How to fatten fish up

[Naraku]

This Heniochus chrysostomus was received from BZA approx. 2.5 months ago
and arrived skinny with a pinched back.

It will only eat mysis and does not fatten up no matter how much I feed.
It will not touch any other frozen or pellet food.

It is just so $%^#^$E&^ picky!
If I soak the mysis in selcon, or other vitamins, it will spit it out.
even when it eats mysis, it will only eat certain pieces and spit out the rest.

This fish really frustrates me to no end and I'm beginning to not really want him anymore.

I paid $75 for him and he went thru a rigorous quarantine (disease free) so I am asking $75 for him (For time and labor involved).

I prefer local pick up in NJ so it won't be further stressed.

 

[ginpang]

Reef caviar, freshly hatched brine shrimp, Rotifera, Copepods ... live black worms... there is certainly something he'll eat.
Plus you are responsible for this fish's life or death...
there's an interesting post on tube feeding a regal angel somewhere on this forum you should maybe read.


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[Naraku]

I don't want to rupture the fish.
Tempted to bring the fish to a vet and have them tube feed it for a few weeks.

 

[Naraku]

How much do fish vets cost?

 

[webslinger]

more than your 75$ fish is worth

 

[humaguy]

more than your 75$ fish is worth

:lol:

 

[laga77]

You want to fatten a fish and get it healthy. Here is what I feed every day to my 6 tanks and 53 fish. In the bowels are PE mysis mainly for the Seahorses, live black worms for everyone, reef plankton for the spiral coral, plain mysis for the pipefish, LRS fish eggs for the 4 pairs of Dragonets, blender mix (clams, shrimp, salmon) for everyone, krill for the Golden Hawkfish and pair of Marine Bettas, live BBS for most small fish, fresh cheato and caulerpa for Tangs, Foxfaces, Emperor Angel. No pellets and no flakes and no Selcon or Vita-mix. In the last 5 years the only fish I have lost have been to mechanical failures, jumping, or did not live past the first couple of weeks after purchase. Feed the fish what they eat in nature and they will be fine.

 

[webslinger]

Where do you get live blackworms?

 

[Naraku]

I've tried LRF which is a seafood mix and he doesn't eat that.

So I guess its mysis for life.

You want to fatten a fish and get it healthy. Here is what I feed every day to my 6 tanks and 53 fish. In the bowels are PE mysis mainly for the Seahorses, live black worms for everyone, reef plankton for the spiral coral, plain mysis for the pipefish, LRS fish eggs for the 4 pairs of Dragonets, blender mix (clams, shrimp, salmon) for everyone, krill for the Golden Hawkfish and pair of Marine Bettas, live BBS for most small fish, fresh cheato and caulerpa for Tangs, Foxfaces, Emperor Angel. No pellets and no flakes and no Selcon or Vita-mix. In the last 5 years the only fish I have lost have been to mechanical failures, jumping, or did not live past the first couple of weeks after purchase. Feed the fish what they eat in nature and they will be fine.

 

[Naraku]

Please don't take it the wrong way.
I'm not too "lazy" to feed him mysis.
I'm willing to feed it to him for the rest of his life if its good for him, which its obviously not (skinny).

btw shame on BZA for sending a skinny fish.

 

[laga77]

btw shame on BZA for sending a skinny fish.

All wholesalers ship skinny fish. It costs money to feed and it cuts down on waste/ammonia produced during shipping.

 

[Silly clownfish]

First, let me say I have never kept any kind of butterfly fish. I thought they were

I have noticed that some fish who are picky eat better in a mature tank with rocks where they can pick at pods, algae, or whatever they are picking at than they do in QT. How much and how mature is your LR? Have you tried live algae? Gracilaria seems to be irresistable to herbiovores. My caution here is don't put the entire batch you get into the DT, it might be gone by the next day. I unfortunately have not done well growing it in my fuge.

I would try mixing the other foods you want to try into the water you are thawing the mysis in to disguise the taste.

Finally, newly hatched brine shrimp are usually taken by most fish. I don't think you would need to do this forever, but at leat to jump start some weight gain and then as an occassional treat.

 

[Naraku]

I just literally got a headache after watching him eat mysis today. He only eats a little of the mysis.
I am really ticked off at the fish.

Its like asking a baby to eat greens instead of candy. You just can't win.

 

[xanthurum]

Just feed 4-5 times a day and it will get fat.