Mandarin Dragonette not eating

[Maylin2]

I'll start out by admitting that I did a stupid thing. I went to Petco (I know) because I was told they had batfish and I wanted to see one in person. There were no batfish, but there was this really pathetic looking Mandarin Dragonette that the fish-keeper guy thought a tennis ball sized piece of LR would sustain with enough copepods. So... I sympathy bought one, which I will never do again I figured it was definately going to die there, and my 75 gallon tank that has copepods crawling on every surface imaginable would give it a better chance. Problem is, it won't go eat them. There are probably 10 within the square inch of the glass in front of it, but it just won't eat them. Advice w/out grief please?

 

[Maylin2]

Oops... Forgot to mention I drip & temp acclimated it w/ low levels of aeration for 3.5 hours.

 

[returnofsid]

No grief needed. We've all made the "Save me" purchase. How long ago did you purchase it? Might take it awhile to adjust to it's new and larger living environment. Keep in mind that it's still stressed from the bad shape it was in, and numerous stretches of transportation. If it's a new addition, I'd give it some time, before giving up on it.

If possible, moving it to a QT tank, by itself, and supplying it with copepods might help. It's new tank mates might be adding to the stress, keeping it from feeling comfortable enough to eat.

Another possibility, it is eating, you just aren't seeing it. Mandarins are very methodical eaters. They're always hunting and pecking. Most of the time, they're also out of sight and hidden. During these times, it could be doing it's hunt and peck.

 

[Maylin2]

Thanks Michael... Unfortunately the worst resulted. I picked it up Friday, so it didn't make it long at all. So much for the saving idea. The idea of something starving while it is surrounded by food is a little hard to understand... I still can't believe they kept that thing in a two-five gallon niche with that one pathetic rock. I imagine it had lost its intestinal bacteria from what i've read of Lee's thread. The stomach was rather sunken. Oh well... I guess I'll be seeing Barbie about a healthy one next month