How do I know if my fish is eating?

[Coral Commander]

I have a 55 gallon tank with a Pecula Clown, Coral Beauty, Watchman Goby, Feather Duster and a few others that play no partucular significance to my questions...For starters, since being introduced to the tank, the Watchman Goby has been picked on by the Coral Beauty. So since this time he hides in the rock all day and really only comes out at night when the Coral Beauty is sleeping in his rock. I never see him during the day, even when I am feeding. My concern is whether or not he is getting enough to eat. I really heavily monitor my feeding as to keep the nitrates down to a minimum. Is there any way I can tell if he's getting enough to eat? He's been alive for about a month or more so I figure he's doing ok but I may never know until I end up seeing him dead. I also want to know what I can do to make sure the snails are getting enough to eat because they bury themselves and only emerge when it's feeding time and by that time most of the food is gone. Anyone know how I can tell if they are eating enough or what I can do to ensure that they are without affecting the nitrates?

Second question, I have the same question about the Feather Duster. I use the liquid coral food once a week and when I feed it, I don't really see it sucking the feather in unless it is bumped or disturbed. How do I know if it's eating? I've had it for going on two weeks now.

Maybe I'm being a little overly-concerned but I am trying to protect my investment here so to speak and I also don't like being responsible for killing fish either.

 

[dcantucson]

I have had a Feather Duster (same one) for over two years now. I have tried squirting it with all kinds of coral type liquid food. Never see it really feeding that way. I think that they are always feeding on micro things in the water. If you have good water quality I'm sure you will be okay.

As for the fish getting enough to eat you would have noticed by now. It doesn't take long for a fish to start looking starved. It's stomach area will begin to sink in when it is starving. It's probably sneaking out to feed more than you think or see.

 

[Bifferwine]

You don't need to feed your feather duster anything -- it will be just fine. Adding coral food to the water without having anything to eat it can just worsen your water quality, and feather dusters don't require feeding, so I'd stop that.

Most fish are grazers, meaning that they forage and hunt for food constantly. They don't only eat what you are putting into the tank. Have you tried feeding the goby a little bit of food at night when he does come out?

 

[yote]

Those gobies actually get 99% of their food from the micro life thats in the sand bed.Plus,if its been a coule of months since you've seen him eat,but he's still alive,he's getting food somewhere.
The feather duster actually feeds on whats called bacterplankton.Microscopic bacteria the live free swimming in the water.

 

[winyfrog]

+ to all of the above.

You should feed him a bit when he comes out at night, until he becomes okay with the day time. or you could squirt some food in his home.

 

[tankedchemist]

What are you feeding? Sometimes my watchman spends so much time at the bottom of the tank that he doesn't get the frozen food fast enough. I occasionally feed aquadine pellet food, which sinks to the bottom so the goby can snatch it up.

 

[Coral Commander]

My Watchman goby doesn't come out at all during the day even for feeding in the morning. The only time he comes out is as night. The reason is because the Coral Beauty picks on him too much and he is afraid. I am thinking of getting rid of the Coral Beauty because of this.

 

[tankedchemist]

So, feed a few flakes of food at night like Winy suggested, when he's out. dwarf angels are grouchy, but beautiful, so good luck with that.