I have a Boulengerella xyrekes that I purchased on October 31st of this year. The LFS informed me he hadn't eaten in awhile since they ran out of feeders. Since coming into my care he's been in a heavily planted/decorated 40b, on white sand. Tank mates have been a pair of Blue Gularis, and a myriad of small catfish. He hasn't been bothered by any fish.
The problem is he hasn't eaten. I have no idea how this fish is alive. I witnessed him just now put a tiny piece of krill in his mouth and spit it out. He is currently floating in a small tupperware, with 2 silversides floating around him and 2 bits of krill on the bottom. I am hoping his hunger and now complete calm will cause him to eat this.
If he does not eat right now, he is moving to a 5 gallon by himself where I will add 4-6 guppies tomorrow for him to eat, hopefully. He is only about 5", but he is clearly emaciated at this point. I feel bad about his condition, but my assumption from what I've read is that a fish will not starve themselves when offered food. He has been offered food daily since he arrived, and the fish around him eat. I try to drop the food near him, and he has pursued but I had never seen a bite until today.
I am wondering if anyone has any advice, aside from throw him in with some feeders. I hope he will eat as many feeders as I can give him in the next couple days, as I am leaving for vacation in a bit for Christmas and I do not want him to die while I am gone.
He is not sick. No ich, no parasites (visibly), no infection. The tank is typically 0/0/5 - 0/0/20 on WC day. There are plenty of floating plants and IAL to diffuse the light, creating a very 'dim' portion of the tank and a 'bright' portion of the tank. My goal in creating the tank this way was to mimic the hunting style of Boulengerella, in which they hide under cover and then spring out into open water to grab their prey.
The problem is he hasn't eaten. I have no idea how this fish is alive. I witnessed him just now put a tiny piece of krill in his mouth and spit it out. He is currently floating in a small tupperware, with 2 silversides floating around him and 2 bits of krill on the bottom. I am hoping his hunger and now complete calm will cause him to eat this.
If he does not eat right now, he is moving to a 5 gallon by himself where I will add 4-6 guppies tomorrow for him to eat, hopefully. He is only about 5", but he is clearly emaciated at this point. I feel bad about his condition, but my assumption from what I've read is that a fish will not starve themselves when offered food. He has been offered food daily since he arrived, and the fish around him eat. I try to drop the food near him, and he has pursued but I had never seen a bite until today.
I am wondering if anyone has any advice, aside from throw him in with some feeders. I hope he will eat as many feeders as I can give him in the next couple days, as I am leaving for vacation in a bit for Christmas and I do not want him to die while I am gone.
He is not sick. No ich, no parasites (visibly), no infection. The tank is typically 0/0/5 - 0/0/20 on WC day. There are plenty of floating plants and IAL to diffuse the light, creating a very 'dim' portion of the tank and a 'bright' portion of the tank. My goal in creating the tank this way was to mimic the hunting style of Boulengerella, in which they hide under cover and then spring out into open water to grab their prey.
