Blue-Green Chromis Not Eating!

[Chris's Fishes]

So, I've got a new Blue-Green Chromis in QT, and he doesn't seem to be enjoying his food - he'll take pellets, pluck them off the surface of the water, and spit them back out so that they sink and pollute the tank 🙄 I've seen him do the same thing with mysis a few times, even after being soaked in garlic.

 

I've got Prazi in the water (I think I saw a fluke on him in the bag, and thought I'd dose since Prazi is so safe), and have tried soaking his food in metro, but stopped once he wasn't taking anything. Doesn't seem to have internal parasites, but I haven't seen him poop yet (probably because I got him straight off the delivery truck, and he wasn't fed at the store) - he is a little thin, but I kinda expect that from most saltwater fish when they first come in. Very active little guy, with lots of personality. Is this a game of just waiting for him to get hungry enough, or should I run out and buy something different that he might like better? I'd prefer not to change foods, but whatever works, I guess.

 

I'm currently feeding Omega One Micro Pellets daily, with mysis and red seaweed on every second day.

[WV Reefer]

8 minutes ago, Fisker said:

So, I've got a new Blue-Green Chromis in QT, and he doesn't seem to be enjoying his food - he'll take pellets, pluck them off the surface of the water, and spit them back out so that they sink and pollute the tank 🙄 I've seen him do the same thing with mysis a few times, even after being soaked in garlic.

 

I've got Prazi in the water (I think I saw a fluke on him in the bag, and thought I'd dose since Prazi is so safe), and have tried soaking his food in metro, but stopped once he wasn't taking anything. Doesn't seem to have internal parasites, but I haven't seen him poop yet (probably because I got him straight off the delivery truck, and he wasn't fed at the store) - he is a little thin, but I kinda expect that from most saltwater fish when they first come in. Very active little guy, with lots of personality. Is this a game of just waiting for him to get hungry enough, or should I run out and buy something different that he might like better? I'd prefer not to change foods, but whatever works, I guess.

 

I'm currently feeding Omega One Micro Pellets daily, with mysis and red seaweed on every second day.

Try grinding up the pellets. Mine liked the pellet dust when they were skinny.  

[NuisanceAlgaeCultivator]

Try live Mysis if you can get a hand on it. That activity seems to bring out the hunting instinct in all fish.

 

My Bicolor Pseudo wouldn’t touch anything but live when I got him. I started there then two days later he ate frozen, then freeze dried, flake, and now pellet. He’s now about a year old and will eat anything I put in the tank just to outcompete the other fish...including my hand. I hate him.

...jk

...kind of.

[Chris's Fishes]

3 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

Try grinding up the pellets. Mine liked the pellet dust when they were skinny.  

No dice on that. He mouthed all of the crumbles and spat them out onto the floor.

 

3 minutes ago, NuisanceAlgaeCultivator said:

Try live Mysis if you can get a hand on it. That activity seems to bring out the hunting instinct in all fish.

 

My Bicolor Pseudo wouldn’t touch anything but live when I got him. I started there then two days later he ate frozen, then freeze dried, flake, and now pellet. He’s now about a year old and will eat anything I put in the tank just to outcompete the other fish...including my hand. I hate him.

...jk

...kind of.

No clue where I'd get live mysis around here - if it comes to that point, I'll order some online.

 

I feel your pain about fish eating your hand. My clown will destroy my knuckles and the skin in between my fingers if I'm not careful. Vicious little thing... and she's like 2 1/2"!

[Humblefish]

Prazi will sometimes suppress appetite, so he might start eating 2-3 days after you've dosed that.

[NuisanceAlgaeCultivator]

Sea monkeys man lol

[Chris's Fishes]

On 3/13/2019 at 9:58 PM, Humblefish said:

Prazi will sometimes suppress appetite, so he might start eating 2-3 days after you've dosed that.

Thanks! Noted.

 

On 3/13/2019 at 10:30 PM, NuisanceAlgaeCultivator said:

Sea monkeys man lol

I haven't even seen sea monkeys in years! I never could get them to hatch as a kid... probably had something to do with no airstone, no light, and table salt!

 

I finally got the chromis to eat today. I went to Meijer, and got some frozen shrimp with no preservatives (well, it just had table salt added). He went insane for it, and so did my clown, and virtually every other creature in the tank! Plus, I'm getting a good meal out of it too... yum.

Got a fugly female betta while I was there too. I felt bad for her - she was the last betta there, and had maybe 1/2" of water in her cup. She's this bronzy-blue color, with yellow cream fins. I actually kind of like the colors, but I've always preferred wild bettas and earthy tones when it comes to freshwater fish. She went into my cycling 5.5. Much better than a cup!

[NuisanceAlgaeCultivator]

31 minutes ago, Fisker said:

Thanks! Noted.

 

I haven't even seen sea monkeys in years! I never could get them to hatch as a kid... probably had something to do with no airstone, no light, and table salt!

 

I finally got the chromis to eat today. I went to Meijer, and got some frozen shrimp with no preservatives (well, it just had table salt added). He went insane for it, and so did my clown, and virtually every other creature in the tank! Plus, I'm getting a good meal out of it too... yum.

Got a fugly female betta while I was there too. I felt bad for her - she was the last betta there, and had maybe 1/2" of water in her cup. She's this bronzy-blue color, with yellow cream fins. I actually kind of like the colors, but I've always preferred wild bettas and earthy tones when it comes to freshwater fish. She went into my cycling 5.5. Much better than a cup!

Ha good to hear it’s eating!

Nice save on the betta too!

[burtbollinger]

make sure to do the full QT period on this fish.

 

I had one i put in QT and died out of the blue from what i am almost certain was Uronema marinum.  

 

if you dont know what that is...

 

" Uronema is a “free living” parasite which does not require a fish host. So, going fallow will not eradicate it. Most fish seem protected from it via their natural immune system; but for some reason, chromis and some other fish are not always afforded this protection. Once a tank has Uronema, it must be assumed that the disease can survive in there almost indefinitely."

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/uronema-marinum.247940/

 

[Humblefish]

More updated info on uronema can be found here: 

 

[Chris's Fishes]

I'll be doing the full QT period with this fish, but I highly doubt it's Uronema. There are no visible sores, and no signs that the fish is sick other than the fact that it wasn't eating - and I think it just didn't like the pellets I was providing, as it happily eats frozen foods and dried seaweed.

 

Thanks for the heads up, though!