Heniochus acuminatus
Hi,
I purchased a Heniochus acuminatus two weeks ago and he is doing fine except he won't eat anything other than brine shrimp. I need to be able to feed him some flake or other dry food since I travel some and usually leave a feeder with my fish while I'm gone. Is there any way to wean him on the flake food?
<We first need to wean him onto something other than brine shrimp, as they are nutritionally useless. Try feeding both the brine shrimp with Mysis shrimp or plankton. Then as he gets less finicky, try some dry foods.>
Thanks, Rich Aylward
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Heniochus diphreutes feeding   1/13/06
Hello <Hello Nita>  Thanks to your help several years ago I now have 2 thriving 'reefs'<Good to hear.>
- a small (54 gallon) at home - breathtakingly beautiful (while my outdoor landscaping has gone to h---!) and a less-beautiful but still lovely 100 G
at work.  Few problems / losses / issues  until now. and this one is small but important to me!  Sorry to trouble you over a few grams of fish.
Based on this recommendation from your web site <http://www.wetwebmedia.com/heniochu.htm> "They are superbly adaptable
aquarium specimens which acclimate quickly, thrive under a variety of conditions, are not quarrelsome & readily accept all foods." I purchased a
very small (1") Heniochus diphreutes.  Beautiful, charming delightful little creature (who will go into the large tank I keep at work as it matures).  It
is in quarantine and eats great. if I feed Mysis.  Otherwise it eats NOTHING.  It can stay in QT for a while but nothing that I have done will
get it to eat anything else.  This can't be healthy and I hate feeding frozen every day - such a mess.  Any advice or suggestions?  The LFS will
take it back but I would love to keep it. just not eating Mysis-only!
<Boy that is small.  Didn't mention how long you've had it.  I'd soak the Mysis in a vitamin supplement before feeding to help this guy grow.  I would introduce other foods along with the Mysis being careful not to overfeed.  Might want to try some Cyclop-eeze in the pump bottle.  Most fish find this hard to refuse.  Once he starts eating a variety of other frozen foods it will more than likely be tempted to try dry foods.  Wouldn't take it back quite yet...patience my friend, they are not goldfish.  James (Salty Dog)>
Best regards, N. Irby