Watching this biota mandarin starve itself to death has been sad

[merkmerk73]

I picked up a pair of biota mandarins last year and had them in a small box growing out for the past year or so - raising mostly on the TDO pellets (their fave) but also would feed Calanus and baby brine and cyclops.

For some reason this one decided to stop eating


I released them into the tank and one of them is fat and happy, the other refuses everything - tigger pods in front of its face, pellets, etc.

I relocated it to the fuge for a week or so where nothing else resides, give dosed probably $800 in pods over the last year with no real pod eaters in the tank. Also isolated it in the box again. Fish don’t bother it anyway other than maybe a half hearted nip if it meanders too close to a goby burrow.


It’s been over a month now and it has just wasted away and it won’t be much longer

Anyone ever experienced something like this?

(I’m not actually sure if it’s the male or the female because neither have a spine but their dorsal fins look different )

 

[dwest]

Agree that’s sad. Sorry.

Can you pipe the TDO pellets to her or put her back in quarantine? Just throwing out a couple thoughts but it seems like you’ve done a great job.

Or maybe touch base with biota for suggestions.

Good luck.

 

[merkmerk73]

Agree that’s sad. Sorry.

Can you pipe the TDO pellets to her or put her back in quarantine? Just throwing out a couple thoughts but it seems like you’ve done a great job.

Or maybe touch base with biota for suggestions.

Good luck.

I did all that but he/she ignores it all

Biota has been great and Felicia very responsive

The fact that it ignores wiggling tigger pods on the substrate in front of it was the first clue this fish was suicidal

I would have thought it some disease but it wouldn’t have lasted the month