clown fish

[p00num3lli]

my new perc didnt eat yesterday or this morning, this pretty normal? my first perc and my hippo tang ate right away wen i got them. and i noticed that his two bottom fins, one is bigger than the other. i didnt c that when i bought him, but im sure he will b fine.

[Rychek]

I purchased an Ocellaris Clown from liveaquaria.com and it didn't eat right off. It took it a few days before it really started eating (at first it would ignore or only peck and spit). I wouldn't worry about it too much, unless it persists for more than a few days.

[p00num3lli]

i was watching my clows a min ago, and my old clown kept swimming next to my new one and started to do this wierd twitching thing next to it...:confused: is he/she just showing submision.. or mating behavior or what? it scared the heck out of my when i first saw it i was like noooo... but then i realized it was only doing it next to the new guy/girl...

so tell me what yall think

[ErikH]

If they are not all out warring with each other they are fine. It's unmistakeable...

[p00num3lli]

If they are not all out warring with each other they are fine. It's unmistakeable...

they were for the first 3or 4 mins of introducing it, but then there fine now

[p00num3lli]

uggh, he still isnt eating, i drop the food right in front of his face, but its like he doesnt see it

[Chris]

Nothing much to be worried about. The trip from the ocean to your tank is often a stressful one and many times fish will lose their appetite because of it. What type of foods are you trying to entice him with? Mysis or Brine is a good choice for a finicky-eater. Even little chunks of cyclop-eze should get him interested.

Like Rychek stated though, no need to worry until he's been in there a couple days.

[p00num3lli]

ive tried frozen brine and formula one flakes which my tang and other clown love, he has been in there for a day in a half..

[DBlackman]

Try soaking the food in 'Garlic' products; Kent's Garlic Xtreme

Website for reference information: http://www.kentmarine.com/foods/garlic-xtreme.htm

[crabman]

Try soaking the food in 'Garlic' products; Kent's Garlic Xtreme
i second that! garlic xtreme gets everything going in my tank. my clown goes nuts for it, and just to throw this out there, it gets my sun corals opening up really well too!
:thumbs_up:

[p00num3lli]

but if he doesnt start eatin, and i order tomorrow, it will b to late

[DBlackman]

Fish in general can go days, into weeks without eating. But, you can continue to monitor him/her closely, but a few days of not eating.... too common.

[p00num3lli]

ok, i tried once again this morning, nothing. he just spends his time swimming up and down my glass. i gues he misses the ocean:cry_smile:. and are clowns from the ocean darker? cuz my first one is super bright ornage and i know he is tank bred, but this new guy is dark orange

[p00num3lli]

ok, tried to feed him again after i got home from school. he did better but still didnt eat. he paid absolulty no attention to the frozen brine i squirted in front of him. but when i put the flakes in his face he swam up to it fast *held my breathe* but when he was like nearly touching it, he swam off*gasp* so maby in the morning he will acually try it:nailbiting:

[subsailor]

Quick Question how big is he? and how big is your older clown?

[crabman]

where did you get him from? did you find out what the lfs was feeding him or if he was eating well while he was there? i would call and find out, it might save the little guy's life!

[p00num3lli]

my first guy is about one inch, my new guy is like half an inch longer(smallest they had) and no i was stupid and forgot to ask, but whe ni got him i watched him for about 5 minuits to make sure he was alright(there electricity had gone out.. my luck the one day i go to a fish store the lights are out...

[crabman]

my first guy is about one inch, my new guy is like half an inch longer(smallest they had) and no i was stupid and forgot to ask, but whe ni got him i watched him for about 5 minuits to make sure he was alright(there electricity had gone out.. my luck the one day i go to a fish store the lights are out...
hey those things happen all the time, i forget to ask so many times. but give them a call, if its anything like the lfs's in austin they should be more than happy to fill you in on the feeding and care of what they stock! good luck with him, i hope he comes around! :)

[p00num3lli]

well i did ask if it was a good group of them, and he said there fine. but thanks man... ill post in the morning if he eats or not... tomorrow will be his 3rd day npot eating.. =/

[p00num3lli]

ok, now this fish is making me mad, he still didnt eat this morning. its like hes stupid, he spends his whole day swimming up,down,up,down,up,down,up,down my glass, and its like he doesnt even see the food, goes right in front of his face.i doubt this guy is gona eat...:angry:

[Rychek]

Just a thought... is the fish blind?

[atxchris1234]

My big clown didn't eat at all for a few days. eventually he saw my other clown eating and decided it was safe, or figured out it was food. I wouldn't worry. Eventualy he'll get hungry enough and eat. Swimming up,down at the glass is also normal of my newer clown. The newer clown was ocean raised as well. Im sure clowns go days without eating in the wild.

It'll be fine, and who knows... he may be nibbling at food particles when you're not around. No worries, clowns are pretty strong little fish.

[apedroza]

Try feeding him live food or try the tigger pods from reef nutrition.

[p00num3lli]

i should of got live brine shrimp when i was in houston*slap my self* thats what he was feeiding them. and to the guy whpo says maby he is blind, i would think he would be also but hes to old to be blind, he would of died long ago =) but i just got home from school , ad im about to catch him and put him in this little breeder net thing that hangs in the tank and droping some food in there with him in it, he might take it then.. well im gona go try it. if he doesnt eat.. wwell i got him on saturday, so thats a while without food. have yall had any fish go longer than three days that didnt eat?

[Mr Cob]

I have had fish go without food for weeks. I believe it takes a fish months to actually die of starvation. Normally they will die from the stress that goes along with not eating and thus making themselves more suceptible to catching a disease that they can not fight off.

I've had a true perc clown not eat for a week when bought from the LFS....once he was adjusted he became the pig of the tank.

[subsailor]

I would not put him in the breeder personally as he has already been stressed enough getting to your tank, imagine being caught in a net out in the ocean taken somewhere and being put in a 1x1 holding area for a week and then baged and put in a dark box for days to get to the US, then unpacked and put in a holding pen prolly 1x1 again for a couple of days, and then bagged and boxed again and shipped to your LFS and then being introduced to an aquarium at the LFS only to be bagged and transported to your tank and put in. IMO putting him in a breeder net is only going to increase the stress on him that he already has. Give him a few more days and let him get used to his surroundings and what is going on, then see if he will eat, just don't try to force feed him.

[p00num3lli]

well i tried once again, and nothing tried the 3 different foods i have.. frozen brine(i get a little water bottle cap and put a little bit of the tank water and put in it, then cut a pice of it in there and crush it, the get a pippette,suck it up then slowly realese it into the tank) then this formula one algea flakes, and some meatier flakes, but once again they drifted right by his face, but paid no attention to it.i hope he comes through. he also has kinda wierd swim to him, he moves slower than my first perc and moves like a snake, like REALLY wavy, not sure whats up with that

[p00num3lli]

what should i do if he doesnt eat for a whole week?

[ErikH]

Get some garlic extract from the store, put some on their food and drop it in. after it settles, turn your powerheads back on to get them moving again. Three days is nothing, clowns can and will be stubborn. Don't sweat it.

[DBlackman]

Please take no harm in what you are about to read.

Take the advice that has already been reiterated by several members, including myself; new fish are known to not eat for days upon weeks when introduced to new environments.

One of the most basic rules in purchasing fish, in general, is to have the lfs/Seller feed the fish in your presence, BEFORE purchase.

One of the best ways to get a fish to eat, is to have other fish in the tank that it sees eating food; this will encourage it investigate and experiment with foods it sees others eating. It does take time for adjustments.

In worst cases, non-eating is a factor and contributor to the overall stress and poor condition, which the fish will 'die-off' and/or mysteriously dissppear without a trace. Not your fault!

If this 'Clown' is causing you this much distress... don't get a mandarin... smile... my mandarin drove me insane... lol

[p00num3lli]

yea, hes right there when they eat, but hes in his own lil world. and i wish i couldt just drive up to a LFS and buy some ,but the closest is over an hour away

[Mr Cob]

When I get new fish, I feed the tank first then add the fish after everyone has eaten. I then don't feed the tank for a day as to not stress the new guy out. New additions like to be left alone and some times will stay in the dark for days to a week.

Don't worry about him. If he's going to make it he will come around and if he doesn't then there is nothing you can do.

What subsailor said about the trip these guys have to take is very realistic. Makes me not even want to buy fish...feel bad for them. Just make sure you keep pristine water and keep lots of hiding places for new fish to take refuge.

Also...don't forget this word.... "Patience"

[Rychek]

If this 'Clown' is causing you this much distress... don't get a mandarin... smile... my mandarin drove me insane... lol

No doubt! My mandarin nearly made me sick and it disrupted my sleep because I was so worried about it. Try not to worry p00num3lli. As has been stated before, clowns are tough/stubborn fish at times. He'll start eating eventually. Sooner or later he'll get so hungry he'll be willing to try things he hadn't before.

[p00num3lli]

iet guys, im about to go try to feed him breakfast,lol. yea, ive been very pacient in this hobby. my tank has been coral less for 9 months. i just got my first corals(zoanthid) 5 days ago, because they are hardy guys. well lets hope he eats this time. and trust me! lol i know what it feels like to not be able to sleep with my tank on my mind:bigsmile:

[p00num3lli]

well he acually tried this time, but he kept spitting it out. he didnt pay to much attention to the food, more to the random small floating particles that he would eat and spit back out. and he is scared of the ibgger flakes, but he atleast tried this time, maby he wont spit em out this evening

[Rychek]

That's progress. Another day or two and he might start swallowing the things he bites. :) That's how mind did it at least.

[Mr Cob]

That's progress. Another day or two and he might start swallowing the things he bites. :) That's how mind did it at least.

Yeah, seems like he will be eating in no time.