how to wake him up?

[amirsbp]

Hello,
Last week, I bought a Coris gaimard fish to my 50 gallons marine aquarium.
right now, he is the largest fish in the aquarium. but, he is keep on hiding in the sand for most of the day, and while feeding, refuses to touch frosen food or dry food. adding garlic liquid to the food didn't change a thing?
what can i do to make him much more active and out of the sand for most of the day, and more important, to get him start eating before he will starves to death.
any help will be much appriciated.
p.s. i also have a clown coris and he is extremely strong and active, and eats anything

 

[flower]

Hi, I'm just welcoming you to the site....
This post will also bump your post to the top for those in the know to offer suggestions. Personally, I don't purchase fish that have to be weaned from live food to frozen, it's always a gamble. I hope someone can chime in and help. My fingers are crossed for you.

 

[geridoc]

Congratulations on your coris - they are beautiful as juveniles, and simply gorgeous as adults. However, they are not without their problems, fishkeeping-wise. First off, a 50 gallon system is too small (IMHO) for this animal, who can grow to 5-8 inches in captivity. Also, be sure that your rockwork is rock solid (pun intended), since as these guys get larger they seem to enjoy moving the rockwork around to suit themselves, not you. This can lead to avalanches that can crack your tank or crush some of your livestock. As to burying in the sand during the time that you would like to see it swimming, the answer is easy, and is the most common solution to most marine problems - patience. Wrasses invariably figure out the lighting cycle, and will adapt their day to fit, so don't rush it. The first fish I ever has (39years ago) was a christmas wrasse. Nobody knew much about them at that time, so when it disappeared after a few hours in the tank we assumed it was dead in the rockwork somewhere. Two weeks later the fish began to make daytime appearances, and eventually stayed out all day, and lived for 3 years. Feeding, however, sounds like a bigger problem. Was the fish eating in the lfs? If so, try feeding whatever they were using in the store to get the fish started. Once started, stand back - these guys are carnivores and eat a lot (translation - expect lots of waste, so make sure your filters are regularly cleaned, and up to the task). Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

[amirsbp]

Thanks,
the major thing i am concerned about is indeed the feeding issue because i have patience for him to adapt for the aquarium
but, i'm afraid he will starve first.
the other fish in my aquarium don't leave many leftovers so if he comes out hours after feeding, practically nothing is left, meaning i don't have much to do if he doesn't eat while feeding time. of course, i am trying to adjust the time hecomes out to feed but steel no luck.
The store i bought it from just got the fish a day or two before i took it, and as most stores, they keep the fresh shipments in empty tanks with no sand and no rockwork. anyway as far as i know they are feeding the fish mostly with ordinary dry food.