Clownfish unable to eat

[kaze]

I have 5 clownfish that live in my 130 gal, all bought when still fries. After a while in their juvenile stage, I've noticed that one of the 5 clowns is incredibly small compared to the rest, and i mean a huge difference and because of the size difference the tiny clown is unable to eat, as the other 4 hog all the food and grabs all the food before the little one can. Handfeeding doesn't work as well, as the tiny one refuses to eat from my hand. I've become extremely worried as it has become extremely thin. So what should I do? How can i get this clown thats lagging behind to eat!?

 

[scsinet]

Do you know if the fish will eat if it had the opportunity? This sounds like a runt of the litter problem to me. The real problem is that if he's already too far gone, nothing will save him.
Assuming he will eat, the easiest tactic is to feed two far ends of the tank at once. That'll help spread out the food a bit. If that doesn't work, you may need to remove him and put him in a fuge, a QT/HT, or some other isolate environment where he won't have competition for food.

 

[brokendeck]

You should try to soak the food in garlic or vitamin c and see if that helps. I had trouble with my clowns eating at there juvenile stage and I soaked my food in garlic and vitamin c and then the clowns started to eat the food. Now I dont even half to soak the food. I would just try soaking your food and see if it helps. It might work for the little clown of yours! Hope this helps.

 

[locoyo386]

Originally Posted by Kaze
http:///forum/post/3073807
I have 5 clownfish that live in my 130 gal, all bought when still fries. After a while in their juvenile stage, I've noticed that one of the 5 clowns is incredibly small compared to the rest, and i mean a huge difference and because of the size difference the tiny clown is unable to eat, as the other 4 hog all the food and grabs all the food before the little one can. Handfeeding doesn't work as well, as the tiny one refuses to eat from my hand. I've become extremely worried as it has become extremely thin. So what should I do? How can i get this clown thats lagging behind to eat!?
Hi there,
Would you be able to move him to the sump or ref. and keep him there till he gets bigger and stronger.

 

[kaze]

I'm not sure, honestly I've never seen him eat before. He does swim to the food but while the other 4 eat, he just swims below them in circles. Weird, he doesn't even surface to eat. At first I thought he was just scared but after several weeks he's still like this.
I'll definatly try that garlic vitamin C trick, but if all else fails. I guess isolation is the only solution, and if he still doesnt eat then I'm afraid hes just the runt of the litter.