Help with Green Severum

[H2O_Beasts]

I just added a Green Severum to my 55G a couple days ago and he doesn't seem to be eating anything. He just stays in the same spot and doesn't seem to swim around very much. Water paramters are all good so I know that's not the problem.

Is this normal behaivor? Is he just getting used to his new surroundings? What do you normally feed green severums???

 

[JK47]

More than likely just getting used to the new surroundings but you didn't list what else is stocked in the tank so there could be other reasons like intimidation from other fish etc... Did you QT this fish before adding it to the tank?

Try some frozen bloodworms (not as a staple) as most cichlids will go nutty for them. Just to get it eating something in the new tank.. If it won't eat those, it would be a good indicator to a different issue. Long term diet is a good pellet food. Mine love getting pieces of algea wafers as a treat as well but will eat anything. Hope that helps.

 

[fallin49er]

Agree with Justin...and also, I used to feed my big green severum small chunks of raw chicken breast as a treat...he would go crazy for it...he even knew when I was chopping up, he would dance around the tank...

 

[H2O_Beasts]

Wow..chicken breast?? Never would have thought haha. Thanks for your help. I think I'm going to pick up some frozen bloodworms to use as a 'treat' and hopefully get him to start eating. He is in with a small 3" green terror and they seem to get along just fine for now.

 

[JK47]

Wow..chicken breast?? Never would have thought haha. Thanks for your help. I think I'm going to pick up some frozen bloodworms to use as a 'treat' and hopefully get him to start eating. He is in with a small 3" green terror and they seem to get along just fine for now.

Get ready for the "long term, 55g, need to upgrade" etc responses but to stick with the topic, bloodworms should be just to get it eating. Some fish are timid when first introduced to a new tank. Usually once they start eating something they will soon be eating what ever staple diet you decide to put them on. They do make for a nice treat to have handy though.

 

[H2O_Beasts]

Thanks. Yep, I'm ready for the "upgrade" responses. And I realize that I will either have to re-home one of them or get a larger tank in the future. We'll see what happens...