Dwarf Angel not eating--any tips?

[Marija Reiff]

Hello. Thanks all for your help with my last post. I have a new dwarf lemonpeel angelfish that I got two days ago. For the first day he mostly seemed fine, but now he hides all day behind his rock, and he hasn't eaten at all. I have an algae sheet there (and yes, I've replaced it a couple of times), and he has been offered live blood worms, frozen (but thawed) mysis shrimp, and pellets soaked in garlic. He hasn't touched anything. When I've been to various fish stores, I've always seen that a dwarf angel that hides in the corner soon dies.

Here are some other stats: he is in a tank with a fire shrimp, a chocolate chip star, and two small percula clowns. No one is bothering him or harassing him at all. I tested my water yesterday, and it had 0% ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites. My water temp was at 78 degrees, and I just raised it to 81 because I read on another forum that this will help stimulate appetite. Any other pointers? Is my fish doomed if he doesn't come out of hiding and start eating soon?

Thanks!

 

[jay0705]

Try brine shrimp, not the best food but something most fish will eat. I have cb angel w my tang and fox. Rarely does it eat the alage sheets

 

[mauler]

It's also only been two days give him some time to settle in

 

[siptang]

agree to top 2 users.

 

[Marija Reiff]

Thanks, everyone. However, it's now been four days, and the fish still isn't eating. Should I be worried yet? The fish has now come out of hiding and is swimming around the tank, but it still ignores any food I put in there, including brine shrimp, live blood worms, algae sheets, etc. Any other tips to get it to eat? And when does this situation become critical? Thanks.

 

[jay0705]

Live rock loaded w green stuff

 

[mauler]

When you feed the tank do you stand there and watch? If so he might not be ready to eat for an audience yet. Also does he look skinny? If not then I wouldn't worry a healthy fish can easily go a week with out food.

 

[Marija Reiff]

Thanks for your help No, I don't stand there and watch him because he obviously gets freaked out by me when I approach. He doesn't look too skinny yet, though I've been lucky so far that all of my fish have had a healthy appetite from the beginning, so this fish's reticence to eat scares me a bit. Angels already scare me a bit since they're supposedly more delicate, so I don't want him to get run down and prematurely die.

 

[trigger40]

i have had this happen befor. the first day you introduce a dwarf angel fish to the tank you should keep the lights off all day. it really helps with stress and it might be a life saver. and yes this does happen but usually with the coral beauty angel. some times the angels dont eat untill after the first week of being in a new tank. do you know if he was eating befor you bought it?

 

[Marija Reiff]

Yes, he was eating a combination of brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and live blood worms. I've tried all of those, but no luck yet. Thanks for your help! Maybe tomorrow will be the lucky day.

 

[siptang]

I had one that didn't eat for a week. Don't lose hope and good luck!

 

[trigger40]

+1

 

[Marija Reiff]

Thanks for your help, everyone. Late Friday night, my fish finally started picking at its algae clip and its algae-covered rock. Starting yesterday, it swam all over and heartily picked at its rock and its algae clip. It still hasn't eaten any "added" foods--such as mysis shrimp, pellets, etc.--but it has started eating the vegetables in the tank, which is a huge relief. Thanks!

 

[trigger40]

good. this is what normaly what happens with dwarf angels. it should start eating other foods in the next few days. but do not mess with it at all if you stress it out now you will haft to restart.