# My new big yellow lab won't eat



## Flapjack (Jun 24, 2010)

I bought a big 5" yellow lab from a friend 13 days ago... I put him directly into my 125g all male tank and he swam around and was doing well, swimming around but not eating..I asked the previous owner what he fed him which was Hakari cichlid accel which is a floating pellet.. I had tried to feed him that but he wasn't interested.... so I thought i'd give him some time and he still hadn't seemed interested in food after a week and a half of feeding every day. So I moved him to a cycled 10g tank by himself with a little rock work. He seems pretty comfortable in there because he has a place to hide and everything, there is substrate and two sponge filters in there as well. I put him in the 10g two days ago. So I have been trying to feed NLS but still he hasn't eaten. I am beginning to wonder if he is going to die from not eating.... Any Advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!
-Kevin


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## toume (Oct 7, 2010)

We need some more info:

What are your water parameters? 
None of the other fish your 125 show any symptoms?

Does the lab have a sunken belly or bulging eyes?
Or is he more rounded (bloated)? Is his feces white and stringy?

Does he still have the quick, jolting movement these cichlids usually exhibit, or is he more lethargic (how easy was he to catch?)? Does he swim around freely, thoughout the tank, or does he hide most of the time?
In the 125, did he hide in the rocks, or hang out at the top of the tank?
Is he stretching/moving his gills more than the others?


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## Flapjack (Jun 24, 2010)

toume said:


> We need some more info:
> 
> What are your water parameters?
> None of the other fish your 125 show any symptoms?
> ...


None of the fish in the 125 are showing symptoms, they eat like pigs.. Parameters are perfect in both the 125 and 10g... no sunken belly or bulging eyes, he is not bloated, i have not seen any poop ever. He seems relaxed but hides when i come up to the tank, when i am doing other stuff he swims freely thought the tank. in the 125 he swam freely at the middle and bottom of the tank, he does not hide most of the time. He is breathing normally.


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## toume (Oct 7, 2010)

If you haven't seen any poop that also a negative sign....but then he's not eating.
The white/stringy feces is the last symptom of bloat--before they die.

So no other symptoms except he's not eating?
Any stress bars?

What was the stocking in the 125?


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## Flapjack (Jun 24, 2010)

the stock in the 125 is very light, 1m/1f afra cobue, two ahli's, Afra Jalo reef, and a few smaller misc mbuna like hongi, trewvesae and maison reef. No stress bars... only symptom is no appetite. I am getting some garlic flake from a friend, i'll update this thread.


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## toume (Oct 7, 2010)

Your stocking is slim, but you do have some more aggressive species (like the trewavase).

They could've been keeping the newbie from eating...but if he's still eating in the 10 by himself... then he could be stressed from the move to a new environment.

You could try some brine shrimp. It's a bit tastier--and it might encourage him to eat more. I wouldn't give a lot though (you know about Mbuna's susceptibility to bloat so...).


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Good idea to offer a few irresistible foods. 
If the fish was eating and swimming normally in it's former home than more than likely he just needs time to adjust to his new surroundings. Sometimes what can happen in a lightly stocked tank is that fish see the lack of fish swimming around as an indication of some kind of danger. Usually this translates into the fish hiding but it could also make him hesitant to eat.

Robin


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## Flapjack (Jun 24, 2010)

thanks for the replies! I decided to use clout on him because I have tried Zucchini, lettuce, NLS soaked in garlic water, Hikari cichlid accel(which is his food from last home), and Algae Wafers.. I figure a yellow lab that can resist tearing apart a soft flowing romaine lettuce is definitely sick.


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## toume (Oct 7, 2010)

Labs are omnivorous.

I'd offer something with higher protein content (which he usually wouldn't get), like brine shrimp, before vegetables. It's a little more inviting.

Good luck :thumb: 
Update us on the results


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