Picky Eater

[JemZ]

Hi all

My swordtail has always been a picky eater. In fact, I never see him eat. I've tried to give him everything including algae wafers, tropical flakes, and two brands of pellets. The only thing he'll eat is peas. I've always assumed he eats those copepods and similar. His diet has never seemed to affect him; he is probably the most lively fish I've ever had. But he's starting to look lethargic recently and is pecking everything from the heater to the decor to the plastic plants. I don't know if he is hungry, and if he is I'm not sure what my other options are.

 

[squidneh]

Have you tried freeze dried blood worms? Frozen foods? Live foods?

Regardless, typically a healthy fish won't actually starve itself if regularly presented with food.

 

[JemZ]

I haven't tried those. I assume I could find them at my LFS and give them a try. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[AbbeysDad]

I've never babied or jumped through hoops to get fish to eat. I think he'll eat when hungry enough. On the other hand, a fish that doesn't eat can be a sign of some disorder. This happens often when there is stress from like a move, new inhabitants, or some other disturbance. Is the water quality high with routine water changes? How about temperature, although I find swordtails tend to be good down to 70°F and as high as 78°F? Have you had him awhile or is he a new fish?
Ruling out environmental issues, perhaps he has an ailment and if he gets poorly, perhaps a product like General Cure is in order?
Disclaimer: I almost never use meds so I'm by no means an expert in using them. I've always found that fresh water is the best medicine.

 

[JemZ]

I just bought some mysis shrimp today. I put part of one of the cubes in, as it turns out I put in way too much but oh well lol I've never used frozen food before. He seems interested in it but isn't really doing much with it. I cleaned the tank and did a 50% water change yesterday. No new inhabitants in the tank. I've had for about a year now and this is the first time I've seen him like this. In regards to general cure, I actually treated the tank with it about 2 weeks ago and also a month before that, so if there are any parasites or similar they should be gone.