Coaxing a Golden Dwarf Angel

[Chelsey]

I bought a GDA last week that had been at the LFS for about a month. He's quite fat but I have not seen him eat as vigorously as I'd like. He has picked at food, but if that's all he does it will not sustain him. He's in my sump right now (40 gallon breeder) with a lot of live rock and macro algae, so I'm not too worried about him starving to death just yet, but it would be nice to get him eating prepared foods. So far I have tried Rod's food and frozen mysis. Also, I understand that it is their nature to be secretive and I am fine with that, but from what I have read some of you all have more outgoing angels. Is there anything that I can do to coax him into being more outgoing? Thanks in advance for any help you're able to give


Chelsey

[Mark]

I would give the fish time. Additionally, when you feed the tank, remain out of sight. I had a shy angel, that would only eat once I left the room. After a while, he warmed up to me.

Lastly, I would try some phyto enriched live brine and or mussels. Sometimes the movement of the living brine will get them interested. From there, I begin to add mysid when feeding live brine, to introduce new food while he's in feed mode. Mussels seem to entice even the most finicky fish, but are hard to come by this time of year in the seafood section.

Good luck with your new fish.

[Chelsey]

Thanks for the prompt response Anyone else?

[adtravels]

if its ppicking thats great dont worry I had one that did not touch prepared foos for 3 months.

[Chelsey]

I am setting up a new tank and will add the golden within the next few months. When it goes into this new tank there won't be as much life as there is in my sump currently...that's when I worry about him starving.

[jda]

I would get used to it. I had one for about 9-10 months and I rarely saw it and never saw it eat. I thought that it died many times and then it would show back up a week later. They are shy and not agressive eaters. I don't think that this changes for most.

[DT's_Reef]

I had one for several months and never saw it eat during that period of time. It hid almost all the time and I was only able to catch a quick glance once in a while, but apparently he was getting plenty to eat off the rocks as he was plump. Eventually, he started to come out more and more and then began to eat prepared food (frozen/flake/pellet). He never nipped at my SPS. I had him a couple years until I sold the tank to a friend.

[Tangwich]

I just bought one as well at LFS last week and had to leave it there while I upgrade to new tank. Anyway, don't expect to see this fish much. I say that because the LFS where I bought mine has had one in an established tank now for the last 6 years and to this day, anytime I go to that LFS which is about once a week, I stand there for a long time and see the Golden maybe twice and only for a couple of seconds. But it's such a great surprise when you do see him.

Just out of curiousity, how much did you pay for him?
I got mine for $60 but don't know if I overpaid or underpaid. Didn't read up on them before purchase. It was spur of the moment, they only had one so I had to have it purchase.lol

[DT's_Reef]

$60 is a good price.