Help! 6 line wrasse stopped eating

[Chaz88]

HELLO everyone! This is my first post, and i'm genuinely curious to hear what you guys have to say about my 6 line wrasse.

So currently I have a 10G FOWLR tank on my desk at work that's been cycling since October-ish, stocked with a royal gramma (Krang), 3 Stripe Damsel (Ruckus), Ocellaris clown (Juice) and a 6 line wrasse (Cream Corn). Krang has been in there for a month, everyone else has been in there for 2ish weeks. Before you rag on me for having 4 fish in a 10G tank, bear in mind that everyone gets along (except Krang, who gets a little territorial), and if **** should hit the fan or if anyone starts to get a little too big for the tank (they're all around an 1 inch big right now), I have a 280G waiting for them.

Now back to the issue. Cream Corn the 6 line is by far my favourite fish. When I first introduced him to the tank, I was actually surprised to see him eat both pellets and frozen mysis immediately. But over the past few days, I've not seen him eat anything that I put in the tank. Mind you, my tank has very little algae and I'm currently running copper (it's a FOWLR so I honestly don't mind putting copper in the DT) and I have an ceramic aquascape rock instead of LR, so I doubt that there are any hitchhikers like flatworms or bristleworms. He's acting perfectly normal, zooming around and coming up to the glass and I can see zero signs of parasites on anyone. In fact, he's looking around and picking at stuff on the rock sculpture. 

The thing is, if he hasn't eaten anything at all since I got him, I'd understand that I have a sick/picky fish. However, I've seen him eat both the mysis and the pellets before, but now he's stopped and is scoping out stuff on the rock sculpture and gnawing at it. I've tried frozen mysis, brine shrimp and pellets. He's not fat, but he's definitely not starving either. All of them are super active. I'm just not sure what he's eating, and I want to make sure that he doesn't starve. At this point, I'm almost tempted to buy live tigger pods just to make sure that he's ok and I get some peace of mind. Is this normal?

 

Do 6 line wrasses pick at diatom algae? Because I've definitely noticed that my diatom bloom has all but disappeared in my tank since he's been in here, and the only remaining bits that I can see are the ones that are in the direct path of my fan where none of the fish can reach. That's my only reasoning right now. Let me know if i'm doing anything wrong or if you have suggestions for irresistible 6 line food. I've included my parameters below juuuust in case. 


pH: 7.7 (stabilized at this level for 3 weeks. not going to raise this until I've finished running copper because I don't want to risk complications)

dKH: 8

Alkalinity: 2.85

Nitrates: 5

Phosphates: 0

10% water changes every 5-7 days. 


I'd also appreciate any suggestions on how to naturally raise my pH without using chemicals. I have plenty of surface movement, and if an airstone'll help, I'm open to getting one.  Attached is a (terrible) photo of Cream Corn investigating my camera while Juice lurks in the background lmao.

[jambon]

It sounds a  it overcrowded in there. He could be getting picked on enough and being fowlr tank he does not have natural food to pick off the lr.

[Chaz88]

15 minutes ago, jambon said:

It sounds a  it overcrowded in there. He could be getting picked on enough and being fowlr tank he does not have natural food to pick off the lr.

I totally understand where you're coming from, but I can assure you that he isn't getting picked on at all. If anything, he's the boss of the tank and explores everywhere/thing. The only grumpy guy is the royal gramma, and even he doesn't phase the 6 line much.

 

My worry is that he used to eat pellets and frozen mysis with no issue before, but recently all he seems to do is pick stuff off the rocks. Since I don't know what actually lives on the rocks or how much, I have NO idea what he's eating! Looks like I might just have to go pick up live tigger pods tomorrow. 

[Five.five-six]

You can try live brine if it’s avalable. Or frozen brine, it’s the chicken McNuggets of fish food.  Soak the cube in this for 5 min befor feeding and if he still doesn’t eat, start digging a hole.  

 

https://www.marinedepot.com/Seachem_Laboratories_Garlic_Guard_Garlic_Additives_Supplements-Seachem-SC4811-FIADAG-vi.html

 

 

Strict rule at our house, no nameing fish, especially from the LFS for at least a month.  Too many losses in the first few months,  used fish do a lot better than new fish if you cn find them.  

[Five.five-six]

If he’s picking off the rocks things you can’t see it’s copeopods.  In a 10g they won’t last long.  

[Chaz88]

1 minute ago, Five.five-six said:

You can try live brine if it’s avalable. Or frozen brine, it’s the chicken McNuggets of fish food.  Soak the cube in this for 5 min befor feeding and if he still doesn’t eat, start digging a hole.  

Thank you! I've tried this. He's eaten frozen mysis as well as Dr Bassleer garlic pellets before, and he's still definitely still showing an interest in food because he's picking at the rocks. I daresay he's still finding something from somewhere (I caught him sticking his head in the filter output eating mysis shrimp that was caught on the poly filter )

 

The only pods available at my LFS are Reef Nutrition Tigger Pods (live), or Reef Nutrition Arcti Pods (dead). Which would you suggest? 

[Five.five-six]

You can get live pods at your LFS?  Lucky!!!  Whichever he eats.   Is he fat?

[Chaz88]

You can buy em online! I just lucked it cos a few of the LFS here in Singapore import this: 

 

http://reefnutrition.com/tigger_pods.php

 

The 6 line isn’t fat, but he definitely isn’t skinny either. His stomach is still filled out and hasn’t shrunken in. I adore him but he’s such a pain in the behind lmao.