Help! Shubunkin Refusing to Eat!
I’ve had my shubunkin, Speckles, for about 3 years now. She’s overwintered 3 times, coming out of it perfectly fine the first 2 winters. She’s a voracious eater usually and takes charge of the other fish. However, this year, as all my other fish have started to speed up and dart around the outdoor pond, searching for food and eating very well, Speckles has seemed to lag behind. She’s slow, seemingly lethargic (struggling to keep up with the other fish, staying near the bottom of the pond) and, most notably, is refusing to eat. She’s usually the first one to beg for food, often shoving all the other fish out of the way, but now refuses to eat. I’ve separated her to try to give her food on her own but the most she’ll do is suck the food in and spit it out. I don’t know what’s happening. Could she just be slow on the upstart because of how cold this winter has been? Or is she sick? Do I need to keep her separate from the other fish? Help please!
(The picture is her in a separate container so I could try to feed her, she is not kept in that for long periods)