Flame Angel Not Eating Prepared Foods

I am not overly concerned yet, however I have a Flame Angel in my 46 gal QT tank (that has been setup for 7-8 months) that will barely touch any foods I put in the tank. It has been in there for 2 weeks. It was actually eating for the first day or two, then stopped. Every time I feed, it goes up to food, looks at it, then swims away. It does this multiple times per feeding. It still pecks at the live rock all day, so I am not worried it will starve. The one food he has at least eaten a little of is New Life Spectrum pellets.

I have tried frozen Mysis, Hikari Mega Marine & Mega Marine Algae, frozen plankton, frozen Formula 2, frozen rotifers, frozen cyclops, Formula 2 flakes, Spirulina flakes, freeze dried mysis, Sea Veggies, green algae sheet, & New Life Spectrum pellets. Almost all foods have either been soaked in Selcon or garlic. He is in the QT with a Midas Blenny and a Molly. Both of them eat like pigs. If it matters, the angel does enjoy chasing the Molly around the tank. It will do this for a bit, then go back to pecking at the live rock. The Molly is in there to keep the QT cycled.

I did dose the tank with Prazipro, which thinking about it may have coincided with when it stopped eating. The treatment lasted 7 days, then I did a 25% water change, replaced the carbon and turned the reactor and the skimmer back on. All inhabitants look healthy (the Midas Blenny was in rough shape when I got him, but looks good now), are very active, and appear to act completely normal (besides the angel chasing the Molly).

Tank parameters are as follows:

Salinity - 1.025
Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate - 0
pH - 8.0-8.2
Temp - 77.5 degrees F

The only thing I haven't tried yet is live brine shrimp, which I certainly could try if someone thinks it would help. My concern is that I have seen similar threads, with Flame Angels never eating prepared foods, and it seems there was a mix between living a long life, and mysteriously dying.

 

sounds like you know all you need to know and are doing awesome. I'm guesssing there's just enough food for her on the rocks.

 

Unfortunately this seems to be a common problem with Angels and the Flame especially.Did you try some live sponge??

 

Thanks man. This is my 3rd try with Flame Angels, so I really want to do the best I can with it. The first succumbed to Ich in the QT and never made a full recovery. Died after 5 weeks. It ate everything I put in the tank, just could not fight it off. The second seemed like a very healthy, active fish, but mysteriously died after only 3 days. I have read numerous threads with the same issue (dies after 1-3 days). Hoping 3rd time is the charm.

I appreciate you taking a look though!

 

I have not yet. There is/was some on the LR, I will have to see if there is still some or if it ate it all. Otherwise, I can try and grab a frag from my LFS.

 

yeah, I'd try what vinny said, and see if the LFS can get ya a steady supply in, its pretty cheap good luck

 

If you have a choice.(I am lucky and do) try yellow or red sponge.

 

Being that some fish have a hard time realizing or adjusting that food is coming from above them in the water column. Try slowing the flow down in the tank and get some pellets to sink and sit on some live rock, being that this fish likes to graze and nip on the rock, this might get him a taste for the pellets.

 

They always have some it seems

Off the top of my head, I know they have red. Excellent info though, thanks!

I do shut off the powerheads during feeding, but maybe I will wait a little longer before turning them back on. Thanks for the help!

 

HOw long have you quaranteened?

If he looks good, IMHO- put him in the DT!

My Flame- my first and only one- spent about 14days in my makeshift QT (I don't cycle my QT btw) and put him in the DT and he's doing awesome, along with my other 2 dwarf angels- a Coral beauty, and a Rust.

Good luck, they are beautiful fish.

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