about the maroon clownfish

[knight0r]

Just got my Maroon Clownfish and I'm having a tough time getting him to eat. I've got a pretty solid setup - 125 gallon tank, 150 lbs of cured live rock, and it's cycled. I've tried feeding him Mysis and brine shrimp, both the frozen kind, but nothing's working. He's the only fish in the tank, so that's not the issue. Yesterday he was swimming all over the walls, which was a bit concerning. But after a night without lights, he's found a nice little hiding spot among the rocks. I tried feeding him again today, but still nothing. Has anyone got any advice? I've heard of people using garlic to get their fish to eat - is that something I should try? I've also got some store-bought stuff like megamarine and mega marine angel, and some krill, all frozen cubes.

[finnley9]

It's likely that your new Maroon Clownfish is stressed given its recent behavior. Swimming up the glass is often a sign of this. I've heard some people mention using garlic to encourage feeding, but I've never tried it myself. From what I know, it's available in solution form at local fish shops, so you could try dipping your food in it before serving. Providing plenty of hiding spots should help your clownfish feel more secure. Establishing a regular feeding schedule, such as morning and night, might also help. As for introducing another Maroon Clown, now would be the ideal time if you're planning to do so, just make sure it's a similar size.

[knight0r]

She's already a pretty good size, around 5 inches. Would love to have a pair one day, but we'll see how things go. She's found a great little hiding spot, fingers crossed she'll start coming out more soon.

[rileyon]

Sounds like the fish is stressed out. Try giving it some live brine shrimp, that usually does the trick to get clowns eating and calm them down.

[knight0r]

I've already got the frozen Mysis and Brine shrimp, been mixing it with water and sprinkling it in the general area where my Clownfish is hiding. Now I'm wondering what else I can try to get her to eat. The Mysis and Brine shrimp seem pretty small, are there bigger sizes available? Would a larger size be more suitable for a full-grown Clownfish like mine?

[knight0r]

Day three and I'm getting worried - still no eating. I've added Krill to the mix, but no luck so far. My Clownfish is hiding under a rock, making it tough to get food near it. I'm concerned about how long it can go without eating. I've been retesting my water and everything looks fine - 0ppm Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate, pH 8.3, and a temp of 78 degrees. The fish doesn't appear sick, no visible spots or anything. My main concern is that if I just keep throwing food in without a plan, it'll just pollute the tank. I'm thinking of trying flake food - what type would you recommend?

[rileyon]

Try live bine for your clownfish, they usually can't resist it. Live food often does the trick. Remove any uneaten food to prevent pollution.

[rileyon]

Most good marine shops should have live Brine shrimp, mine does anyway. Got a little bag for 30P, emptied it into a container so I could squirt out a bit at a time. Just squirt a little near the fish, see if it eats it, if it does give it a bit more. Did this a few times a day, then slowly switched to frozen foods and flake.

Live Brine shrimp's not the most nutritious, so try to get it onto something else ASAP. All the clowns I've seen love live Brine shrimp.

Just a heads up, the live Brine shrimp's water can be high in phosphates, so consider having some phosphate remover on hand while you're trying this.

[knight0r]

You've mentioned live brine shrimp, is that the same as the frozen brine shrimp I've been trying? Sorry, I'm really new to this and just want to make sure I'm on the right track. Will give it a shot when I get home this morning, thanks for the advice.

[rileyon]

Yeah, sorry about that, always seem to get it wrong. You know, like when I mean to type 'the' it comes out as 'teh' and all that. Anyway, I meant live Brine shrimp, not bine, haha.