seahorsedreams
New member
The female likes salmon. The male is still requiring coral to graze on.
Oxymonacanthus longirostris - a week in review.
- Thread starter seahorsedreams
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seahorsedreams
New member
The female is getting fatter and the male is getting skinnier. I did see him eat a few small pieces of frozen food yesterday. So, either he's just starting or he's being eating these tiny pieces out of site and it's not enough to sustain him. I hope it's just he's starting to catch on and things will be looking up from now on.
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
Mine were reversed, with the male holding strong and the female slipping.
What was he eating? And where? Can you increase that part of the diet? More times per day? If it's location oriented, can you slip other foods into that place?
(I know you know all of this, but I think posting the questions to ask yourself can help others.)
And, when my female was going through the same thing, part of it turned out to be water quality. She would eat more strongly right after a water change and then her appetite would fade again as the nutrients built up.
Good luck!
What was he eating? And where? Can you increase that part of the diet? More times per day? If it's location oriented, can you slip other foods into that place?
(I know you know all of this, but I think posting the questions to ask yourself can help others.)
And, when my female was going through the same thing, part of it turned out to be water quality. She would eat more strongly right after a water change and then her appetite would fade again as the nutrients built up.
Good luck!
seahorsedreams
New member
I'll do a water change tonight. I haven't checked nitrate at all, but have been testing ammonia every other day. Maybe the nitrates are high. I'll test first for curiosity.
He picked at the mysis pieces. He picked some of the larger pieces randomly off the rock. He could be doing this all the time, but he usually eats in back of the tank where I can just see him picking through the branch rock.
Do you think it would be okay to turn their lights on for only a couple of hours in the morning to get an extra feeding in? I've been toying with the idea of feeding them when I get home from work. But it's my bedroom and I would have to turn them back off again when I went to sleep.
Maybe I should buy him a new coral.
He picked at the mysis pieces. He picked some of the larger pieces randomly off the rock. He could be doing this all the time, but he usually eats in back of the tank where I can just see him picking through the branch rock.
Do you think it would be okay to turn their lights on for only a couple of hours in the morning to get an extra feeding in? I've been toying with the idea of feeding them when I get home from work. But it's my bedroom and I would have to turn them back off again when I went to sleep.
Maybe I should buy him a new coral.
seahorsedreams
New member
Bad news - Lost the male. Good news - the female is eating like a pig now.
Before feeding....
Look at her belly! She looks like she is going to pop. Tonight she had frozen mysis, brine and Rod's food.
She likes her pieces extra extra small.
Before feeding....
Look at her belly! She looks like she is going to pop. Tonight she had frozen mysis, brine and Rod's food.
She likes her pieces extra extra small.
seahorsedreams
New member
Yes, but it won't be until she is out of QT. I have NO QT tanks left.
seahorsedreams
New member
Ya, they were together. He just started to get back into eating the prepared. I guess it wasn't fast enough.
The female has gone crazy over it. At first she was only eating 1 out of 10 pieces that went by. Now she's just slurping them all up. I'm going to start turning on the light in the morning before I go to bed to get an extra feeding in. We'll see if she likes that. Last might it was PE mysis, shaved salmon and brineshrimp.
The female has gone crazy over it. At first she was only eating 1 out of 10 pieces that went by. Now she's just slurping them all up. I'm going to start turning on the light in the morning before I go to bed to get an extra feeding in. We'll see if she likes that. Last might it was PE mysis, shaved salmon and brineshrimp.
seahorsedreams
New member
Thought maybe I would turn on the lights early (0800) to sneak in an extra feed..... well, she's not a morning fish. She looks quite grumpy actually, and I think she just flipped me off. She still has a nice big belly this morning, so I guess she's starting to put on weight. I should start to take weekly top down pics if she'll let me. Wish I had of done that in the beginning... weekly weight pics. Next time.......
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
They do seem grumpy in the morning. That's so funny!
seahorsedreams
New member
I found a male.... going to check him out today.
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
Good luck, Renee. I hope he's a keeper.
seahorsedreams
New member
Well, it seems he died in the last couple of days O.O The reason we were going to get him was because he was eating frozen fare. I'm not going to look for another to train for a bit until I learn the behaviour a little better by observing the female. But I couldn't pass up a mysis eating one.
seahorsedreams
New member
Still working on her taking pellets and/or flake. She's looking at it.
Can't get top down pics... the tank is too high up.
Can't get top down pics... the tank is too high up.
seahorsedreams
New member
She's eating flake food. Tries hard with the pellet but it's too hard and too big for her just yet. She attacks it, and drags it around the tank, but just can't seem to suck it in.
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
Wow! You go Renee! I haven't been pushing too hard on the pellets or flakes (still too excited that they are eating the mysis, I guess), but I still haven't seen mine take any. It's possible that mine wait and pick it off the substrate once it's softened, since they're finally back to doing a lot of substrate picking.
But I'm excited to hear how well your female's doing! She'd be perfect to train a new male....
But I'm excited to hear how well your female's doing! She'd be perfect to train a new male....
seahorsedreams
New member
But a new male would have to be QT'd. I'm afraid for the m1st month it would be up to me again. Maybe I could push a couple of tanks together so he could see her. Not sure how that would go over as a distraction.
Would be nice to find one on Diver's Den.
Got a new video camera.... soon there will be videos.... when I figure it out. O.O
Would be nice to find one on Diver's Den.
Got a new video camera.... soon there will be videos.... when I figure it out. O.O
