Tusk fish no longer eating well

[Lion-o]

Hi all,

I've had a tusk in my 300g for a long time - got him 9/14 (in QT for 3 months). Never had any issues with him eating until recently. I am wondering if this has happened to anyone else, and maybe any foods their tusk finds extra enticing. We feed a variety of frozen foods (jumbo mysis, mysis, green cuisine, krill...). He always used to run away with the frozen cube in his mouth and he the most aggressive going for big krill. In the last week or so he has been much more timid, eating just a couple of pieces off the ground usually.

The only things I can think of is he might be getting bullied a bit as he is definitely intimidated by our rabbitfish, raccoon butterfly, and powder blue tang despite being the largest (and meanest looking) fish in the tank. Another thing is that in late April I added a tiny cleaning crew (testing to see if he'd leave them be or not) and I'm 99% sure he ate the nerite snail.

Just last weekend I picked up a handful of turbo snails from the LFS and let them free, hoping maybe he'd go after one of those. No, I wouldn't like the budgetary consequences of that but at least he'd be eating again. No dice though, all 6 snails are still alive and well roaming about the tank. Maybe they are too big? Maybe something internal? Maybe just stress?

Uploaded a couple photos as well. Nothing that I can see is visibly bothering him. I can try and get a video uploaded later if it might help.

thanks,
danny

 

[kegogut]

Try a bit of garlic with the food maybe? Also could maybe get some live food from a LFS?

 

[Lion-o]

Wife tried a couple of different things today, namely a frozen chunk of squid/clams/shrimp that we had made a long while back they never seemed interested in. Apparently he aggressively went after it, but didn't appear to end up eating any of it. Rather putting it in his mouth and spitting it out over and over all around the tank. I was not watching myself but sounds like typical behavior of a fish not too happy with its food. Happy to hear he aggressively went after it at least.. haven't seen that from him in quite some time now.

 

[kegogut]

Wife tried a couple of different things today, namely a frozen chunk of squid/clams/shrimp that we had made a long while back they never seemed interested in. Apparently he aggressively went after it, but didn't appear to end up eating any of it. Rather putting it in his mouth and spitting it out over and over all around the tank. I was not watching myself but sounds like typical behavior of a fish not too happy with its food. Happy to hear he aggressively went after it at least.. haven't seen that from him in quite some time now.

When you say frozen chunk,are you tossing it in the tank frozen or letting it thaw first? Did you try any garlic?

 

[Lion-o]

Normally we pre thaw. In this case, it was frozen.

Have not tried garlic yet. I have read lots of bad things about it being unhealthy for fish. But I might try mixing in a bit with their food tomorrow.

 

[kegogut]

Normally we pre thaw. In this case, it was frozen.

Have not tried garlic yet. I have read lots of bad things about it being unhealthy for fish. But I might try mixing in a bit with their food tomorrow.

Ive known people who have fed their fish garlic every feeding for years with no ill effects. Ive never had nor personally witnessed anything negative. You can use minced garlic instead of wasting money on garlic guard.

 

[Lion-o]

We did try a clam today (not sure on the type) and he attacked it pretty viciously. How much of it he actually ate though? I don't know... didn't seem like much. Lots of attacking and bashing on the rocks, taking it in and spitting it out. We got some silversides and scallops today too to try.

Wife found some posts here today about tusks being known to go on hunger strikes. I hope that is simply the case and he will snap back when he gets hungry enough :|