Help...fish not eating

D

doreenjoy

.
Jun 25, 2007
538
4
18
I have a honey gourami that hasn't been eating for about five days. It looks ravenous -- goes for food like a trencherman. Grabs flakes/pellets but spits them out again. About the only thing it will eat is freeze dried bloodworms, but I stopped feeding them because I think they may be contributing to the problem. It also appears to be grabbing at some tufts of algae in the tank, but spits them out.

What I've tried:
* Feeding blanched, peeled peas -- the gourami ignores them.
* Feeding blanched zucchini -- also ignored.
* Feeding cucumber -- ignored.

The fish doesn't look bloated and seems to be behaving normally. I caught it flashing once but it doesn't seem to be doing it regularly.

My questions: 1. Is this constipation? 2. If so, does anyone have the correct ratio for Epsom salt treatment? I searched the forums but no one ever gave the dosage.

Stats on tank:
* Established & cycled since November 2007
* 10 gallon, lightly planted. Ecocomplete substrate.
* Inhabitants: 1 honey gourami, 7 cardinal tetras, 4 otocinclus
* pH = 7.4
* ammonia & nitrites = 0 & 0
* Nitrates = less than 10 ppm
* GH = very low, about 3
* Water changes = 40% once a week.

I've been dosing with Flourish for a few days but not overdosing. The fish wasn't eating before the Flourish.
 
Hi MsJ,
No new fish since I put them ALL in at the end of December. I did a fishless cycle, and the first batch of fish are still alive.
 
PTF - Thanks, it will be a couple of days before I can get to the LFS for frozen brine shrimp.

Jon - It seems to be ignoring the garlic, too. I have it attached with a veggie clip. Is there some special way I should prep it? I cut the skin off but didn't blanch it.

Anyone have advice on the Epsom salts?
 
To feed garlic, I take a small piece of diced clove and crush it with the back of a spoon. I then mix it wish fish food (flake, pellets, bloodworms, whatever) and let it soak in for a few minutes. Then add it to the tank. It will sink, but the fish attack it. You can use either fresh garlic, or jarred garlic (even the "oil" in the jarred garlice works).
 
Thanks. I did crush some food with it, and the gourami ate a little. I've never had to feed garlic before. Think I'll have to do this all the time with this fish, or will it start eating normally again?

The cardinals are attacking the clove.
 
I don't know. Its suspicious that its being so picky, but after this long I can't imagine what could spontaneously occur. I don't think you need to feed like that everyday anyhow. Try feeding every other day and see if its appetite improves.
 
Oh, I forgot to mention in my original post that when it first started doing this (spitting out food) I went for a full 24 hours without feeding. Thanks again. I'll update as things change.
 
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