not so local LFS is an hours drive away also. You need to make the trip and pick up some suitable food, if not done soon your new flame will likely perish. You've already had the fish for 7 days now not to mention live stock wholesalers rarely feed fish and if so very little. The clock is ticking.

Robert M · 03/11/2015, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albano

What kind of fish do you have?...I have ~80 fish in my DT, and they practically jump out of the tank when they see me pick up the can of flake or pellets.

I have a Long nose hawk, zebra dartfish, yellow coris wrasse, diamond watchman goby, yellow tail damsel, 2 perc clowns, 4 green chromis, lyretail anthias, flame angel and a royal gramma. A few of them will pick at pellets here and there but usually spit them out. The only two that will eat them occasionally are the wrasse and the goby. I've never made a real push to use pellets or flakes though. I have easy access to frozen food.

Mcgeezer · 03/11/2015, 08:45 PM

There are frozen foods made specifically for dwarf angels. But I'd definitely focus on any kind of chopped up seafood preparation. Clams, shrimp, squid...blend it in a food processor into a mush and you can store it in a freezer bag. Your fish will love it.

droog · 03/11/2015, 10:42 PM

My flame angel started out slowly. First food he seemed to eat was frozen brine shrimp. You should be able to order online (gets shipped in a foam/polystyrene box with ice. Just get into the freezer the day of arrival and you should be good. Look up reef nutrition, too.

-droog

03/10/2015, 03:07 PM	#1
firebirdude User and Abuser Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 1,836	New Flame Angel is a picky eater So I got a new Flame Angel 6 days ago. She's swimming around a seems to be doing fine for the most part. But I never see her eat. I feed pretty darn lightly with Spectrum Thera+. I drop one granule at a time and watch where it goes. It'll drop right in front of her face and she'll ignore it OR she'll wait until it hits the bottom, pick it up off the sand, and then spit it right back out and swim away. I feed every other day and have yet to see her actually eat anything.

03/10/2015, 03:18 PM	#2
Jason S Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Murfreesboro, TN Posts: 555	Have you tried a different food? It probable that it has never seen processed food, so it has no idea it is supposed to eat it. That is why you see it pick the food up and spit it out... It tastes like food, but does not feel like food. Try something natural like Mysis to see if you can get it to eat, and then you can usually transition it to processed food __________________ "The above post is my opinion only, and is in no way meant to belittle, flame, or otherwise insult anyone unless previously stated" Current Tank Info: 125 Gallon SPS Dominant T5 mixed reef and a 29 Gallon Biocube with Soft Corals, LPS, and various other polyps.

03/10/2015, 04:06 PM	#4
hotelbravo Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 2,175	Go buy some raw/uncooked fish, shrimp, scallops, clams, squid, or octopus from the market and finely chop up some. Make sure it doesnt have anything added to it like flavoring or spices. Pure raw seafood. __________________ -Hodge Current Tank Info: 180 gallon, 40b sump. 3x OR T247 lighting, Reef Octopus protein skimmer, phosban 550 reactor, tunze ato, gyre xf 150, 2x mag 9.5 returns.

03/10/2015, 05:01 PM	#5
Tsancho82 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Tempe AZ Posts: 102	The Petco by me has frozen mysis and brine, your's should too. __________________ If at first you don't succeed... so much for skydiving. Current Tank Info: 90 gallon tank, 20 gal sump, Reef Octopus 1000 & ESHOPPS S-150 Protein Skimmers, Blueline HD 40x return pump, 48 inch 8x54W Sunlight Supply Tek Light

03/10/2015, 03:21 PM	#3
firebirdude User and Abuser Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 1,836	That's why I was posting. Just to see what ya'll thought. All I have is the Spectrum at this time. And unfortunately, I don't have an LFS in town other than Petco. Anything else is 1+hr away. My Petco doesn't sell frozen food. Maybe if I soak the Spectrum in tank water for awhile before feeding it will soften it up? Probably just turn to dust and just fuel an algae outbreak. lol

03/10/2015, 05:07 PM	#6
firebirdude User and Abuser Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 1,836	Nope. The location near me before I moved sold it too. Then I moved and now bupkus.

03/10/2015, 06:17 PM	#7
airtime23 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Charlotte Posts: 488	Move to a better city. No, but seriously, try what hotelbravo said.

03/10/2015, 08:54 PM	#9
Robert M Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 62	My flame likes the dried algae sheets along with frozen food. I have a bunch of different frozen offerings. I rarely feed pellets or flakes due to the fact most of my fish won't touch them. Try picking up some algae/sea weed sheets for now until you can track down some frozen food.

03/10/2015, 11:31 PM	#11
1fstnsx Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 68	Only my Clowns and Chromis will eat Pellets. Ever since then, I've only fed them Reef Frenzy and mysis, alternating every other day. Even the corals love it.

03/11/2015, 08:45 PM	#15
Mcgeezer Reef gardener Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: DeLand, Florida Posts: 1,205	There are frozen foods made specifically for dwarf angels. But I'd definitely focus on any kind of chopped up seafood preparation. Clams, shrimp, squid...blend it in a food processor into a mush and you can store it in a freezer bag. Your fish will love it.

03/11/2015, 10:42 PM	#16
droog Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 736	My flame angel started out slowly. First food he seemed to eat was frozen brine shrimp. You should be able to order online (gets shipped in a foam/polystyrene box with ice. Just get into the freezer the day of arrival and you should be good. Look up reef nutrition, too. -droog