18" CK won't eat

[y2shanon]

Need help with my 18" clown knife I picked up from a lfs. He/she won't eat anything I've tried pellets, brine shrimp,frozen meaty foods, worms....lfs was feeding him feeders and I don't want to go that route. I've had CK for about 3 weeks and hasnt eaten anything.... I know i've read it takes time and that bigger CKs can go a month or so without eating? CK seems fine and is fairly active water parameters 0 ammonia 0 nitrites, and nitrates are about 5-10ppm in current tank, however ck was in my 140 for about a week and a half before i moved to the bigger tank.... but overall its been 3 weeks and im pretty sure he hasnt eaten anything unless it ate the worms i left at night for it?

any help appreciated.... dont want my ck starving to death cause its to stubborn to eat.....

 

[jsodwi]

Anytime I've had problems with new fish eating, I would try shrimp tilapia and pellets once a day for 2-3 weeks. If it doesn't take anything, I will then throw in a couple feeders just so it gets something down. But only a couple. Then keep introducing new foods. Eventually it will get hungry enough and take whater your offering

 

[flipstylex]

feed with the lights off.it will ear sooner or later, ^ introduce feeders when all fails.

 

[y2shanon]

yeh feeders my last resort...... I have just started putting food in at night too so we'll see......

 

[BODYDUB]

I'd give him a couple of feeders if he hasn't eaten in 3 weeks...........

 

[snowy]

Grab him with both hands open your eyes wide and tell him hes gonna start enjoying pellets.

 

[benzjamin13]

A CK that size will be difficult to get off feeders. One way is to throw in some cut pieces of shrimp and/or tilapia at night with the lights off. Another way is to have "Teacher" fish around. Is it alone?

 

[Exile]

A CK that size can easily go a month without eating and probably much much longer. I had a 9.5" Royal CK who refused everything but feeders. I spent 6 months starving him on and off trying to get him off feeder fish. I would starve him for at least 3 weeks at a time and one time I went nearly 35days without giving him feeders. His health never suffered, always swam like crazy when the lights went out. Don't be afraid to show that stubborn fish some guts!

I ended up getting rid of him because I couldn't get him off feeders. Good luck!

 

[y2shanon]

Well great news!! I had dropped some market shrimp in the evening and came back a little later to see if any of the pieces left were eaten? Well low and behold... I saw CK chomping on some of the shrimp I left him in his little hiding spot. I think maybe he is just a shy eater and the transition between tanks prob stressed him a bit? The ironic part is I gave in the prior day and threw in some feeders.....I am sure he got a few before the rest the tank mates got the rest? Finally relieved that he is eating... so for anyone struggling be patient and give him his alone time to eat!

Yeh, Ck has tankmates that are kinda pigs... they did a good job showing him how to eat lol... thx for all the advice!