Oxymonacanthus longirostris - a week in review.

[Project Reef]

Renee, try the TINY sized spectrum pellets, not the 'small' pellets. Mine go crazy for that stuff and it's really easy for them to 'suck' it down since it's smaller than the diameter of their mouth opening. They go even crazier for flake food since it's really easy to vacuum down their mouths as well.

 

[SDguy]

Renee, try the TINY sized spectrum pellets, not the 'small' pellets. Mine go crazy for that stuff and it's really easy for them to 'suck' it down since it's smaller than the diameter of their mouth opening. They go even crazier for flake food since it's really easy to vacuum down their mouths as well.

I meant to comment on these Fatty McFattertons when I saw them on Sunday :lolspin:

 

[Project Reef]

Lol

 

[small alien]

Bingo. She got it. She just kept at them until they crumbled and then ran after the pieces.

Hooray!!!! I know the feeling of seeing a fish eat that first bite of a new food. Congratulations.

 

[kev apsley]

good for you! this is the kind of thread that makes this hobby so wonderful, sharing pertinent information about a difficult species goes a long way in sustaining the hobby and moving it into the future..... kudos to you!!!

 

[seahorsedreams]

Renee, try the TINY sized spectrum pellets, not the 'small' pellets. Mine go crazy for that stuff and it's really easy for them to 'suck' it down since it's smaller than the diameter of their mouth opening. They go even crazier for flake food since it's really easy to vacuum down their mouths as well.

Well dang it! F&S doesn't have Spectrum food. I'll go on a local hunt to see if I can find it. I know I've seen it around. Thanks for the tip!

So far I have tried

• Hikari Marine S - this is what she ate.
• ORA Glow - She really tried but I think I sucked most of it back out.
• Ultracolor - didn't eat.
• Crushed Formula One Marine Pellts - the size was so variable that there was a lot of waste. I was afraid of compromising water quality.

Any other suggestions of what I could try after the spectrum?

She likes flake food. I've only tried the Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef Flakes. Any other suggestions? Flake food isn't going to be really practical for the tank she'll be going in. The pellets will be an extra feeding throughout the day and this tank will have a few anthias in there that will eat pellets... not flake. I have a year to fatten her up and train her well. If I think she will fail in a tank with others, I will pull her back out. She should be find because all the fish that will be going in there are the super super timid variety.

Thank you all for your encouragement. I know this guys can sometimes create an "uncivil" thread. Months of prep went into this and I've never worked so hard to feed anything in my life.... okay maybe the freaking ambon that still hasn't converted.... but I digress. You guys have been a big help!

 

["Umm fish?"]

My LFS is able to get the small size in for me whenever they do an order. I just have to give them a few days notice.

Matt always swears by the Spirulina flakes. I never got mine interested in flake, but I haven't tried in months. Maybe they'd be more interested now?

 

[Project Reef]

Renee, my favorite dry foods to feed OSF:
1) Spectrum 'tiny' pellets (I wish they would make the Thera A in tiny)
2) Omega One brand Super Veggie flake and Super Color flake

I actually very, very rarely feed them frozen food.

 

["Umm fish?"]

Renee and all,

I have a big day coming up for my pair of fish, so I wrote up a little retrospective of my time with them so far. I've said most of these things elsewhere, but it's good to get it all collected together. If you are interested, here's the link:

http://www.ummfish.com/

 

[seahorsedreams]

Thanks for that! Awesome and congrats!

 

["Umm fish?"]

Thanks, Renee!

 

[LisaD]

nice article, congratulations on reaching an important milestone!

 

["Umm fish?"]

Thank you. We're not quite there yet, but close.

 

[HomeSlizzice]

Check reefgeek, they have spectrum pellets, plus they are a great company.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I must have missed something

I must have missed something

the aquarium in this thread appears to be great for taking photos but it's fairly sterile looking. Aquarists having the greatest success with this species maintain them in reef aquaria full of living corals.
Why not place these fish in a full blown reef aquarium and rotate out Pocillipora if/as necessary?

 

[seahorsedreams]

the aquarium in this thread appears to be great for taking photos but it's fairly sterile looking. Aquarists having the greatest success with this species maintain them in reef aquaria full of living corals.
Why not place these fish in a full blown reef aquarium and rotate out Pocillipora if/as necessary?

The aquarium in this thread is a QT tank.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I'm far from being a fish expert

I'm far from being a fish expert

so forgive my questions but wouldn't this be a case to forego QT and place these fish directly in a reef aquarium with living corals?

 

["Umm fish?"]

Actually, I've seen pictures of them starving in full-blown reef aquaria. Mine never ate any corals that I saw in captivity and the corals just aren't really necessary with this fish, if you get them onto other foods. I think that it is much better to at least keep them out of a reef tank long enough to ensure that they are eating alternative foods and that they've put on enough weight that they are no longer in danger of immediate starvation. And, honestly, by that point the corals are optional.

BTW, the aquarists having the greatest success with this species are _not_ maintaining them in reef aquaria.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

did you have Pocillipora in that aquarium?

did you have Pocillipora in that aquarium?

all of the folks I know of with this species spawning in captivity have their clown files placed in living coral displays. It's a consensus among many experienced reefkeepers keeping this species long term successfully that living corals aren't simply an option but a neccessity.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

BTW, the aquarists having the greatest success with this species are _not_ maintaining them in reef aquaria.

I beg to differ. Define success. Is there something more successful than having them spawn?
Got a link to any of these aquarists set ups?