My ocellaris isn't eating

[michellejy]

I have had my black and white ocellaris for over 7 years now. She is the sole inhabitant of a 30 gallon tank that has been up and running that long. I am in the process of setting up a 28 gallon cube and took a few small pieces of live rock out of her tank week or so ago, but aside from that, nothing else has changed.

She has pretty much stayed in the back right corner of the existing tank for as long as I have had her. She will sometimes swim around the rest of the tank, but she always goes back to the same area, under the powerhead in the back corner. Anyway, when I went to feed her tonight, she was in the center front of the tank, hanging out in the bottom in the open space where I took out rock last week. Normally she swims to the top of the tank as soon as I open the lid, but tonight she didn't even move.

Nothing is different in water parameters, so I am lost. Any ideas?

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Get her a boyfriend!

 

[michellejy]

Get her a boyfriend!

I tried. She killed him.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

How big is she and what was the size of the one you tried to pair with her? And you're positive this is an ocellaris?

 

[michellejy]

She is probably 3". I paired her with a juvenile. I'm positive she is an ocellaris. She is one of the two in my avatar. (Her mate died about 6 months ago.)

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Hmmm, that's too bad that she killed him. Maybe try another one say about an inch long and put it in a breeder box so they can see each other and see how it goes. Maybe talk with your LFS so they would take it back if it doesn't work out.

 

[michellejy]

Well, I figured out what is wrong with her and unfortunately, what likely happened to the juvenile I tried to pair with her. My pinpoint calibration fluid that I was using to calibrate the refractometer was significantly off. I picked up a new bottle of calibration fluid today since I couldn't figure out what was wrong and discovered the salinity in her tank is way too high. I am in the process of bringing it to the correct level, and I hope she survives this massive screw up. Poor thing has lived through two tank leaks and a heater malfunction so far.