Newbie question about feeding

[t-dizzle]

I acclimated two ocellaris clowns into my 26 last night, and I tried feeding them for the first time today, but they didn't eat.

I turned off my powerheads and skimmer, then I fed them frozen Formula One which I thawed in some tank water and broke up into tiny pieces. The fish seemed interested in the food, but didn't actually eat it. All of it just sank down onto the sand and LR. After a few minutes of waiting, I turned the flow back on and all the food flew up into suspension again. The fish approached it (especially the larger chunks), but didn't bite.

The clowns are the only inhabitants of the tank, other than several snails. Is this normal behavior for newly introduced fish, or am I doing something wrong?

Oh, and one last thing...right after I fed the clowns one of the clowns had a small white ribbon suspended from just behind its fins. Is that poop?

Thanks!
T./

 

[Sk8r]

That's poop, but it's indicating a little stomach upset. You might try some live brine if it's available, but don't do it as a continuing habit: it's bad for the tank chemistry and not as nutritious as one might wish. The main thing is to pique their interest and get them eating ASAP. Other appetite stimuli: tiny, tiny mouthsized pieces---fish won't ordinarily eat what's too big to mouth and taste; maybe a little chopped frozen shrimp. They're not recognizing this offering as food. You need something smellier. And you might phone the place you got them and ask what they were feeding.

 

[t-dizzle]

Thanks, Sk8r! The chunks range from 2-3 mm all the way down to barely visible. Assuming I'm feeding them something they like, should they go into a "feeding frenzy" all at once, or do they eat slowly?

I'll call the LFS and find out what they were feeding them.

T./

 

[Sk8r]

They'll eat cautiously. Everything is new to them. Moving prey like shrimp might excite their predatory instincts...being the right size for food. Typically they will grab larger chunks when they are eating well and go park them in their host anemone, which will try to profit from the situation. Sadly, most shipped fish are not fed for two weeks during the process, and some get so upset they are hard to start up again. Some real tlc can encourage them. Ah! Also ask your lfs at what hour of the day they were accustomed to be fed.

 

[t-dizzle]

Thanks, Sk8r!

T./

 

[dantodd]

white stringy poop is an indication of internal parasites. Go to the diseases forum for advice on treating them.

 

[t-dizzle]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7274971#post7274971 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dantodd
white stringy poop is an indication of internal parasites. Go to the diseases forum for advice on treating them.

:eek2: Holy crap, Batman! :eek1:

My other clown pooped regular stuff, so at least I guess that I have only one fish to worry about...

Thanks for the info, folks!

T./

 

[dantodd]

holy crap.... lol

It can usually be treated but you may have to drop a couple bucks to set up a hospital tank.

 

[t-dizzle]

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit collecting stamps...

T./