care and feeding of common clownfish

[jolt9]

Hi,
I'm still getting to grips with my salties, so I'd love some advice from you all.
I'm currently feeding my clowns a mix of dry flake with spirulina and frozen Gamma brineshrimp. They're about 45mm from snout to caudal peduncle, but they're being a bit fussy - they only take small foods.
I've noticed they prefer to eat the pieces of brineshrimp rather than whole ones, and the same goes for the flake - I need to crumble it lightly with my fingers for them to eat it.
They're both healthy, deporting well, and their fins are erect, so that's a good sign.
I'm probably just used to feeding my other fish well and seeing a bulge in their belly after a meal, but my clowns seem to be different.
Is this normal for this species?
I was thinking that if they like small foodstuffs, newly hatched brineshrimp could be a great addition to their diet.
Any thoughts, guys?
Regards
jolt9

[flintek]

When I first got my clown, he was slightly bigger than the tiny damsel already in the tank, but now that damsel has almost doubled in size.

My clown is quite finicky when it comes to food - he'll often take a bite or two, and then just lose interest. The size of the food bits isn't the issue, as they're usually around the size of an adult brine shrimp, but he's very particular about what he eats. Sometimes, he'll even approach food, only to spit it out again.

At first, he only ate mysis shrimps, just like in the store, but over time he started eating flakes as well. I find it's easier to serve flakes in the morning, just throw them in the tank - I guess you could say it's a convenient option for both of us. I've been using Tetra Min and another brand of marine flakes, Aqua something, and he seems to be okay with those. I even tried ordering some special flakes from the Omega One series, including one with garlic, but it didn't make a difference to him.

[Auric]

I've recently started feeding my fish on New Era marine flakes, and I must say they're a hit. They seem to really enjoy them and I've noticed a positive difference. I think they're worth trying out, so give them a go and see how your fish respond.

[fleeton]

Mine went through the same phase jolt9. Started out as finicky eaters, now they're little vacuum cleaners. Just give 'em time, they'll get there.

[microvolt]

I had a bit of a struggle initially with my pair taking frozen mysis, but it just takes some persistence and patience, they eventually came around.

[jolt9]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I just fed them flake this evening and they're really going for it now. I think they're coming round, so a big thanks to all who replied.

I've also just picked up a little book on Clownfishes in the Aquarium by Gregory B. Skomal, it was a bargain at around £5 from Zorchzon. It's a great little TFH book, well worth a read if you're interested in these lovely fish.

Regards, jolt9

[flintek]

Cheers for the tip, jolt9. I've just checked the price of that Clownfish book by Gregory B. Skomal and it's actually £6.56, not £5. Being from Yorkshire, we're known for being careful with our pennies, but I think it's definitely worth the extra cost.

[jolt9]

If you look in the new and used section, you can pick it up for a bargain £2.99. My wife's a bit of a Bradford bargain hunter.

[flintek]

Cheers for the link.