Heniochus diphreutes. Not eating      9/21/14
Dear WWM Crew,
<Mark>
I¹ve searched your FAQ¹s and I haven¹t found anything similar to my situation, so hopefully you can help. One of my Heniochus has stopped eating (3 days), which is very odd as the Heniochus are the biggest eaters in the tank.
<They are given to feeding strikes... IMO/E from eating something that doesn't agree w/ them in the  system... Hydroids, Polychaetes....>
He looks normal (no swollen belly) and the only behavioral change is that he is less active. I have a 220 gal tank (fish only) with 14 fish, including 3 Heniochus. It is a very peaceful tank. Everyone has been together for a year and the other fish are eating and acting normally. I feed pellets (alternating 3 varieties) and frozen food (4 varieties) twice a day and put in seaweed (3 varieties) once a day, all of this to provide the appropriate food for the carnivores and herbivores in the tank.
<Good>
I alternate adding Selcon and garlic to the food. He has always eaten pretty much everything. I¹m finishing up hyposalinity treatment (16 weeks)
<Oh! This will induce non-feeding easily>
to deal with an ich outbreak that really only showed up on my yellow belly blue tang.
The Heniochus only had a couple of random spots in the beginning. Water parameters are where they should be (save for the low salinity) and steady.
How many days can a fish go without eating before you take action?
<Some; starting in good shape, for a few to several weeks>
My purple tang had constipation in the past (swollen belly) and I fed peas to deal with that, but he was still eating a little. This Heniochus just watches food float past his face with no interest. What, if any, actions
would you recommend I take?
<Patience at this point. Opening up a bivalve in a few days...>
Thanks,
Mark
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Update: Heniochus diphreutes      10/6/14
Dear WWM Crew,
<Mark>
It’s been another 14 days, and the Heniochus is still not eating. He has been more active, schooling with the other two Heniochus, and otherwise acting normally, except during feeding time.
<Dang! You did try the opened bivalve/shellfish? Soaking other preferred foods with HUFAs, vitamins?>
The only physical change is that his fins have started to deteriorate.
<Likely from either the lack of nutrition of bullying.... but by whom? The other BFs?>
I’ve spent a lot of time watching him to see if I can determine the cause of his hunger strike. I haven’t seen any harassment by other fish. All of the other fish are eating as usual. I’d pull him out and put him in my hospital tank (40 gal breeder) but I don’t know what to treat him for and it would just decrease his swimming area, so I don’t see the benefit. Can you recommend a food to try that might spark his interest?
<All sorts. I refer you to the genus and family Feeding FAQs files on WWM>
Any help would be greatly
appreciated - I don’t want to lose this fish.
Thanks,
Mark
<Do please keep us informed. Bob Fenner>
Re: Heniochus diphreutes       10/10/14
Dear WWM Crew,
<Mark>
I seem to be coming to the end of this particular journey. The Heniochus is still not eating. I did try two different bivalves, amongst a number of different types of food, with no luck. While he is still acting
normally he is continuing to deteriorate. His colors are fading and his fins are degrading. If you have any suggestions on other things to try please let me know.
<I would ASAPractical move this one fish elsewhere... to another established, stable system of size. BobF>
Thanks,
Mark