Chelmon Rostratus – Acclimatisation and prepared food

Chelmon rostratus is certainly one of the most colorful and interesting marine fish, but also a very challenging candidate. Particularly in the period of acclimatization quite a lot of fish die due to the refusal of any food. Therefore, I recommend this fish only for experienced aquarists with a good running tank. A tank volume of 500 liters, as I have, should be the absolute minimum.

My Chelmon rostratus now lives about half a year in my tank and I have read months in advance about this fish. Based on various reports that I have read previously, I want to introduce you to my Chelmon rostratus:

1. Behavior and coral picking

The Chelmon is a very agile, active and acrobatic fish that is all day busy in searching food in all kinds of cracks and holes.

It is often reported that Chelmon Rostratus is pecking on corals. I can confirm that in part. If I don’t feed him two times a day, he starts to peck at Acanthastrea polyps.

In my opinion, his concern was not to have the coral as food, but the mouth-holes of these corals seem so attractive, that he tried a “test bite”. Unfortunately, he caught exactly the sensitive mouth. The pecking at me has not been resolved the dead of the polyp. They regenerated after giving some direct food and later Goldpods.

The same I observed at a Scolymia and Lobophyllia. By now, he didn’t peck at SPS or clams.

Chelmon rostratus is known as an Aiptasia killer. I watched him only once doing this, after killing one Aitapsia by Joes Juice manually. It my be that he only eats very little or injured Aiptasia.

2. Getting him to frozen food

It is often reported that many Chelmon rostratus are not or only very hard to get on food. I can confirm in principle. My one was swimming a few weeks in a large coral system tank and was therefore very well fed, because he had enough of life food available. I see it as a success factor – after the import, the fish should first get sufficient live food at the dealers tank.  At first my Chelmon pecks only on the live rock and did not take food from the open water. If the fish is well fed, he can move into the home tank. Chelmon rostratus is a very intelligent fish and then “learns the feeding” from the other fish.

It’s also supposed to work with the “dishwashing brushes trick” or the “film canisters-trick”, where little holes are drilled into a small capsule and which is filled with frozen food.  The holes should stimulate pecking. There are also reports that live brine shrimp or bloodworms simplify the conversion. I didn’t try this.

Back to my Chelmon: After he was about 1 week exclusively pecking on the reef and ate natural zooplankton and tube worms, he began to eat. Up to now, only frozen mysis (spitting out the heads) and Goldpods. He doesn’t touch other food.

3. Compitability with other fish

After putting him into the tank, the hierarchy has significantly changed. Formerly there were frequently attacks between the Centropyge loricula and my yellow Zebrasoma flavescens, but the presence of the Chelmon is now a pacifying factor.

Doctor and Chelmon became real friends after a few days and now are together most of the day through the tank.

Conclusion:

Chelmon Rostratus is a very strong character fish, which enriches every reef tank from very least 500l. 500l can be seen as an absolute minimum size only for a young fish. If you’re planning an an enlargement or already have a customer for the grown specimen 500l are acceptable. And do not forget, this fish is rapidly getting bigger in size and agility.

In addition, you have to probably have to take one or the other coral loss.

Regarding the acclimatization you should really, and I mean really, have an eye on buying a well-fed specimen. Only then it has a chance to survive the first days and the changing to frozen food.

A Chelmon rostratus is:

… not suitable for beginners

… no real Aitapsia killer. Please do not buy if killing Aitapsia is the main reason.

… dependent to a high natural zooplankton mass (e.g. tropical mysis, tube worms etc.) which helps him over the first days.

… suitable for 500l – the more the better.

… interested in LPS coral polyps

… is not easy to get him on frozen food. Best is to buy it from a large tank. Small compartment tanks like usually used fish sale systems usually means death.