# my fish need to eat!



## 757syn (Nov 25, 2010)

i have had my aquarium for over a week now and have had fish for a 4 days. i havent seen any of them eat when i feed them but one and i hardly see him eat. what is the problem?


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## Big Dog (May 17, 2010)

Give them time. What kind of fish are they by chance?


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## 757syn (Nov 25, 2010)

dwarf gourami, rainbow shark, velvet wag swordtail, and striped raphael catfish. i have heard a lto to give them time but i feel its coming to enough. i dont want them to starve and die. ive tried flakes sinking shrimp pelets and bloodworms. the catfish had laid on top of a pelet and not touched it and other dont go after flakes


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

What type bloodworms,frozen or freeze dried?many fish wont touch the freeze dried stuff,which isnt good for them.Either is the freeze dried shrimp if thats the other stuff.I have a female betta albimarginata,who absolutly refuses to eat anything other than live and frozen,the latter of which she is hesitant about.if the bloodworms are frozen,take a cup,place a cube in it,add a little tank water and some garlic juice.Get some tweezers(clean new pair,i bought some just for fish)and grab a few of the thawed worms.Slowly move the worms with the tweezer around the water near the fish.The fish will smell the garlic,and when the yummy food moves,they will be more inclined to snatch at it.

You can soak pellets in garlic juice too.I dont know why,but fish love the stuff,and it aids in ridding the fish of internal parasites.Dont worry too much though,sometimes fish go several weeks without eating.The thing to look for is if the bellies are sunk in,or stringy whiteish or clear poo.


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## 757syn (Nov 25, 2010)

oh okay well thanks for the help. the bloodworms were frozen but were thawed by the time i fed them.can you put too much garlic sauce on them or does it not matter


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

nah it doesnt matter.I placed my cup of garlic bloodworms in the fridge.It will keep for a week.Good luck with them.


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## 757syn (Nov 25, 2010)

well this mornign i woke up and looked to see how they were and my rainbow shark was dead. my guess is he starved cus i never saw him eat in 4 days. but i fed the swordtail and gouramis blood worms and they loved it


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## ChristineS (May 15, 2010)

majerah1 said:


> The thing to look for is if the bellies are sunk in,or stringy whiteish or clear poo.


Out of curiosity, if your fish get this how should you treat?


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## Amie (Sep 15, 2010)

Just give them time and they will eat. Fish have been known to go a week without eating easy. In fact, I usually go 2 or 3 days without feeding my fish on a regular basis. Helps to ensure they are hungry when I do feed them and they eat it all so there is no waste. Also, be very careful not to over feed them since they are not eating. That will cause you bigger problems that you don't need. 

Rainbow sharks are bottom feeders and need something that sinking for them to eat. A lot of times people buy sharks and are never told they don't like the flakes on top of the water.


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## aQualung (Oct 20, 2010)

Are you testing the water for ammonia and nitrites?


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## syddriver (Sep 27, 2010)

If you have only had your tank a week it is for sure not cycled and it sounds as if you have too many fish in there.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

When I add fish to a new tank (in my case planted but even if not planted) I do not add any food for a week. Because first they ignore it as you have experienced and secondly the added food swamps the new tank's bio filter causing high nitrIte or even high ammonia spikes.

but if i wait a week before adding food I avoid the spikes and the fish lives.


my .02


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

ChristineS said:


> Out of curiosity, if your fish get this how should you treat?


Treat with medicated fish food.You can find this online or at some pet stores.


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## ChristineS (May 15, 2010)

majerah1 said:


> Treat with medicated fish food.You can find this online or at some pet stores.


Should I get the anti-parasite or the anti-bacterial? Can I treat with both?


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

antiparasitic


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