False Percula Clownfish won't eat!

[Yuri De Lima]

My False Percula Clownfish fish won't eat! The first day it got here, I tried to feed it brine shrimp and it took about 2 pieces. It have made a round circle in the sand and hosted it, just like a anemone, should I buy one for it. It also seems to protect it from the other fish, Firefish Goby. When I'm feeding the Firefish, he won't join in. I'm worried b/c when the Firefish was really shy when I put it in the tank, now after a couple of days it comes out more often. I've tried to look for signs of disease, but seen nothing.

Is there something wrong with my clown that I am not detecting?



Thanks in advance,
Yuri.

 

[TomToro]

Couldn't ell you what's wrong with the little guy, but when mine wouldn't eat, I used a squirt of garlic extract on his food. That helped and he's a pig now.

 

[BMorgan]

Have you tried feeding him different food? For instance I have a yellow-tailed blue damsel who would not even touch flake food. I also put some nori in there as was recommended but still nothing. Then I finally fed him some frozen mysis shrim and he pigged out. Now he'll eat anything in there. Sometimes it just takes something to get em goin' I guess?

 

[Yash]

As Tom pointed out above, try adding a little garlic extract to the food until they start eating well. It seems to work well with a lot of folks.

My clowns are really picky about the food they eat ... they will not come anywhere near flake food ... it simply floats around and gets sucked out through the overflow, so I quit trying flake food with them. They absolutely pig out on all types of frozen food though.

Regards,
Yash

 

[Grins]

I'd try the garlic and different foods as others have said. Frozen Mysid or Cyclopeeze Grandules work fabulously I've found. I'd not go get it a nem at this point. If it is a tank bred clown it probably doesn't even know what one is.

Warning..QT rant coming...this is another good reason to QT your livestock. You can get it used to your foods while it is in a space you can control and there aren't other fish stressing it out.

 

[Marcus Fenix]

this is the first time I read about that garlic thing, I'll be sure to remember that.
I use to feed frozen brine shrimp to the new comers...worked fine.

 

[Grins]

Many use the frozen mysid because it is more nutritional. Haven't had a fish turn it down either.

 

[Yuri De Lima]

what am I supposed to use really? A piece of garlic or garlic juice?

Thanks,
Yuri.

 

[Grins]

You need the extract. Some do it themselves, some buy it. I bought the Garlic Xtreme that Kent Marine puts out but cha ching!

 

[TomToro]

I buy the Garlic Extract Kyolic from the health food store, but Grins is right on the price. $15.00 but lasts for months. I've read (nothing substantiated) that it helps with the overall health of fish. I started using it awhile back when I had an outbreak of ich and some experienced reefers told me to use it. I use it regularly even though my fish eat a lot.