Flame Angel Not Eating

[Steve H.]

Hi All!

I recently started adding my first fish to my marine build.

I added a Flame Angel and Coral Beauty.

While the Coral Beauty eats with gusto the Flame Angel won't touch anything.

I've tried a variety of foods: Pellet, Flake, Frozen, Live, garlic added...

Concerned because I don't want him to starve.

Any ideas??

Water Stats:
Ammonia=0
Nitrite =0
Nitrate<=5pm
Phosphate= undectectable

System has been running just shy of 12 weeks.

 

[Donya]

Sadly this is always a risk with marine fish; even a couple of captive-bred ones that I had in the past were a pain to get eating. If you got it from a local shop or an online place that holds their fish for some time, I would ask the seller specifically what food they use and try that exact thing if you haven't done so already. How long has the fish been in the tank? Sometimes fish will refuse food for several days after being added. If it has been in for more than a week, is it possible that the other fish is somehow intimidating it during feeding times? Timid eaters can easily turn into non-eaters if there is a bold fish zooming around keeping them from feeling safe to venture out and eat. 

 

[Steve H.]

They have been there 5 days.

That's the funny thing. The Flame is the dominate of the pair...at least territorially.
The Coral beauty is the submissive.

The lfs fed flake...watched him being fed at the store. He comes to the food, but just won't take it.

 

[Donya]

Try the exact brand of flake used if you haven't already. Sounds stupid I know, but I have had fish like that where it was literally a brand thing and one type of prepared food was great but another similar one was rejected. If you have tried the exact food already, then it could be just the settling in time. 5 days of fasting isn't actually that unusual. It's not the best scenario of course, but it happens. It could be that the flame angel is also finding sufficient small bug snacks from the LR when you're not watching.

 

[Steve H.]

Thank you. That is somewhat comforting. At least His behavior has not changed.

I'll find out about the exact brand...maybe that will be it.

 

[MBOU]

Keep an eye on those angels, so many times I see Coral Beauties and Flame Angels being a nightmare together, and the problem *always* seems to be  that th behaviour is so underhand that it isnt so noticeable to the keeper.
 
You say the Coral Beauty is more submissive but are you sure its not the Flame just having an angry go in self defense to push the Coral Bauty away? Everyone thinks Coral Beauties are docile but they can be right little bolshy thugs when they want to be and flames can be right wimps (expensive ones at that!).
 
I would agree with using the same flakes they are used to being fed but would definately say sit back from the tank and just watch for half an hour, see who the aggressor is, you might find they honestly just arent happy together... they are far worse thanany cichlids for being 'choosy'!
 
Dont think you said what size the tank is, is it big enough for two territorial dwarf angels? And what frozen foods did you try feeding?
 
In th shop we create a mix by defrosting brineshrimp, mysis, krill, rotifers and marine cuisine (mix of above plus spirulina) and add Angelixer (sp) which has sponge extract etc for the angels and New Era Frozen Food Enrichment, sometimes garlic extract too (seeing as there is no 100% proven benefits from garlic and it smells vile and is just evil first thing in the morning... i tend not to use it...)....
 
It might be the angels were used to a real selection of foods?

 

[Steve H.]

Thanks for the reply!

I hope I was taking precaution by choosing them the same size, and adding them together at the same time. I knew there could be a possible problem with aggression, but from what I researched doing this would help. And, it did. Here on day 7 their territories have been established, and aggression has subsided. Even swimming together in the common areas of the tank.

I found food today that the Flame actually eats. It's a blend just as you stated. Emerald Entree has pretty much everything you mentioned plus veggies.. It makes a mess, and he doesn't eat everything. But, at least I see him pulling food in and then spitting out what he doesn't want.
This is something he wouldn't do with other food...he would just swim through it as it was sinking, and not even try a nibble.

A video from my YouTube channel if your curious about the system.

http/youtube.com/watch?v=If7DTLoOOBQ

EDIT; spelling

 

[Donya]

I found food today that the Flame actually eats.

 
Excellent! 

 

 

[MBOU]

Glad he is eating! Left over foods will be less an issue when you have more fish in there and CUC to clean up. That rock scape is beautiful!!! Will look epic with lots of nice purple coraline algae on it!