Please Help! Coral Beauty is NOT eating.

[souljah]

I just purchased a 1.5 inch Coral Beauty and
a 1 inch Strawberry basslet.
I put them both in my 12 gallon quarantine and
I'm planning to keep them in there for 2 weeks.
They both are very colorful, healthy, active,
and appear to be disease free.
The only problem is that my Coral Beauty hasn't
been eating at all. I've tried brine shrimp,
pellet foods, flake food, lettuce, various meats and this

[hr]
just won't eat. It's been 3 days now, should I be worried? Will he eat soon? Does he maybe pick at the food laying at the bottom at night? If someone has expierence with Coral Beauty's, or has previously owned one, please enlighten me and let me know if yours has had this same behavior.
oh.. and as far as my strawberry basslet goes...
He eats like a #@$!*& pig!
Guess he figures if the Coral won't eat, that means more for him
But seriously though, someone please help
thanks http://www.***********.com/images/products/large/pw66102.jpg

 

[holacanthus]

"Various meats" like what? Try some frozen mysis shrimp, maybe a small fresh clam. At 1.5 in that would be a very small specimen, though <img src="graemlins//confused2.gif" border="0" alt="[confused2]" /> just give it a few days and it should eat! Good fishkeeping

 

[karlas]

i would try the fresh clam or cut up a piece of table shrimp. if that doesnt work maby try to get some live brine and slowly mix in prepared foods with it. it should adapt

 

[von_rahvin]

also i would not freak out too much. sometimes fish take a while to get adjusted to a new tank. just a thought. do you have any cover in your q tank? something for the fish to hide behind? if you do cool, but if you don't you might want to consider adding it to the q tank. this will allow the fish to feel more secure and more comfortable in their new enviroment.

 

[dragonuwrasse]

I just bought a Coral beauty last week. He didn't eat anything the first two days. I take that back he plucked at my live rock.
I tried brine shrimp, omega one flake food, and cut up krill to no avail. I bought some frozen mysis shrimp and the beauty immediately ate it and now he eats anything I offer. I would suggest the mysis shrimp, it is recommended for shy fish.
Good Luck!!!

 

[addicted 1]

I too, experienced your same frustrations. The coral beauty I bought looked extremely healthy, however when I added it to my tank it would just hide out in some lr. Even at feedings it wouldn't join the gang and eat. Eventually after a week or so of this introvertive behavior the fish began to decline. Fins started tearing, slimmed down etc. I took it back to the store of purchase and to much hesitation I exchanged him for another coral beauty. The two fish could not have been any more different. The second fish swam all around the tank in the open, defended himself against my territorial yellow tang, and ate like a pig. He today is now one of my favorites.

 

[souljah]

wow addicted 1, this sounds just like my coral beauty. I've had him since last friday and he still wont eat. its almost one week. he still doesnt eat. i tried to feed him everything and still he wont eat. I'm going to give him 2 more days or so and if he doesnt eat, hes going back to the fish store for a new one.
thanks for your input <img src="graemlins//confused.gif" border="0" alt="[confused]" />

 

[souljah]

He still wont eat, I bought him live brine and he just stares at it like an idiot.
Whats the deal with this fish? <img src="graemlins//confused.gif" border="0" alt="[confused]" />

 

[reeferx]

I think I just told mlm yesterday to try Formula 2 or even # 1. Get the frozen cube version. Thaw it and put some in. You could even use a sterile turkey baster to get it near it. But in a small q tank I think it will pick up on it really quick without the baster.
It may just take a while. I heard others say this. How well do you know the lfs you got it from? I hate to mention it, esp. since you already sound spooked, but if it looks pinched it could have been caught with Cyanide.
If I were you, I would try Formula. It worked for my beauty. If it is grazing on algae I wouldn't sweat it too much yet either.

 

[it's_fishy]

Everything i've read suggests that coral beauty's are not beginner fish...perhaps that's why. i have one...it was one of my first tank dwellers....and it def doesn't eat like the clownies. in fact it seemed pretty food shy at first but i didn't sweat it because i half expected my first fish to croak on me...however, he (or she) loves to pick at everything now....rocks...substate...food...diatom algae onthe glass etc....so i'd just give it time to adjust.
Or maybe like everyone else seems to suggest...you just got a particularly fussy one and need to exchange it at your local store. who knows? But best of luck to you and your beauty.
They really are beautiful fish.

 

[scubadoo]

Try soaking the food in garlic. Also, check your water parameters as a 12 gallon QT with two fish and food resting on the bottom does not sound good.

 

[mwaraxa]

Try what Scuba said with the garlic. That should help entice his appetite. I know my CB will pick at algae sheets. You might want to consider something like that. Put a small piece that he can pick on when you aren't right in front of the tank. When i first got mine he would always hide when i fed the fish. So i starting put the algae sheet in there for him. When i wasn't in the room he would come out and pick at that. Once he started to get more comfortable he now eats with everyone else when i feed them. At least he'd be nibbling at something. . . .

 

[who dey]

was he eating at the LFW. always have them feed your fish before you get them. if you know the owner as most of us probably do put a deposit on the fish and have them hold it for a week or two before you take it home to ensure his health. garlic does work wonders

 

[breckco.ky]

I also have purchased a CB and it ate at the LFS and ate the first 2 days in my hypo QT. But however I've not witnesed her eat for the past 8 days... and there is nothing for it to peck on in my hypo tank. I've tried every food under the sun to no avail. You really need to monitor your ammonia and ph while in QT I've been fighting ammonia this entire time barely keeping the level below .25 which is still bad. Good Luck with the fish Im in the same boat with you and also looking for options as well.

 

[drewsta]

try anything that has a high content of SPONGE as this is angels natural diet in the wild also try feeding emerald entree frozen.. Good luck

 

[shrimpdady]

Originally Posted by it's_fishy
Everything i've read suggests that coral beauty's are not beginner fish...perhaps that's why. i have one...it was one of my first tank dwellers....and it def doesn't eat like the clownies. in fact it seemed pretty food shy at first but i didn't sweat it because i half expected my first fish to croak on me...however, he (or she) loves to pick at everything now....rocks...substate...food...diatom algae onthe glass etc....so i'd just give it time to adjust.
Or maybe like everyone else seems to suggest...you just got a particularly fussy one and need to exchange it at your local store. who knows? But best of luck to you and your beauty.
They really are beautiful fish.
Is it just me or did this reply come about 3 years too late? :notsure:

:hilarious

 

[tang_tank]

this may be a stupid question but did you check the temperature if its too low he won't swim very much and he won't eat very much