Not eating — more than a week
This looks like: illness, parasites, or hostile environment — long enough that stress alone is a weaker explanation
Why this happens
Mouth fungus, internal worms, bullying, and long slide ammonia all dent appetite — data sorts them.
What to do right now
- Full test panel: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH morning and evening once.
- Inspect for white stringy poop, sunken belly, or red throat — note it.
- Try softer food if species needs it — crushed pellets vs flakes.
- Quarantine if one individual for targeted treatment next.
- Cross-check species temperature band vs your heater setting.
What not to do
- Don’t feed the same giant pinches “to tempt them.”
Stop it happening again
Quarantine and watch new fish, keep parameters stable, and feed a varied diet - long hunger strikes usually start with stress or disease you can catch early.
If that doesn’t fix it
Visible worms or wasting — internal parasite protocols differ by diagnosis.
Catch this earlier next time — log your water parameters in App-aquatic. Free forever.
This isn't veterinary advice - it's a directional read to help you decide your next step, based on the most common causes. We can't see your fish, so pair it with a liquid test kit and clear photos, and see an aquatic vet or a trusted local fish shop for a valuable or seriously ill fish.