Reef Discussion

[Trash]

hi all.

I have just purchased a coral beauty from a friend who works at a wholesale facility and I can't get him to eat. I know that he/ she was caught overseas and has only been in Australia for just over a week.

I have the fish in a 100 litre quarantine tank with established filtration, macro algae and a small Roland's damsel as a tank mate (the damsel is very shy at this stage). I have tried the coral beauty with live brine, nori, frozen mysis, frozen brine and there are loads of pods in the tank with him.

His behaviour seems quite good, strong colours and is cruzing around the tank quite boldly. I have just started to notice his belly starting to look empty from not eating. He does seem to graze on the algae on rocks and on the glass and he did pick at some live brine but spat them out.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I really don't want to loose him/her.

Cheers

Dave

 

[MagicJ]

How long have you had it for?

Was it eating during quarantine at the import facility?

Do you know where it was collected?

Apologies for all the questions :rolleyes

 

[Agent M]

A picture or video of the condition of the fish and its behaviour would really help if you can manage it.

But I can tell you my experiences with them. I've recently purchased two Aus-caught coral beauties and they are both doing well.

The first mostly just picked at algae in the tank for the first two weeks and would only sample other foods, often would spit them out. She also hid a lot and was skittish with me. So I think what you are describing is normal, however mine was not thin at the beginning and did not lose weight during that time.

If you can provide as much algae and live rock for the coral beauty to pick at while its getting used to new foods that will help. Its a worrying time but if the coral beauty is showing interest in the foods being put in the tank, thats a hopeful sign. Keep trying and be generous with the feedings during this stage, even if the food goes uneaten.

The second coral beauty was a different story altogether - he ate within 5 minutes of being introduced to the tank and has not stopped eating since. And he is not shy in the slightest.

Try turning the pumps off during feeding so that the food is easy to get as well. I found brine shrimp was the most popular frozen food with my first Coral Beauty and now she eats everything, just took some time for her to settle in.

 

[Trash]

I've had the fish since Thursday which was the day it was released from the quarantine facility at the wholesaler. So it would have travelled from Indonesia (I don't know where in Indo specifically). The guys tell me that the coral beauties from that supplier fare quite well and that these ones (including mine) were eating live brine shrimp.

I'm hopeless at technology and have no idea how to load a video onto the site sorry. I just checked then and he was 'pacing' around the side of the tank. Very much like a clown tang (or even blue tang) does when they are housed in a tank which is too small.

I'll keep trying various bits and pieces and will look bits of live rock from the display tank which he can graze on.

I'll keep you posted.

Cheers

Dave

 

[curly747]

Mine eats everything. Probably goes for pellets the most followed by mysis.

 

[Trash]

It's very strange because I have pretty much always had a coral beauty in at least one of my tanks over my 30 years in the hobby (showing my age!). They have never been shy when it comes to feeding time, or any time for that matter. This one is also bold, he swims out to check me out when I approach the tank but just isn't interested in food.

 

[Agent M]

I've been told by a couple of LFS here that the capture methods in Indonesia can often cause organ failure/poisoning and one of the main signs is not eating, so I guess thats a possibility.

For weight gain I use frozen bloodworms and/or mysis. Brand is important too, I find my fish really like Hikari frozen foods and they appear to be a fresh, clean product. I've been feeding Tropical BioNautic pellets that have a meat and algae mix of pellets that were well received by the male, took longer for the female to take them.

And for any sick fish I always lower my salinity as it helps keep them hydrated and gives them a better chance to recover. In a mixed reef tank I will reduce my specific gravity to 1.017. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_4/V4I4/hyposalinity/OST.htm

 

[Trash]

Thanks Agent M, I have my specific gravity at about 1.020 which is just enough to keep the pods alive. But I may have to sacrifice the pods and other inverts to lower the salinity even more I think.

Yeah I know that catching methods in Indo can be hit and miss and it is something that the importer wouldn't even be aware of even though insist that only sustainable methods be used. The suppliers insist that they are caught without the assistance of chemicals but there is always some doubt when dealing with Fish from Indo.

 

[MagicJ]

I would just be giving it some to time to settle into its new environment.

For example, make sure it has places to hide (short pieces of PVC pipe of an appropriate size work well), reduce light levels, black out the sides of the aquarium (cardboard, a towel etc).

Once it feels more comfortable it will, eventually, feel hungry and I have never seen a fish not respond to live brine shrimp - whilst they have little nutritional value something is better than nothing.

Good luck.

 

[Agent M]

Thanks Agent M, I have my specific gravity at about 1.020 which is just enough to keep the pods alive. But I may have to sacrifice the pods and other inverts to lower the salinity even more I think.

I have bubble tip anemones, turbo snails, brittle stars and shrimp and don't have any problems at 1.017, however another reefer on here told me at that level he lost snails, so certainly monitor, but I've never had a problem. I think for these purposes your current salinity level is fine though.

 

[ReeferRob]

Indonesia has REALLY cleaned up its act in the last 10 years with cyanide fishing, same with the Philippines. Sri Lanka is the trouble child right now. Some things to look for with this is very red gills and gasping. Coral Beauty angels pick a lot so watch for that, he's probably getting something he likes off the live rock.

 

[Trash]

Well he is picking at the Rock and glass frequently now. Hasn't gone for the live brine yet but he seems to be swimming like a grazer and checking things out rather than just doing laps (if that makes sense).

There are plenty of hiding holes, PVC pipes spots for him to hide. I will keep giving him choices of diff foods and see how he goes.

 

[Agent M]

Well he is picking at the Rock and glass frequently now. Hasn't gone for the live brine yet but he seems to be swimming like a grazer and checking things out rather than just doing laps (if that makes sense).

There are plenty of hiding holes, PVC pipes spots for him to hide. I will keep giving him choices of diff foods and see how he goes.

Good sign from the sounds of it

 

[ReeferRob]

As long as it's picking, don't worry too much unless you see weight loss. You can try my old trick for butterflies too. Get a plate coral (fungia) and smear it with shrimp, fish, mussel or squid, sometimes that brings them around. Back in the 70s people said you couldn't keep a Moorish Idol for more than 2 months, Sarge went to the National Aquarium in Baltimore after I had him for 3 years feeding him off a dead plate coral.

 

[Trash]

Hi all,

My coral beauty is eating frozen brine and is eating macro algae that I chuck in the quarantine tank from my main tank sump. Hopefully onwards and upwards from here (touch wood). Thanks for your help and words of wisdom.

Cheers

Dave

 

[Agent M]

Sounds good, I would start throwing very small pinches of pellets in at the same time as the brine now

 

[Trash]

Well after a period of the coral beauty feeding very well, I noticed he didn't eat with as much gusto this morning. On closer inspection reveals his mouth protruding and are white in colour. That's why he couldn't eat properly. I suspect it to be a bacterial problem so I have treated the quarantine tank with Tri Sulfa and anti fungus medication (combination of malachite and acriflavin). On watching him, he is still swimming around but doesn't pick at everything like he used to (understandably) and has a slight wobble to his swimming style.

I think I might add my RO water prevent dehydration. I will also do a water change tonight or tomorrow to ensure that there is no ammonia or nitrite spikes as a result of the bio filter being affected by the antibiotic.

Fingers crossed.