New Conspic Angel

[sedgro]

I've had my conspic (8 in) for about 2 years. The entire first year I spent trying to get the fish to feed well. It was a nibbler - would eat small amounts of food (it took a couple of weeks to start feeding) but never enough to gain weight. Its back was pinched and I thought I was going to loose it. I over fed the tank a lot to make sure it got enough. I think the thing that worked the best were fresh mussels or clams on the half shell. Few fish can resist this. 2 years later it is fat and eats everything from pellets to brine shrimp. I hope yours does as well. They are certainly not easy fish, but worth it in the end.

 

[juuniz]

omg that long??

it has just been few days and im already worried like hell..

how long will i need to wait :fun5:

 

[niles1967]

I have a 12" blue face that didn't eat anything that I was aware of for 3 months. Its in a F/O tank. It finally srated picking at algae sheets about a week ago. Dont panic. Large angels take time to acclimate.

 

[juuniz]

so hopeful :rolleye1:

panic mode still on..

i'll post it video tomorrow when im not busy..

 

[cthetoy]

I have 7" Chrysurus Angel which took almost a month before it ate. A month later it would eat just the huge flakes only from Ocean Nutrition. The flakes had to be floating and not sinking. Later it would eat anything floating on the surface so I feed it freeze dried foods. Almost 4 months later it finally ate large pellets from New Life Spectrum.

 

[slayer213]

Feeding a conspic angel

Feeding a conspic angel

Hi, im a reefer from singapore. I know its been awhile since your conspic angel post.... so im not sure if u are still active in reefing. I have just purchased a 8inch conspic angel. And im in the situation as you before... it refuses to eat... im into my 5th day... so far i have tried everything... all brands of pallets, flakes, mysis soaked in selcon/garlic, clams, chopped prawn, copepods, greenredbrown seaweed tied to rock... still hasnt get him to eat anything... so far i have only seen him nip at my wavemaker and sometimes grab something off the sandbed... i could use some help here as im also in a PANIC MODE... it cost me a bomb to acquire this fish. Please help if u have any ideas to get my fish to eat... thanks!

 

[slayer213]

Sorry, not sure if this tread is still active... but could use some help... thanks!

 

[ThRoewer]

I would try live clams or, if you can get live urchins, smash one of those. Fish in the wild go crazy over those.

Another good food are fresh red algae, leafy or those little grape shaped.

Is he picking on rocks or just swimming around. If picking on rocks, you can try to seed a rock with food bits you stuff into openings of the rock that are accessible to him.
If making your own food mixes you could put that on some rocks so he can graze it off.

Live brine shrimp may also be worth a try.

 

[Achilles Torben]

How is the situation? Is the fish in quarantine? Is in display with many other fish? Tell more

 

[Dmorty217]

How is the situation? Is the fish in quarantine? Is in display with many other fish? Tell more

+1 and I wouldn't worry too much until the Conspic hasn't eaten for a few weeks being that she is 8" and probably newly collected. She will more than likely have to get pretty hungry before she will try prepared foods. You could always try some live sponge or brine

 

[carrots]

My new Regal in QT, didn't eat for the first few days and someone suggested another freshwater dip. Her first was only a couple of minutes long. This time she stayed in bath for 10 minutes. Sure as Hell four large flukes dropped off as well as a bunch of smaller ones. The next day she was acting like a new fish. More active and started eating and tasting everything I offered. Black worms, clams on half shell and Pellets all eaten on the first day of feeding. Not sure if it was the flukes but something to think about. Hope your girl is eating soon.

 

[slayer213]

Hi.. thanks for all the suggestions... currently he is in my 6ft display with half partitioned to keep out the rest of my other fishes... so he has a good half of the tank all by himself. So far i have seen him ate alittle of the frozen artic pods that i threw in(read that they trigger feeding response), he took a nip at a piece of chopped shrimp and thats about it. So far im only able to get frozen clams and mussels, which doesnt interest him at all... hasnt seen any live ones available though, does it make a differences live or frozen? Urchins? Which types? The lfs here do have a few kinds for sale, will long spine urchins work? I will try to get some live brines as well...

I know getting a bigger conspic is gonna give me a hard time to get it eating... mayb its still too early for him to be hungry. He doesnt look thin at all as of now... thanks for all the tips and help!

 

[carrots]

I like the frozen clams on the half. I use a razor blade to put some smaller slices in the frozen clam meat then drop into the tank. IMO fish like the smaller bites of the stringy clam meat. Can't wait to hear that your fish is eating well.

 

[slayer213]

Hi, so far i tried frozen clams and mussels, sliced the flesh too. But he took one bite and doesnt want it anymore. As of now, he took a couple of small bites of ocean nutrition formula 2 flakes. Tried green grape, he ate one of it and thats about it. At least he is trying to eat. So fingers crossed here...

 

[illumnae]

You can get live clam at wet markets and sometimes Giant or Sheng Siong here in Singapore. I used to use them to get finicky predators feeding. Very effective. Look for short neck clams

 

[slayer213]

Alrighty will go look for them! Thanks!

 

[slayer213]

Are those what we locally know as LALA?

 

[illumnae]

Yup I think so, but I buy them as short neck clams

 

[slayer213]

Ok thanks!

 

[slayer213]

Day 12
Hi，still didnt managed to get the fish to eat. A kind reefer here offered me some larrys food and it took a few nibbles and thats about it... would nt touch it the next time round... so far i have tried all these:

New era algae pellets/flakes
Ocean nutrition formula 2 algae flakes
TDO pellets
New life spectrum finnicky fish pallets
Green grapes, green/red/brown nori tied to rock
Chopped shrimp
Oyster, mussels, clams
Krills
Artemias
Artic Copepods
PE Mysis
Larrys reef frenzy

All foods tried with and without soaking in selcon, brightwell vit m, vit c, garlic.

Gonna try some chopped squids and frozen brineshrimp tonight. I think i have exhausted all my options. So far he only comes to the food, sniff and swam away... cant think of anymore things to try anymore.... he is doing ok, stomach not pinched, swimming normally.