New Flowerhorn not eating

HI guys,

I got a new flowerhorn last Friday. He is about two months old. Ever since I got him, he has not been moving much. Every time I turn the light on in the tank or in the room, it goes to a corner and doesn't come out of there. I have been trying to feed it with Ocean Free Humpy Head pellets but its not been eating anything. I am dropping the pellets and removing those after 10 minutes as the fish is not eating. It didn't eat anything for the past four days. I have been doing 10% water change everyday. I have the heater set at 28°C.

I know a new fish normally takes sometime to get used to the tank and people but it has already been four days and I am worried if there is something wrong with the fish. Could you please tell me if there is anything I can do to make the fish feel better and get used to the tank?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you for all your help.
View attachment IMG_20151201_143537.jpgView attachment IMG_20151128_202442.jpg

 

Hello and Welcome to Fish Lore!

I'm sure you will receive some responses before long.

You can add Garlic Guard to the fish food to act as a food enhancer:


Or you can make your own garlic juice from fresh garlic using the recipe below:
"Benefits of garlic:

Purifies blood; detoxifies; lowers cholesterol levels; lowers blood pressure; blood thinner; prevents blood clots; boost immune system; prevents heart disease and strokes; destroys cancer cells; muscle relaxant; antibiotic; antifungal; suppresses growth of tumors
Using a medium size bulb; peel cloves apart, snip off ends; microwave cloves for 5 to 10 seconds to pop hulls; remove hulls; cut the length of the cloves in thin slices; place in cup of hot (from tap) water; cover, and let sit at room temperature for 12 hrs; mash the cloves and strain for immediate use; refrigerate until needed. good for two to three weeks.
The longer the cloves soak, the stronger the solution."

The information above comes from the link below:


Option 3 Garlic juice from a jar (water base and not oil base)
https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfi...r-just-an-example-for-those-needing-it.62705/

Best wishes for your fish!

Ken

 

Hello and Welcome to Fish Lore!

I'm sure you will receive some responses before long.

You can add Garlic Guard to the fish food to act as a food enhancer:


Or you can make your own garlic juice from fresh garlic using the recipe below:
"Benefits of garlic:

Purifies blood; detoxifies; lowers cholesterol levels; lowers blood pressure; blood thinner; prevents blood clots; boost immune system; prevents heart disease and strokes; destroys cancer cells; muscle relaxant; antibiotic; antifungal; suppresses growth of tumors
Using a medium size bulb; peel cloves apart, snip off ends; microwave cloves for 5 to 10 seconds to pop hulls; remove hulls; cut the length of the cloves in thin slices; place in cup of hot (from tap) water; cover, and let sit at room temperature for 12 hrs; mash the cloves and strain for immediate use; refrigerate until needed. good for two to three weeks.
The longer the cloves soak, the stronger the solution."

The information above comes from the link below:


Option 3 Garlic juice from a jar (water base and not oil base)
https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfi...r-just-an-example-for-those-needing-it.62705/

Best wishes for your fish!

Ken

Thank you for your response. How often should I use the Garlic? Is it ok if I use it daily? From the photos I have attached do you think my fish will get good colors or is it too early to tell? How can we tell if it is a male or a female?

 

Hello,

I would recommend the Garlic Juice be added to the food twice a week. It works best on foods used as treats compared to flakes and pellets per my experience.

For treats and for all of my fish, I use Freeze Dried Krill, Freeze Dried Earth Worms and Frozen Blood Worms. Note, I do not have a Flowerhorn.





Sexing:


Ken

 

I would ditch the white gravel. It looks very bright in that tank, and that will be stressing it out. Try a dark substrate and dimmer lighting? It will eat when it has settled.

Also does it have anywhere to hide, somewhere it can go where you can't see it?

 

Hello, this is my Flower Horn that I purchased 4 days ago from the LFS. The second day I tried to feed him and he would eat the pellets then spit them out in pieces. I also noticed clear/whiteish stringy poop that would not detach easily. Third day same thing no changes. Today is the fourth day, and he will not even attempt to eat pellets. Both pictures below were taken today.

I called the LFS and he said to use Metronidazole. My water quality is good because testing each day with drops. I have also read fish do not adsorb this through their gills I have to use a syringe?

This is my first big fish, I have been in the hobby a while just smaller fish. Flowerhorn is a really cool fish I have been wanted to keep for a long time, and my first experience is not going well. I have done lots of research, and I just feel I may have bought a sick fish I bought him to keep in a 55 gallon all alone. Eventually move to a larger tank.

Pretty much what I would like to know is what are your suggestions for me.
Should I be doing daily water changes?
Just dose the tank with metro?
Inject him with a syringe(I am kind of nervous if I have to do this as never done before)

 

 

I'm not an expert on flower horns but you should definitely be doing water changes, the white poop indicates a parasite.

 

I'm not an expert on flower horns but you should definitely be doing water changes, the white poop indicates a parasite.

I'm no expert either but I think the disease of your Flowerhorn is Hexamita and this disease is best treated early on with Metronidazole, or something stronger like Quinine Sulfate.

 

Here are the some tips for the treatment : Use 1 teaspoon per pound of food (frozen food is preferred). Thaw the food and mix the Metronidazole into it. Feed it to the fish once a day for a minimum of ten days. Do not feed the fish any other foods during this treatment. The treatment may take longer according to the condition of the fish, and the severity of the disease.

 

Here are the some tips for the treatment : Use 1 teaspoon per pound of food (frozen food is preferred). Thaw the food and mix the Metronidazole into it. Feed it to the fish once a day for a minimum of ten days. Do not feed the fish any other foods during this treatment. The treatment may take longer according to the condition of the fish, and the severity of the disease.

I'll try this method, but if the fish is not dijesting anything then do I have to force feed him or something. I have only tried with pellots which he does not eat. So maybe some frozen food might work, but it just seems like he can't injest anything. When he tries to eat its almost like he is in pain. When he bites a pellot his whole body shakes like its hurting him trying to eat it or something.

 

If he can't digest his food then I think you may have to force feed him. But try out the method first. If it doesn't work you may have to force feed him. Good Luck! Hope he feels better

 

Well I went back to the fish store and he gave me a bottle of this for free. No where in Canada ontario around me can I find pure Metronidazole. So this is the best I have which contains that ingrediant as well as others. Did a partial water change then I put 5 1/2 caps as instructions 1 cap per 10 g. Got a 55g. Will monitor and dose for 3 days. Instructions say if no change after 3 days switch to oral. Will keep updated!

 

As long as you follow the instructions you should be good. The white poop is essentially diarrhea.

 

Great! Hope this works out!

 

If you run activated charcoal don't forget to take it out of your filters too when medicating. hope your FH starts feeling better!

 

Hello, I have a question regarding my new Flowerhorn. For some reason he won’t eat unless all of the lights are off. Has anyone else ever heard of this? If you have the aquarium lights on or even a bright overhead light in the room he does not want to come to the surface of the water to eat.
Would be interested if anybody else has had this.

 

If he’s new then it sounds like he’s stressed. Give it a few days and try to dim the lights at first to get him used to them

 

If he’s new then it sounds like he’s stressed. Give it a few days and try to dim the lights at first to get him used to them

Yes he is new, just got him Thursday morning. His colors are good and the person I got him from says that some Flowerhorns just do not like bright lights. I’m going to slowly try and get him used to the lights by starting them out very dim, hopefully that will work eventually.

 

They might not like bright light but they do like food. When he's hungry enough he'll be more inclined to come out of his comfort zone. Its a matter of time, patience and small steps towards your goal.

 

congrats on your new flowerhorn, best luck

 

congrats on your new flowerhorn, best luck

Thank you, been wanting one for awhile

 

There is one with a nice setup wanting to be rehomed near me in Eastern Washington.