So what do you try to get new fish to start eating?

[snorvich]

I am sure we all have been in a situation where we get a new fish or two and they seem not to want to eat. I am assuming that we all did our research and have on hand a variety of foods that they are supposed to eat. What foods do you use to tempt them to begin eating? What food in your experience is irresistible?

 

[skibum9884]

Steve, some may disagree, but I think it's almost more the additives than the food. Having things on hand like Kent's Garlic Xtreme, Brightwell's new AngeLixir, and Fauna Marin's "True Garlic Extract" has done a lot for me.

It could be coincidence, but Brightwell's AngeLixir has gotten a great feeding response from difficult angels and butterflies for me. I'm thinking maybe it could be these "sponge extracts" they talk about.

Beyond that, I've had good luck with both PE Mysis (assuming the fish are big enough), and smaller foods like Arctipods.

For the REALLY hard to break, I've used live California blackworms. The wiggle is irresistible to most fish, although I prefer not to feed live food!

 

[Toddrtrex]

Good idea for a thread Steve.

Lately it has seemed that LifeLine's herbivore mix has been my food for new fish to get eating. Before that it was Rod's food (( green, red and blue labels )), lately it doesn't seem to have the same effect --- I think it has more to do with the fact that the "flats" are older and near the end. Going to have to try some new ones to see what happens.

And, PE mysis seems to work pretty well too.

 

[falconut]

I usually try frozen mysis, but if they don't take it I'll try live brine and live blackworms. That usually does the trick. But I don't buy a fish that I haven't seen eat at the LFS.

 

[snorvich]

Good idea for a thread Steve.

Lately it has seemed that LifeLine's herbivore mix has been my food for new fish to get eating.

And, PE mysis seems to work pretty well too.

I always try and mix stuff together in the very beginning which seems to work well if they have a feeding response at all and I always include PE mysis. I have never heard of Lifeline's herbivore mix. What is that?

 

[Toddrtrex]

I always try and mix stuff together in the very beginning which seems to work well if they have a feeding response at all and I always include PE mysis. I have never heard of Lifeline's herbivore mix. What is that?

It is like Formula 1 (( or 2, whichever one is the green one )), but I like it better, and more importantly my fish like it better too. I have seen it at Living Sea (( Park Ridge )) and Trop-a-qutics (( Lombard )). Been using it for at least 5 years now and have been really pleased with it.

 

[iamwrasseman]

Steve as you know in my house one thing that is simply irresistible for 99% of all new fish is live brine from my experience . live brine isn't very nutritious but it will get them eating usually with the first try . i have also used live mysis but they are way to expensive and also are cannibalistic after a few days so its not worth the money but very much more nutritious .after they get started eating PE mysis seems to do the trick in my home .

 

[reppo13]

It is like Formula 1 (( or 2, whichever one is the green one )), but I like it better, and more importantly my fish like it better too. I have seen it at Living Sea (( Park Ridge )) and Trop-a-qutics (( Lombard )). Been using it for at least 5 years now and have been really pleased with it.

Related to my other thread but does your golden angel eat this? Just wondering cuz I want to give mine the best environment it can have and that would include food.

 

[small alien]

Nutramar Ova Prawn Roe!!! It is the only thing that every single one of my fish will eat with gusto. And it's the first food consumed for all of my more difficult to feed fish like pipes, dragonets, the leopards and the files.

 

[RealReef7]

1.NLS Finiky Fish Formula
2.Mysis
3.Brine Shrimp
4.Scallops
5.cyclop-eez

 

[tibob32]

cyclopeeze. If the fish is small enough to see it, it'll eat it

 

[snorvich]

Wonderful information all!! I have and use garlic (as well as vitality) but don't know about Brightwell's AngeLixir. I will seek that out. I am off this morning to living sea (although not my favorite LFS) for Lifeline's herbivore mix and will report back on how that is received. Nutramar Ova Prawn Roe is on my list from the threads about the filefish (which I read diligently) and it will be arriving this week. I have and use baby brine but have to start a new batch. If I had a convenient source for blackworms I would do that as well. Any more ideas?

 

[reef_doug]

Reef Nutrition Arcti-pods.
NutraMar OVA
Cyclopeeze (Argent brand, frozen red one) works good too.

 

[snorvich]

1.NLS Finiky Fish Formula

I just ordered this for Tuesday. Thanks!

 

[JHemdal]

Steve,

Like you said; research the animal BEFORE you acquire it. The next step is to ascertain that there isn't some disease or husbandry problem causing the anorexia. At that point, I generally use live mysids (if appropriate in size for the fish). I'll resort to tube-feeding to keep the fish's energy levels up if need be. I've never had much more than coincidental luck with appetite stimulants and the like.
Like Dave said, live brine also works to jump start a fish feeding - I've been suprised at how large of a fish will be attracted to newly hatched nauplii.
Here is a link to an article I wrote on fish anorexia:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/12/aafeature1


Jay

 

[iamwrasseman]

nice article Jay !

 

[reppo13]

Thanks for the great read, I'm sure I'll run into this a little later in the hobby.

 

[Stanley-Reefer]

IME Rods, PE mysis and Hikari brine are gobbled up by most.

All fish attack Roggers (about time to order some more from Dr F/S) both regular and green

All fish really like the H20 life 1-2 and coral fusions too. This doesn't diperse as readily as Rods and pulls away more like cotton candy.

Then I trick them into eating nls, ON, Hikari pellets

 

[snorvich]

Nice article Jay. Actually I research all animals feeding requirements before acquisition. Some I choose not to acquire because I don't think I can provide appropriately. However, I always like to have an arsenal of alternatives (which I am adding to thanks to the input of the posters above) for two reasons: one as a way of getting difficult fish to start eating, secondly as a way of adding variety to all fish in my care.

 

[RealReef7]

I just ordered this for Tuesday. Thanks!

I'm sure you will be very pleased with it, you can't go wrong with nls.