Regal Angel is not eating

[MaxW]

Three weeks ago I got this regal angel. I have tired everything I can think, clam, my sis, brine, algae... But she just doesn't touch them. The only thing it does is to nip on live rock sometimes. I have 125g tank with one powder brown tang, fox face, and two clowns. Any suggestions to entice it to eat? If it continues like this, can it last?

Thanks,

Max

 

[albano]

IMO, if it wasn't eating BEFORE you bought it...you should not have bought it...they are tough to get to eat, and should have been put in a QT to start with.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Try PE mysis and Hikari mysis (some fish prefer one to the other), spirulina-enriched brine, and chopped shrimp and scallop from your grocery store. Try soaking the foods in garlic extract and also feeding plain. Keep offering different foods a handful of times per day even though at three weeks, you are getting close to the time the fish will weaken. Don't give up as some fish start eating just when you think it is a lost cause.

Also try rubberbanding nori/seaweed to a rock.

Make sure the fish is not being bullied and has plenty of places to hide. Back away from the tank when you feed. Make sure to put enough food in so that the regal has time to get some before the established fish get it all. Try keeping the lights low at feeding time.

One of the major reasons for a qt (in addition to disease control) is to let the fish settle in to aquarium food and life before it has to compete in your dt. You should quarantine all fish, but particularly quarantine difficult fish like a regal.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

[michael_cb_125]

Powder Brown Tangs can be quite aggressive and will bully newly introduced fish. Clowns can be the same way. Regal Angels that are newly introduced typically dont handle stress well and this only makes them that much more difficult to get eating (if they are not).

Personally I would try to separate her from the other fish. Try using eggcrate. This will give her a space without competition or aggression. Since she is already in your DT I would not stress her again by moving to a QT.

Remember aggression is not always shown by chasing, flaring and the other obvious signs. There are many forms of aggression and not all is easily noticed...

~Michael

 

[alton]

Not sure if you saw this?

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=20766816

 

[MrTuskfish]

These are very tough fish to acclimate; especially those from Indonesia or just labeled "Indo-Pacific. They don't ship well either, making acclimation that much more difficult. I can't imagine buying this (or any) fish without using a QT regimen. Getting tough fish to eat can be impossible in a DT; because of the aggression, food competition, and general mayhem.

 

[MaxW]

Great info and many thanks. I will try a couple of suggestions I have not used. It doesn't look like it's stressed. actually it bonded with foxface and often retreat to the same cavity together. I will report back in another week.

Thanks for the help,

Max