Blonde naso not eating, why?

[ThisCityIsDead]

Okay, so I got a blonde naso about 2.5 inches. At the LFS store it was a bully and was bullying the other nasos. It was also eating and swimming fine. When I got it home, I acclimated it, and released it. My sailfin bullied it cornering it. For two days it hid in the corner and would come out here and there. I never really saw it eat pellets or chomp on seaweed. I did see it nip at rocks here and there but not much. Last night I decided to transfer it into my sump since the same sailfin was still picking on him by cornering it and making sure it wouldn't swim out into the open. I've noticed that the naso has gotten very thin, but last night I gave it every type of food I have. Seaweed, brine shrimp, red seaweed, pellets, flakes, squid... All of these have been soaked in garlic as well. He doesn't eat anything. I've seen him spit out the flakes but not eat them. I also saw him eat a few (~5) pellets. He spit out the pellets but it looked like he ate some of the pellet. What is wrong with this fish? Still stressed?

 

[BigBlueTang]

Blonde naso not eating, why?

Okay, so I got a blonde naso about 2.5 inches. At the LFS store it was a bully and was bullying the other nasos. It was also eating and swimming fine. When I got it home, I acclimated it, and released it. My sailfin bullied it cornering it. For two days it hid in the corner and would come out here and there. I never really saw it eat pellets or chomp on seaweed. I did see it nip at rocks here and there but not much. Last night I decided to transfer it into my sump since the same sailfin was still picking on him by cornering it and making sure it wouldn't swim out into the open. I've noticed that the naso has gotten very thin, but last night I gave it every type of food I have. Seaweed, brine shrimp, red seaweed, pellets, flakes, squid... All of these have been soaked in garlic as well. He doesn't eat anything. I've seen him spit out the flakes but not eat them. I also saw him eat a few (~5) pellets. He spit out the pellets but it looked like he ate some of the pellet. What is wrong with this fish? Still stressed?

Do you not believe in Qt'ing?

I would set up a 40b qt quickly and try to get him to eat. He's probably not very comfortable... Try to fatten him up in QT, and make sure he is an aggressive feeder. People do have lots of trouble getting small nasos to eat. Good luck!

EDIT: what is your dt size?? These fish get big, and I mean 300+ gallon big. I hope you have one of those, or else that "cute" 2.5" naso is going to get real nasty.

 

[moriarty]

From my own personal experience (I have attempted and lost 2 juveniles within the past year), and from reading others' posts on RC; this seems to be a common thing as of late with this species. The first one that I tried ate Ulva and Gracilaria, which I grow in my refugium - would recommend trying these if you have access to them. Regardless that this one was eating, I lost her after a few weeks in QT, with no apparent cause. The second one that I attempted did not eat at all, and perished within a week. Not sure what the exact issue is with this species, but it's possible that shoddy collection practices, or improper handling/care within the chain of custody from reef to retailer may be at least in part responsible. As much as I would like to add one to my system, I have decided to stay away from this species, at least for the time being.

 

[pinnatus]

I blame cyanide, with absolutely no data to back it up. But fish that eat and then stop eating and die without any reason sounds like cyanide to me. I went through several blondes as well until I finally got a pair that are doing well. Sometimes I had the fish for up to 4 months before it would die.

 

[brett559]

I've tried nasos twice - both wouldn't eat. One I was able to return to the store, the other didn't make it.

My neighbor just lost a naso for the same reason. Looked great at the store - fat and healthy. Wouldn't eat in his tank.

 

[lllesley]

I have had 3 nasso.
1 I believe was synide caught, had him eating and well and he up and died at the 5 month mark.
2nd ate, but ended up such a bully I had to move him on to a reefer with larger fish than him.
3rd. we have now 7 weeks. All he ate was seaweed and macro from the sump for 6 of those weeks, so overfed the tank with seaweed clips 3 or 4 times a day. He just started eating frozen this week. yipeee.
They are very hard to get eating in the first place, then you add extra stress of being bullied, then captured and sumped, i would suggest unfortunately that it may well be too late.
But keep trying, with macro and seaweed clips.
Good luck.

 

[brett559]

I know lots of people who have had very bad luck with them. I'm surprised they are listed as "moderate" on most sites.

 

[snorvich]

It is always good to quarantine any new fish for many reasons, not the least of which is to allow the fish to develop an aggressive eating response without intimidation from tank mates who have just had a roommate move into their space That space may be inadequate to start with.

 

[ca1ore]

I blame cyanide, with absolutely no data to back it up. But fish that eat and then stop eating and die without any reason sounds like cyanide to me.

In this case there was a reason - Naso got beaten up by a Sailfin. I do not find the Naso to be an easy fish to keep, and that it has a gentle temperament making it suceptible to aggression from other tangs. I had a 4" naso that I got through 12 weeks of QT only to have it get the proverbial stuffing beaten out of it once introduced to the display. I removed it to my FOWLR quickly; but even so it would not eat for a week. Fortunately QT had fattened it up enough that it had adequate reserves. I'm now growing it out for eventual return to the display.

That the OPs fish is thin and not eating is not a good sign.

 

[Giovanni]

I had a show size regular naso that would eat nothing but nori.

 

[Sapelo]

My blonde naso came in about the same size. He arrived with a Bristletooth tang and in my world what comes in together QTs together. I've just found that as long as temperament and tank size allow, they seem to adjust better in pairs.
The Bristletooth is about the same size as the Naso but it did not take them long to become buddies. I credit the Bristletooth, who is more outgoing, with teaching the Naso to eat. I started them on mysis and other frozens. The Bristle now (4 months later and both living in the DT) will eat anything. The Naso is far more picky and far more timid.
I think if I'd put him into the DT originally with my Yellow tang, it would have been all over.
New fish need time to transition, build up strength and become brave in their new homes (not to mention watching and treating for disease).