Genicanthus pairs in QT?

falconut

falconut

New member
Can a male Watanabei cause enough stress to make the female not eat? I've had a pair in QT for a day, I know it's only a day, and the male is eating like a champ, but the female won't eat. I've tried brine, mysis, sweatwater zooplankton and flakes and nothing.

I'm going to try live brine tomorrow, but I'm wondering if I should put the male into my display to see if that helps. Has anybody experienced this or something similar? Please help, I don't want her to die. I maybe jumping the gun, but I don't want her to starve. Any ideas?
 
Is he chasing her? Do they have places to hide? Were the fish just introduced to each other?

I'd keep them together if possible. If she is a finicky eater, she will learn from watching him. If he is aggresive towards her, place a clear plastic divider in your QT tank so the can see each other, but he can't chase her.

To make the divder, take an inexpensive sheet of plexiglas from your local harware store that is slightly wider than the quarantine tank. Drill some 3/4" or 1" holes in it to allow water and food to move through, then place the plex inside the tank (slightly angled). You can use coral or rock work to keep it from slipping. It must be nearly was tall as the tank as well.

Now the two fish can see each other. Live food can move between the sections and you can give the pair time to adjust to each other without fear of damage to the non-aggressor.

Also, don't stress out over a fish not eating the day it moves into your quarantine tank. Sometimes they just need to settle in. The tank parameters are good, correct? No ammonia or nitrite and a good pH?

-Rob
 
He doesn't chase her, but will occationally bump her.

There is a Powerhead, where she can hide behind in the upper corner and a ceramic skull. He usually hides in the skull and she usually just stays out in the open. Occationally she does go in the skull.

I'm not sure if they are an actual pair, but they got them together at the LFS together, they just came in the night before I got them.

My QT is only a 10 gal., which I know is small but better than nothing. It has worked for all my other fish. That's why I was considering moving him to my display to give her the entire tank.

Do you think trying the live brine may entice her to eat? Is there anything I haven't tried to feed her they may entice her to eat?

Thanks.
 
She should eat. Genicanthus are not picky eaters. Give her more than a day.

FWIW - my watanabei pair at pellets the 1st day that I had them. The swallowtails that I had took about 2 days to eat mysis and were eating pellets/flake in 4-5 days. All of them eat anything now.
 
10g is very small for two genicanthus.

definately get another 10g for the other. introduce them into your display at the same time.

goodluck
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7213691#post7213691 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by koden
10g is very small for two genicanthus.

definately get another 10g for the other. introduce them into your display at the same time.

goodluck
Click to expand...

I definitely agree.
 
OK, I tried the live brine and she looked at it, but wouldn't eat it. Later I tried again and the same. Then I put in some flake food and she started eating the flakes. So, it appears she will be fine.

I added a PVC pipe for her to hide in, so they each have their own hiding spot. Even though they both seam to stay out most of the time.

Thanks for all the advise.
 
Yeah, 10 G is tiny for two watanabe. But again watanabe are not picky eaters like others said. As long as they are captured right, they'll survive well in captivity. Keep in mind that these are deep water fishes and would be better kept in dimmer tanks. They can be converted to bright reef tanks but if they are not happy try dim the light a bit and then gradually increase the intensity. It wouldn't hurt to feed some vegetable material like formula two or algae/seawed pads as it is very important to all angel fishes' diets
 
goodluck man. they are beautiful fish.

btw, try soaking the food in garlic (like seachem's garlic guard). it's irresistable, also can fight ich.

fish love cyclopeez too, no matter how sick they are.
 
Thanks. My QT has a double 65W PC fixture, but I am only using 1 bulb right now. I will eventually turn on both bulbs to get them more used to the display lighting.

They are both eating great now.
 
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