Question about Apisto feeding behaviour

[Lockyn]

Hi everyone! I’d like to start off by saying that I am new to Apistogrammas,freshwater fish in general actually. I have a reef tank which has been running for a few years now,but the moment I saw an Apistogramma Cacatuoides in person for the first time,I could not resist getting a pair for myself.
I set up a 10 gallon tank,and my pair has been doing relatively well,but my male is extremely picky. I’ve tried multiple foods. (frozen brine,freeze dried brine,frozen mysis,5 different pellet foods.)
He’s actually mouthing them rather aggressively,but what he does is that he’ll chew on them for a few seconds,and he’ll either spit them out or the food comes out of his gills. I’ve only seen him swallowing the brine shrimp and mysis a few times now,and I’m getting worried as he is getting quite skinny. The female,on the other hand is eating everything I’m offering.
Is there anyway to get him to eat more? My parameters are as follows:
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm

Thank you,any help is appreciated!

 

[Lockyn]

Here’s a picture of the two of them

 

[Bart Hazes]

I'm afraid he may have an intestinal parasite in which case he will likely not make it. There are medications but I've never been very successful with them. You can try small (or chopped up) live (earth)worms or mosquito larvae. The latter gave a new male A. erythrura that was struggling to eat his appetite back.

 

[gerald]

+1 for mosquito larvae ... the all-around best food for recovering starved or stressed fish. Set up a plastic tub or bucket outside with a handfull of leaves and few pieces of dog food (or any decaying organic matter), and you'll have mosquito larvae in a few days. You might get some bloodworms (Chirononmid midge larvae) that way too. Hoping its not a parasite problem.

 

[Lockyn]

I’ll try to get the mosquito larvae and I’ll dose praziquantel,thanks everyone!

 

[yukondog]

Welcome Lockyn, I have a small male Hongsloi that refuses to eat anything that is not moving, I do as stated above in harvesting mosquito and bloodworm larva, between 6 5 gl. buckets, bird bath and fountain I have a steady supply of both and just freeze the surplus.

 

[Happyfins]

I think he looks fine. Probably just picky.