GT lost its appetite

[Pyramid_Party]

Hi,

For some reason my GT isnt hungry. For the last few days he just looks at the food, plays with it and only eats very small nibbles, spits some out etc. Sometimes he just totally ignores it.


About 2 weeks ago, I had removed another fish from the tank. I kinda struggled catching that fish. After it was done, it seems the GT got spooked by it. He immediately changed. He acted scared of me, he would be skittish etc. Ever since then hes been shy/scared, and he hasnt been eating like he used to.

He used to always wanna eat. I would drop a frozen cube of food in the tank and he would race over and try to eat as much as he can before the others. I'd give him 2-3 pellets at one feeding and it seemed he wanted more. So hes had a big appetite. I feed pellets, Krill, Frozen bloodworms and Brine shrimp, Algae wafers and even flakes. He eats all like a pig. Now like I say, he just stares at it, plays with it, only eats small nibbles, sometimes takes it in his mouth chews it and spits it out.


Hes about 3.5 inch, water parameters are Ammonia 0, NitrIte 0, NitrAte 30. Temp is at 79. He swims and acts normal, looks normal and everything. What do you think is wrong?

 

[Angler]

What fish did you remove from the tank? It could be that his instict was to eat more aggressively when there was another fish present so he could ensure he got enough food.

 

[Pyramid_Party]

I had a jewel cichlid with him. Thing was the jewel used to pick on him. But its true, he would try and compete for food. He'd always charge in trying to eat as much as he could. Before he'd be at the top right corner always at feeding time, waiting for me to drop food. Once that happened he chowed down. Now he doesnt really do that anymore. Sometimes when I drop a pellet it takes him awhile to notice it, then he acts hesitant about going to the top to eat it. He stops and looks around and at me as if he dont trust me. I back away so he dont see me juts so he will eat. But he doesnt really have an appetite. Plays with it, eats only some of it and spits the rest out etc.

 

[cichlid2006]

you will have scared him by charging around the tank with a net trying to catch the jewel. GT's are very intelligent and if it scared him that much he will associate you with a big chasing net. he will calm down and will eat again. dont offer food for a day or 2 then put a little in.
you also took away his tank mate, a bully but none the less company. when i gave my GT away he sulked in a pipe in the lfs for weeks because he didnt have any tankmates.

if you need to catch anymore fish in future i suggest you get a clear plastic scoop. i found it at my lfs as an alternative to a net. works great and i caught 8 clown loaches in under 5 mins without removing decor or half the tank water. less stressful on all the fish. i cant find one online to show you what i mean but if your unsure i will take a pic if you want.

 

[Pyramid_Party]

Yeah, I figure he might come back to himself sooner or later. Good thing is, he does eat something. Just not much, only small nibbles. Hes not sulking, he swim around like normal etc. I had a sponge filter in there today and caught him biting and yanking on the tube. Hes got 2 catfish tankmates right now. Theres no interection really between them. He ignores them and they really dont move all day, only when the lights are off.

 

[HardCandy]

I've had a similar problem w/ my previous green terror. I bought him at 4" and after a few weeks he started to flare his gills at me sometimes. I really liked him after that so I decided to put him in my 60 gallon but as soon as that happened he changed. He became skittish so i added a few baby convicts in the tank which didn't help as much as i hoped it would. He would eat a lot and pig out but as soon as he was done eating he would go back into his driftwood home i made him. He didn't have much personality anymore either. after 3 months I got rid of him and I decided to get a batch of gt fry from a friend and I grew them out myself. The best male that i kept out of the batch showed more personality at 2" to 3". Now he's 6" and always trys to get my attention whenever i walk by his tank.

 

[EJKC]

I'm having a similar problem, my gt used to eat a lot in my adult tank with other cichlids that ranged from 6"-12". He used to pig out, but he was starting to get bullied by my 7" rd (Hes 6"), so I moved him into my grow out tank, the fish in there ranged from 2"-4" but he won't eat in there (there are 4 other fish), I don't understand why he won't eat. He's bigger and faster then them but chooses not to eat. Should I move him back in the bigger tank? He still poops, but it's clear... does he have a parasite?

 

[urbaninja]

I had the same problem also with my JD when i seperate him from his tank mates neither of them will eat until i put them back together even after over a week.

 

[Pyramid_Party]

Well, my GT eats but not as he used to. He eats a pellets and wants more but then ignores or plays with the food until I take it out. So i figure hes not interested. Later when I feed my catfish, I can see hes over there trying to eat their food, but then he mostly just makes a mess and spits food around. I dont understand him.


He still eats though but small amounts. He acts skittish too, sometimes I will sit next to the tank and look him dead on in the face and he backs up and gets scared. He darts around sometimes when I walk by or if I am doing something near the tank.