My clownfish won't eat!

[awexis]

Two days ago I traded my damsel for a clownfish and he refuses to eat! I tested the water parameters and they were all fine. The clean up crew is acting entirely normal also so I'm not really thinking it's the water. Since I put him in the tank he's been super active. But the problem is all he wants to do is swim along the front glass. It honestly seems like he's obsessed with his own reflection or something. I have a saltwater frozen food variety pack and I've tried all the varieties. The crabs are loving it of course. He doesn't pay any mind to the food. He just keeps swimming like crazy back and forth in front of the glass until it's time for bed. I was going to go to the store and buy flakes and see if he preferred that. I'm not sure what else to do. I don't think he has any illness. He looks entirely normal, no white spots or anything.

 

[ipKonfig]

Are you turning off the flow when you feed? I had a clown once who did the exact same thing you're describing, swimming against the front glass. I adjusted my flow and he stopped. You also might be feeding too much if you've tried every variety in a frozen food pack over 2 days.

 

[Triggerfish]

pretty normal..give another day or so.

 

[awexis]

I've been splitting the cubes into small pieces when I put them in and trying to scoop up the remaining food. Even if he was eating the cubes are way too big for just one fish. Also, I do turn it off because it just gets sucked up otherwise. Even when everything is off he's still doing it. He ventures away from the glass for a minute or two when I put my hand up against it. He slows down right away and looks stunned at it. The second I move it he's back on his usually swimming routine.

Edit: I think it's mostly getting to me because the damsel ate so readily the day I put him in.

 

[oh207]

Let him be and he will eat eventually. What was he eating before the trade? Maybe he doesn't like frozen food. My clowns prefer pellets over frozen.

 

[Scott07]

Yea... pretty normal. I think, just my experience, that it depends on the individual... how shook up and stressed they are from any shipping, the LFS, etc...

I wouldn't be terribly worried until it's been near a week or so. More food won't make him/her eat... just offer small bits regularly, and eventually he/she will accept something.

 

[Mcgeezer]

very normal for fish not to eat for a few days due to stress.

frozen food works well with enticing clowns to eat


imagine if a giant stuffed you in a bag and then dumped you into a place youve never been before and then stared at you all day long? you'd prob be stressed too lol

 

[todddye]

My rusty angel wouldn't come out from behind the rocks for a week. I think it was almost 2 weeks before he ate. Give him time.

 

[Bakes2]

My clowns refuse to eat any frozen foods, only pellets.

 

[santanzchild]

ohh ohh brine shrimp noone can refuse brine shrimp!

 

[ed102475]

Give it time. Its most likely just stress.

 

[awexis]

He finally ate today. I went out and bought pellets yesterday and put them to the test today. To get him to eat I put my hand against the glass so he moved away and stuck the pellets right in front of him. I've never seen him swim so fast. I tried moving the power head around and he's venturing away from the glass a little. He's still doing that back and fourth thing a lot. At least he's eating though!

 

[oh207]

Glad to hear. I've seen and heard of lots of cases where clowns prefer pellets over frozen food.

 

[clownfish06]

What kind of pellets? I got pair of small clowns last night and got flakes and frozen brine shrimp. No luck getting them to eat yet and all water params are normal.

 

[oh207]

I've had great results feeding New Life Spectrum to my clowns.
If the clowns are small then I use Sustainable Aquatics Hatchery diet. It's a very small grain, I think it's .5mm. The small clowns love it too.