Matted Filefish: 0 for 3. Question

[ostrow]

i have now lost three, all starved to death.

One from good lfs.
One from established tank.
One from DD.

All ate aiptasia. None ate anything else. Not Rodd's. Not mysis. Not Spectrum pellet. Nada. All wasted away.

I find no reports of this in a search. But this is similar to jawfish, CBB, and other very difficult feeders I have encountered.

Unlucky? Or typical? Or is there a special food they go for?

 

[hobbzz]

I would have to say atypical. I've had three that ate anything I fed. Worms and eggs are good foods to get finicky fish to eat. Live black worms are even better if you can find them.

 

[mfinn]

I have had 2. One would eat pretty much anything I put in the tank. It did clear up all aptasia's and majano's.
The second one wouldn't eat anything in qt.
Not even the aptasia's I put in the qt.

 

[snorvich]

I have two. Neither eat aiptasia. Both eat all supplied foods.

 

[thedasher]

You probably have to find one local that eats pellets or mysis that's what I did. If you buy one from a lfs ask them to feed it and see if it eats.

 

[Moort82]

I've looked after dozens of these and never had a problem with them eating. Those that sold to customers sometime had problems when they added them to boisterous tanks as they can be very shy to begin with.

 

[johnike]

I have two. Neither eat aiptasia. Both eat all supplied foods.

Same here.

 

[rssjsb]

I've looked after dozens of these and never had a problem with them eating. Those that sold to customers sometime had problems when they added them to boisterous tanks as they can be very shy to begin with.

Another reason QT is important.

 

[ostrow]

I am not sure QT helps with that, Robin.

Well, the 3 I have had each wiped out aiptasia, but ate no prepared foods. This last one -- it was as if the other fish never noticed it was in the tank. Definitely not harassed.

DD refunded... the fish looked poorly on arrival. It ate the few aiptasia that were in the tank but never touched anything else. I can't really judge on this one because of its initial condition. But the one from the established tank, that was troubling.

There are species that do not like to move. Radiant wrasses are really bad with change of location (whether shipping or from one tank to another). CBBs certainly do poorly.

I will be extra cautious before trying another of these. I had wondered if there were a "feed XXX at first to get it acclimated" but no such reports here. Ah well.

 

[biomek]

mine first loved mysis. then he's stopped eating that and picks at Formula 1 flakes but really loves algae tables now when he can snatch them up before my YWG gets ahold of them.

 

[Sapelo]

+1 does not touch aiptasia but eats prepared food just fine. It's a DD fish.

 

[rssjsb]

I am not sure QT helps with that, Robin.

Only in the sense that it's an opportunity to observe the fish in isolation, to let it settle in and get it to eat.

You're right that it won't keep the fish from being bullied, but once it's fattened up and calmed down in QT, it has a reserve that will give it a better shot at getting its bearings and to start eating in the competitive environment of the display.