4 eyed Butterflyfish

[Mike Sanford]

I just put in 4 four eyed butterfly fish in my 120 gallon tank and they will not eat. I have tried frozen brine shrimp, pellets, flake and they won't take it.
Any suggestions?

[saltaddict]

Try soaking the food in garlic to see if it will take it. Did you quarantine and did it eat then? Did you see it eat at the fish store?

[rayme07]

Hi Mike Welcome to TR. I agree with Rhonda on the questions. Also what are your parameters like PH, Alk etc etc. Thanks :)

[Mike Sanford]

Thanks for getting back to me so soon. This is great!

I'll try the garlic. Does it work with any food? I bought the fish in Miami (athough I probably could have netted them here) and I did not see them eat. I understand that they are picky eaters.

I read that they eat sponges. If I get some from the sea will they eat them (or do they have to be live?).

I am in the process of testing the water. So far everything looks good.

I did get some ich on my hippotang. It probably came in with the new fish, or else the tang got stressed with the introduction of the new fish (including a Townsend Angel). I did not quarantine the fish as I have no quarantine tank. The only inverts I have at this time are a couple of sea urchins, which I can release into the sea (where I got them). I do have a bunch of culepara (sp?) that came with the rock. I also have what I believe to be a sea hare which came in with some of the rock I collected. How should I deal with the ich? The hippo had it once before and it just went away without treatmnet. Now it is more pronounced.

Other fish are 2 clowns, 1 foxface, 1 blue chromy, 1 blue headed wrasse a few other wrasses. I have an utra violet sterilizer, a big canister filter (Fluval FX5), a Delta chiller (the tank is in an airconditioned office but it gets hot with the AC off), and a Seaclone protein skimmer.

I change about 20 gallons of water about once every 6 weeks. I get all of my water from the sea.

What should I do about the ich? I have no medications so I will have to order online. There are no salt water fish stores on St Croix.

Thanks so much for your help.

[saltaddict]

Okay - the ich could have come with the new fish but it is also likely that the previous outbreak did not clear the tank meaning that it was still there but the fish was healthy and not stressed therefore able to fight it off.

I would add the vitamins and garlic to each feeding and I would feed several times a day which will help get the immune system built up. The tang should fight it off it is healthy.

As far as feeding the other fish a sponge, I have no idea. If the fish is fresh caught out of the wild and had not been acclimated to eating frozen food then you will have a hard time just giving it frozen food and expecting it to eat it. If you have to get something out of the ocean to feed while working with it to make the switch then that is what I would do.
The garlic and vitamins can and should be added to anything you feed for immune boost.
Have you netted any of your other fish yourself?

[Mike Sanford]

I've netted the wrasses. They are easy to catch.

What kind of vitamins do you recommend? How do you go about soaking food in garlic?

Thanks again for your help Rhonda

Mike

[PhotoJohn]

they are four eyed...they may need new glasses, could be an old prescription...i know i wouldnt want to eat what i couldnt see

[saltaddict]

they are four eyed...they may need new glasses, could be an old prescription...i know i wouldnt want to eat what i couldnt see

Too funny:rotfl:

I use Zoe on a daily basis and I use GVH garlic which is sold at the LFS. Since you don't have a LFS store handy I would suggest going to the supermarket and buy a jar of minced garlic - this has juice in it, and adding a few drops to whatever food you plan on trying to feed the fishy who needs new glasses. I would not suggest using the supermarket garlic juice long term but for the short term until you can get your hands on fish grade it will be good to entice eating.

[Amphibious]

Now that you have the fish, I would try all the above recommended remedies. Four Eyes are notoriously picky eaters and many languish until death from starvation. The best way is to have an established "Spa Tank", otherwise referred to as a quarantine tank. i don't know your experience level Mike but, I would suggest you read my article on buying healthy fish and keeping them healthy titled, "Nine Simple Rules" found here - "Nine Simple Rules (http://theculturedreef.com/nine-rules.htm)"

You will learn my method of buying fish through a lifetime of experience plus an explanation of "Spa Tank".

Good Luck,

Dick

[Mike Sanford]

Thanks for everyone's help.

They may not be able to see but they sure can smell. The butterflys really like the garlic. So did al the rest of the fish. I minced whole garlic cloves in a garlic crusher and mixed it liberally in with frozen brine shrimp. I fed them the crushed garlic and the shrimp together. They ate both. The previously lethargic butterflys are now quite active. One of them looks like it is on speed, literally flying around the tank, chasing and attacking one of the other 3 butterflys in particular. This is obviously not a good thing and hopefully it will calm down.

Is there any problem with making minced garlic a regular part of their diet? Or do I want to use the garlic only to induce them to eat and then wean them off it?

[Amphibious]

That's funny. My guess is your minced garlic is full strength and the liquid garlic available at the LFS is diluted. Not at all sure about the long term effect of full blown garlic on your fish BUT, I think I would dilute it or alternate feeding with and without.

Just an opinion.

Dick

[Mike Sanford]

Thanks for your opinion Dick. Seems like you should know what you are talking about.

I am more than happy to not have to mince garlic everyday, but if that's what it takes them to eat, garlic they will get.

Mike

[saltaddict]

Glad it worked out for you and now the fishy is eating.

[CarmieJo]

Hi Mike and :welcome: to TR.

You've gotten great advice from Dick and Rhonda! No one has mentioned it but you shouldn't release any critter back into the sea if they have been in a tank with other non-local critters. There are bacteria, parasites, etc that are specific to a biotope. When you mix critters from biotopes together and then re-introduce one to the sea you can introduce nasties to your local waters that there is no natural immunity to.