Why my fishes spit out the food?

[FaLong]

Hi,

I bough last week 2 clownfish and 3 blue damsels to start my marine aquarium. I have notice that when I am feeding them, they all come very active to get the food, but they bit it and later spit it out! Or I am not sure if it may be too big for their mouths.

I am getting concern, because I do not see if they are eating it after it gets in the bottom and softens up in the water, or not.

I am giving them the right food? Shall I get different food? Is there any other favorite food they may have I can add?

Thanks!

[SubzeroLT]

Yours is the medium pellets version. Medium should be OK for damsels & clowns...but again, it depends on the size of your fishes.

TDO is a good brand. There is a small pellet version available.

Other popular brands Ocean Nutrition Formula One & Formula Two or perhaps New Life Spectrum Thera A.

[DottyClown]

If your fishes are still small sized and you suspect the TDO pellets are too big for them, simply crush some into smaller size and feed.

If they swallow, then all is well. Continue feeding crushed pellets until they grow bigger to handle the normal size pellets.

That's what I did for my fishes.

[nicktc]

My new fishes tend to behave in the same way during the initial feeds.

But after a few more feeding, the spitting stops.

[Martin Foo]

U might wan to consider buying seachem garlic dip to add on these pallets.Garlic might help to increase their appetite.

[expert]

they might still getting adapt to the new water or environment. i doubt the problem lies with the food size. if they are really hungry, they will mince it themselves slowly, no matter how big it is. it they are really not eating even after you change to smaller pallet, try changing water. 

[NeBu]

I don't think it is a warning sign. 

My fishes (chromis, clown) are qo happily eating when the food comes that they take one, 2, 3 pellets...and suddenly se another one, so try to put a 4th one in the mouth, but it does not fit, so the other pellets are ejected out haha. Looks like hamsters.