Hoplias Malabaricus Off Food.

[rksegal]

My 7" Hoplias malabaricus has been off his food for about a week now. Prior to that (3-4 weeks), he was off and on every few days, and my worry has been growing ever since. Up to about a month ago, he was eating everything I threw at him (blood worms, brine shrimp, tubifex worms, fresh shrimp, etc). He has always been an extremely healthy fish with no issues at all up until now. Nothing has changed at all in the time I have had him aside from some bolbitus and java ferns (Raised him from 2.5"). He absolutely refuses to take anything that I offer him, and even swims away from it and hides when I do. I've tried leaving food in for an hour or so, right in front of him, and he's still not interested. 

Anyone have any ideas, or is this normal behavior for this species?

Water parameters and tank:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 5
Temp: 23 C

90 Gallon Standard
2 110 Aquaclear HOB Filters
25% water changes weekly

 

[sawickib]

Have you tried live ghost shrimp or guppies yet? One of my gars and nandus nandus only eats live, but they never eat anything else so its weird yours is randomly denying frozen foods now.

If the wolf fish is already nice and healthy then you have some time, they can go for close to a month or more with no food. But I would definitely keep trying to get him to eat, the moment you should start worrying is if he gets abnormally skinny.
 
Most healthy bichir/polypterus species can go up to 3+ months with out food, usually from random protest, and could be from a different unknown cause.
 
Maybe try leaving some small market shrimp over night and see if any is left when you wake up.

 

[rksegal]

Well, good news! Of course, the day I post this, he goes for a market shrimp. I had some in the freezer still and decided to give it a shot, as per your suggestion. It took him about 30 minutes, but he finally grabbed it at some point when I wasn't in the same room as him. Maybe he's shy?  
 
I think I'll stay away from bloodworms and other some frozen worms and such, since he's the only one in the 90 gallon and is apparently excessively picky suddenly, and they'll just make a mess.

Do you have a suggestion of what to supplement his diet with, saw? It took me weeks to get him off live food when I first got him, since it's expensive here and the fish tend to be unhealthy. Or maybe I can start a colony of food for him... I have an extra 29 gallon laying around. What are your thoughts?
 
Thanks for the help!

 

[sawickib]

If you already have him off live food and he eats frozen still then i would leave it at that, its healthier to feed frozen than live, sometimes feeding live can help them use their instincts better though, but again you dont need to.
 
You can feed earthworms, fish like tilipia, tuna, white fish etc., mussels, clams, really anything in the fish section haha, id see what he likes and mix it up every once in awhile. 

 

[rksegal]

Okay. Thanks so much for your help!

 

[sawickib]

Np, need any more help then im here!