Clowns won't eat

One more thing I completely forgot, not sure if it has a bearing on the diagnosis. when I add food they take some interest in it. They swim up to it just once they see what it is they swim away ignoring the food.

 

As others have said, it might take a couple of days for them to get settled in and start eating. Also, you can try soaking their food in Kent's Garlic Extreme. Using garlic is a way to stimulate their appetites.

 

I'm a little bit puzzled? Clown fish are semi aggressive by nature, damsels should not be an issue. I guess if it were an issue I would decide which I would rather keep, and my decision would be my clowns, definitely.... You need to keep a close eye on them because in my experience with my snowflakes, picassos, black perculas, and my newley added mated pair of platinum clowns they are very hearty and would take something other than a nuissance fish to discourage eating.. Did you see your clowns eat before you bought them? What are you feeding them??? Let me know and I will do my best to help you with the issue......

 

apreciate the help, answers to every one of those questions is in the first post along with specs on the tank, filtration, chemicles ect.

 

I don't like that dKH reading either. Also, nitrites being present is a bit of a concern, as that means there could have been an ammonia spike.
Did you ensure these were captive bred clowns?

 

as far as captive bred or not that is unkown. Where I live there is not a whole lot of selection, at least that I have found yet in regards to saltwater fish. There are 2 places that sell saltwater livestock and the other ones there clowns looked on the verge of death. The 2 I have look and at least to the untrained eye act healthy. almost would say it seems as if they have become pickier eaters since they have been brought home. when I add flake to the tank they almost immediately go and inspect it, just don't take any bites. LoL the shrimp get to it faster... would you recomend partial water changes or might that stress the fish more?

 

Have you tried anything else? FWIW the trigger is the only fish in my entire tank that will even bat an eye at flake. Maybe try some frozen mysis and frozen brine.

 

not yet, I tried the flakes I had for my damsel, then I tried the stuff I saw them eat at the LFS. and was suggested to start with that. they said if you start feeding them better food it is next to impossible to get them back on flake, and I kinda like the idea of being able to set up an auto feeder when I'm out of town.

how long without eating before I should step up the game and get really concerned with their health and therefore try brine ect.?

 

For me it would be first sign of not eating. Once a fish goes thin it can be challenging to bring them back.

 

I feed mine frozen mysis and he loves it! I think you should try that.