Okay guys I have amazing fantastic awesome wonderful exciting news. He hasn't moved from his position so I decided I would just have to feed him like that. Put a little garlic juice in his bloodworms bowl before thawing out some worms for him and mixing them up. His position made it kind of awkward to tickle his snout without poking him because I had to view from overhead, but I offered him four worms and he ate at least one (saw him "chewing" by his mouth opening and closing a few times.) He was definitely hungry as once he caught a whiff of that garlic he scooted forward a little. He also lunged once but I think he only got my tweezers XD. Because I was looking from above I had a hard time seeing them go into his mouth, but of the three that weren't on my tweezers any more I found none in the gravel. I offered him a fourth and he turned away, then I offered him a garlic soaked pellet and he turned that up too. I'm really hopeful for him as this is the first time in 9 days he has eaten. Even if it means he's only eating bloodworms, it's something. I am very very very very very thankful for the advice! Even if he goes, he'll go with food in his belly.
Also, as another awesome thing, he stayed completely upright for the entire feeding. He was leaning on his log for part of it, but he did not even lean slightly for any of it. Right now he is resting on the gravel just a little behind his log, supported only by rocks. I am so proud of this brave little fish and his willpower <3
