Red Devil acting weird and sulking / refusing food

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bluehighways

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 10, 2010
72
0
0
wisconsin
My male red devil (about 8" or so) was recently given his own 55g to call home, with a few danios as dithers. In his old tank he would eat nothing but Wardley cichlid pellets which are IMHO - crap. I had them on hand and fed him a few, and after that he refused anything else I tried on him, but would eat those Wardley pellets like a 12 year old rips into a Halloween candy sack.

My LFS gave me a big tub of Nutrafin pellets at cost and I've been trying to switch him over. This is the same food he was eating when I acquired him. In 5 days I've been able to get him to eat 5 or 6 pellets, the rest he spits out or ignores.

He's been very pissed off lately, digging up gravel, tearing out plastic plants, banging glass, but otherwise responsive and still curious / interactive with me.

It's just that he won't eat. Should I worry? Is this a battle of wills that will force him to eat when he's hungry enough? Is this like a child's stubbornness when eating veggies?

Also, today he's acting weird - looking up constantly, and hiding behind a decoration on his side. That's a little concerning to me.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about him laying around some cichlids will sulk when upset. When you say recently, how recently are we talking about? If I'm reading this right you moved him about 5 days ago? Is the new tank fully cycled? Have you checked your water? If everything is fine with the tank it seems two things happened here, you moved him to a new tank and at the same time tried to switch him to a new food. Did you take a head count on the Danios? You are correct about it being a battle of wills with some fish when trying to switch from one food to another. I would have let him get used to his new tank before trying to switch foods. What temp is the tank? Sometimes increasing the temp boosts the metabolisum and starts them eating again. Garlic is also very good for the fish for several reasons but also acts as an appatite stimulant. Unless there is somthing wrong with him, which I doubt at this point other than stress he will not starve himself to death. You could go back to the Wardley pellets and in a few weeks once he's settled, work on switching foods. My Devil eats NLS Jumbo Fish Formula which is IMO if your going to switch food the one to use. If you have a bucket full of Nutrafin I wouldn't throw it away use it. Good Luck he should be fine.
 
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