I have a female spotted boxfish about 3-4" long, and having trouble getting it to accept foods. I received it on wednesday of this week and its perfectly health: swimming around happily and picking at some of the live rock. I've tried frozen mysis shrimp, sheets of algae, and live bloodworms. Any suggestions?
Spotted Boxfish feeding
- Thread starter Torno
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binaryterror
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What? Nobody even replied... You are being sarcastic, arent you...
I assume the fish you have is O. meleagris, since you identify it as a female. This is a very difficult fish, and yours is, from the size, a full grown adult, unlikely to easily adjust to unfamiliar foods. These fish are actually a kind of trunkfish, with very small mouths. They are grazers on the reef, but carnivorous grazers. They eat little tiny things attached to the substrate or buried in the sand. They eat continuously, since their usual diet involves small creatures.
I have no experience with this fish, but lots of experience with similar fishes. Live blackworms may your best bet, and you might also try scraping a little scallop, squid, etc., onto a rough-surfaced piece of rock or coral skeleton. This may interest the fish, and allow you to modify its diet over time. A few small freshwater snails might work, but be careful not to allow uneaten food to accumulate. Good luck.
I have no experience with this fish, but lots of experience with similar fishes. Live blackworms may your best bet, and you might also try scraping a little scallop, squid, etc., onto a rough-surfaced piece of rock or coral skeleton. This may interest the fish, and allow you to modify its diet over time. A few small freshwater snails might work, but be careful not to allow uneaten food to accumulate. Good luck.
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