Steve and his Animals
Well-Known Member
I recently got an itch to attempt to keep a pair of orange-spotted filefish (Oxymonocanthus longirostris). I like a challenge, and I know their prospects are slim the vast majority of the time, but if you would humor me with my attempt I would be grateful.
I recently acquired a pair, a smaller (approx. 2 inch) female and a slightly larger (approx. 2.5-3 inch) male. They both came in very alert and a decent weight, not too skinny but not exactly plump either. The female took to a few foods right away, including smaller bits of mysis and small new life spectrum pellets, which I was happy about. Of course, this is only half the battle, the other is making sure she gets her fill frequently, which is proving more difficult as her mouth is so small (I've seen pellets literally bounce off her face as she tries to suck them in, I'm looking into the even-smaller TDO pellets and training her to eat masstick).
The problem is the male: he's acting in a way I've never seen one of these fish act before; he literally sits and hides in the same position all day. When I mean all day, I mean I come down to feed in the morning, he's wedged in one spot, I come home from work, he's still there. I come down the next morning, same spot, same position. He's definitely alive and is otherwise acting normally, but he refuses to leave his chosen crevasse. It's not like he hides when he sees me, that I would understand, but he literally doesn't even come out to swim around and look for food during the day.
I've literally grabbed him with my fingers to see what he will do when removed from a spot, he just half-runs to a new spot and wedges himself. It's kind of heartbreaking, because when the female sees him she tries to sidle up next to him, like my pair of banded pipefish do, but then she gives up after he wedges himself and goes back to looking at bits of food to eat.
Anyone have any ideas? They're in a 40g QT, multiple caves, dim lighting, quiet and dark part of the house (unfinished side of the basement), no aggressive tankmates (not that I think he can even see any from where he hides). It's only been 5 or 6 days since I got them, but I know their fast metabolism is putting me on a clock if I don't get them both successfully eating.
I recently acquired a pair, a smaller (approx. 2 inch) female and a slightly larger (approx. 2.5-3 inch) male. They both came in very alert and a decent weight, not too skinny but not exactly plump either. The female took to a few foods right away, including smaller bits of mysis and small new life spectrum pellets, which I was happy about. Of course, this is only half the battle, the other is making sure she gets her fill frequently, which is proving more difficult as her mouth is so small (I've seen pellets literally bounce off her face as she tries to suck them in, I'm looking into the even-smaller TDO pellets and training her to eat masstick).
The problem is the male: he's acting in a way I've never seen one of these fish act before; he literally sits and hides in the same position all day. When I mean all day, I mean I come down to feed in the morning, he's wedged in one spot, I come home from work, he's still there. I come down the next morning, same spot, same position. He's definitely alive and is otherwise acting normally, but he refuses to leave his chosen crevasse. It's not like he hides when he sees me, that I would understand, but he literally doesn't even come out to swim around and look for food during the day.
I've literally grabbed him with my fingers to see what he will do when removed from a spot, he just half-runs to a new spot and wedges himself. It's kind of heartbreaking, because when the female sees him she tries to sidle up next to him, like my pair of banded pipefish do, but then she gives up after he wedges himself and goes back to looking at bits of food to eat.
Anyone have any ideas? They're in a 40g QT, multiple caves, dim lighting, quiet and dark part of the house (unfinished side of the basement), no aggressive tankmates (not that I think he can even see any from where he hides). It's only been 5 or 6 days since I got them, but I know their fast metabolism is putting me on a clock if I don't get them both successfully eating.
