Bicolor Angel not eating

[justinky]

So I picked up a Bicolor Angel for my 76G tank last friday, it's thursday and I have yet to see him eat when I have fed. He is non stop scavenging my LR though. Should I be concerned at this point?

My main concern is to keep him fed well enough to keep him from nipping corals, I have yet to see him nip at my corals so I think I have gotten lucky but I don't want him to pick up an appetite due to being underfed.

 

[fishkid6692]

What foods have you tried?

 

[HumbleFish]

My main concern is to keep him fed well enough to keep him from nipping corals, I have yet to see him nip at my corals so I think I have gotten lucky but I don't want him to pick up an appetite due to being underfed.

He will most likely start nipping... Bicolors & Lemonpeels almost always do.

 

[justinky]

What foods have you tried?

Flakes, Marine Cuisine, I am picking up some frozen Mysis & Brine shrimp tomorrow.

He will most likely start nipping... Bicolors & Lemonpeels almost always do.

I took the gamble, if he does I will have to deal with it but I am not worried until he does.

 

[fishkid6692]

I'd give the mysis a go. Maybe soak in garlic if it doesn't except it plain. I'm not a huge fan of brine shrimp because the adult brine, which i'd assume would be in the frozen, don't have much nutritional value. As humblefish stated, even if the angel is eating prepared foods, it doesn't mean it won't nip at corals. I've had angels eating everything i fed and still nip. Only time will tell.

 

[HumbleFish]

Flakes, Marine Cuisine, I am picking up some frozen Mysis & Brine shrimp tomorrow.

If mysis or brine doesn't work, I suggest any of the following: Hikari Mega-Marine Angel, live blackworms, Nutramar Ova, nori.

 

[humaguy]

try a fresh clam on the half-shell...lrf is outstanding...

 

[HumbleFish]

try a fresh clam on the half-shell...lrf is outstanding...

+1 and the sad thing is I should have remembered this because today is "clam day" for my 6 angels LOL

 

[wrott]

And try diced fresh scallop and shrimp. It's better to freeze the scallop and shrimp, then slice w/ new razor blade and chop finely--by this time it will be thawed, spread into water w/ fingers a few pieces. Buy just 1 or 2 at the fresh market, it will last a couple of months wrapped in plastic--no air.

 

[justinky]

Thanks for the help, hopefully I can find something that works. Since he is constantly swimming/scavenging for food on my LR how long would you say I have to get him to eat before it becomes a problem? It's already been a week.

 

[Windirmere]

My coral beauty has eaten a full birds nest, but has left all my acro's and milli's alone

 

[wrott]

Thanks for the help, hopefully I can find something that works. Since he is constantly swimming/scavenging for food on my LR how long would you say I have to get him to eat before it becomes a problem? It's already been a week.

As long as it is looking for food and actively picking, then you have a good chance that it will start to eat some prepared food. After 7 days, I'd guess that, depending on amount of LR, it would survive another 7 days until time is critical or when behavior changes downward.
Do you have other fish in the tank to help "show" it how to take prepared foods?
Bicolors are notoriously finicky to get to start eating. Remove uneaten food w/ a small vinyl tube. And don't offer a lot of food at one time, just 3-4 pieces to see what it may "mouth" and hopefully consume. Any live food--brine, newly hatched and/or adult, mixed w/ frozen Mysis/brine can work. Spirulina flakes or pellets and small New Life Spectrum pellets may work. The diced fresh seafood has worked for me, scallops, shrimp, fish and most fish cannot resist anything w/ fresh squid scent or diced fresh squid. Then start to mix other prep'd food to whatever it will eat. Don't give up, keep enticing it w/ different flavors.

try freshly crushed garlic on/in some of the foods mentioned

 

[justinky]

As long as it is looking for food and actively picking, then you have a good chance that it will start to eat some prepared food. After 7 days, I'd guess that, depending on amount of LR, it would survive another 7 days until time is critical or when behavior changes downward.
Do you have other fish in the tank to help "show" it how to take prepared foods?
Bicolors are notoriously finicky to get to start eating. Remove uneaten food w/ a small vinyl tube. And don't offer a lot of food at one time, just 3-4 pieces to see what it may "mouth" and hopefully consume. Any live food--brine, newly hatched and/or adult, mixed w/ frozen Mysis/brine can work. Spirulina flakes or pellets and small New Life Spectrum pellets may work. The diced fresh seafood has worked for me, scallops, shrimp, fish and most fish cannot resist anything w/ fresh squid scent or diced fresh squid. Then start to mix other prep'd food to whatever it will eat. Don't give up, keep enticing it w/ different flavors.

try freshly crushed garlic on/in some of the foods mentioned

Yeah I have a Maroon Clownfish, Yellow tang & Desjardini Sailfin Tang. The Maroon clown was found in the overflow box on my tank when I bought it and the owners said it was missing for over a year. I keep hearing people say how aggressive Maroons are but mine is extremely nice probably due to being trapped with a Domino Damsel for so long in such a little space.

 

[JohnniG]

6 days is quite some time. He should start now. Gl

 

[HumbleFish]

Thanks for the help, hopefully I can find something that works. Since he is constantly swimming/scavenging for food on my LR how long would you say I have to get him to eat before it becomes a problem? It's already been a week.

I have a Lemonpeel that went two full weeks before it ate anything in QT. It finally ate Hikari Mega-Marine Angel (probably liked the sponge meat in that), and ate everything I put in the tank from there on in. Although in retrospect, maybe I shouldn't have tried so hard to get it to eat after seeing what it's done to my reef. :dance:

 

[justinky]

Fed the last bit of Marine Cuisine I had mixed up today, he came out and started eating with the rest of the fish. But I am still going to stock up on some of the stuff you guys suggested to give him variety.

 

[snorvich]

Fed the last bit of Marine Cuisine I had mixed up today, he came out and started eating with the rest of the fish. But I am still going to stock up on some of the stuff you guys suggested to give him variety.

Variety is good. Sometimes you can also fake them out into trying a new food if you put something they like in with it.