Bristletooth not eating

[DracoKat]

Hi all

exactly 1 week ago, I got a Square Tale Bristletooth Tang. I set him up in the QT where he's been since.

He hasn't eaten (or if he has, it's not enough for me to notice).

I have Sally's seaweed (green package).. he ignored it. I got another brand (can't think on top of my head) that has garlic extract. Ignored. He didn't seem to notice Spirulina pellets either- I had to clean them out every day.
Frozen food is no-go.

Seaweed is on both clip and rubberband around the PVC pipe.

He's active, swimming and hiding as a tang should, pecking at the ground and everything but seaweed.

any ideas how I can get him eating more? Should I shorten his time in the QT to get him in the DT where it's bigger and more natural environment? I hear Tangs are hard to eat in QT. He is physically healthy (no ich), I dosed Prazipro as a precaution on Saturday.

 

[Salty1962]

Do you have a piece of LR with some algae from your DT you can put in with him. May start the natural feeding instinct.

 

[DracoKat]

my LR don't have much of algae on it, it's all on my walls. I'll see if I can find a piece

 

[roberthu526]

I am having the same issue right now. Got a tomini tang last weekend and he hides when I feed. But I do have some algae growing on the live rock and I see him picking on the rocks when I am away from the tank. So far he still looks healthy and active. I rubber band a piece of red seaweed on a live rock and sink it to the bottom of the tank. I have not seen him grazing on it yet but I think he eventually will after seeing other fish doing it.

 

[4FordFamily]

Red nori, live black worms, live brine. In that order are your three best bets

 

[DracoKat]

I am having the same issue right now. Got a tomini tang last weekend and he hides when I feed. But I do have some algae growing on the live rock and I see him picking on the rocks when I am away from the tank. So far he still looks healthy and active. I rubber band a piece of red seaweed on a live rock and sink it to the bottom of the tank. I have not seen him grazing on it yet but I think he eventually will after seeing other fish doing it.

You didn't quarantine your tang? at least in the DT there's more to eat in a more natural environment

@4FordFamily thank you! I don't think I have red nori. I'll pick some up tomorrow to try!

 

[roberthu526]

You didn't quarantine your tang? at least in the DT there's more to eat in a more natural environment

@4FordFamily thank you! I don't think I have red nori. I'll pick some up tomorrow to try!

IHe is in the QT with other fish. I noticed putting a single fish in a QT usually makes that fish extremely shy and often refuse to come out when human approaches. So I now quarantine multiple fish at the same time and some times even bring old fish from DT to QT to bring the new fish out quicker. I use hypo so I am not too concerned about stress or repeatedly medication fish.

 

[DracoKat]

thanks for clarifying that! Makes sense that fish are more shy alone

 

[PbMan26]

Hey @DracoKat . I know this thread is really old but... How did this turn out for you? I'm currently in the same situation and I'm out of ideas haha.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey @DracoKat . I know this thread is really old but... How did this turn out for you? I'm currently in the same situation and I'm out of ideas haha.

What foods are you offering and any pics of fish under white lighting ?
How is fishs' breathing rate?

 

[PbMan26]

What foods are you offering and any pics of fish under white lighting ?
How is fishs' breathing rate?

I've tried green algae, nori, and pellets so far. I've tried a clip and banded it to the PVC. It doesn't seem like he's eaten anything.

Breathing seems to be better than it was a few days ago. I think you helped me earlier when I thought it might have been a parasite... However there really have been no signs of that since.

I'll see if I can get a picture under white light. My QT light has a blue tint to it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've tried green algae, nori, and pellets so far. I've tried a clip and banded it to the PVC. It doesn't seem like he's eaten anything.

Breathing seems to be better than it was a few days ago. I think you helped me earlier when I thought it might have been a parasite... However there really have been no signs of that since.

I'll see if I can get a picture under white light. My QT light has a blue tint to it.

Those foods wont thrill this fish. These fish are herbivores. Try foods such as :

-Spirulina brine shrimp
- LRS Herbivore diet
- mysis shrimp
- small plankton
- Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract
- Hikari Marine cuisine
- Formula 2 flake and frozen
- Hikari veggie marine

Add selcon vitamins to the foods 2-3X per week and on alternating days, garlic extract for stamina and immunity health

 

[PbMan26]

Those foods wont thrill this fish. These fish are herbivores. Try foods such as :

-Spirulina brine shrimp
- LRS Herbivore diet
- mysis shrimp
- small plankton
- Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract
- Hikari Marine cuisine
- Formula 2 flake and frozen
- Hikari veggie marine

Add selcon vitamins to the foods 2-3X per week and on alternating days, garlic extract for stamina and immunity health

Thanks I'll give some of those a try

 

[PbMan26]

Those foods wont thrill this fish. These fish are herbivores. Try foods such as :

-Spirulina brine shrimp
- LRS Herbivore diet
- mysis shrimp
- small plankton
- Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract
- Hikari Marine cuisine
- Formula 2 flake and frozen
- Hikari veggie marine

Add selcon vitamins to the foods 2-3X per week and on alternating days, garlic extract for stamina and immunity health

I tried a combo of formula 2 and mysis, both frozen. No interest at all. Still just focus on his own reflection.

I'll try some others tomorrow. Thanks!

 

[DracoKat]

Hey @DracoKat . I know this thread is really old but... How did this turn out for you? I'm currently in the same situation and I'm out of ideas haha.

He is doing great and I still have him! I honestly don’t remember how he got to eating but he’s eating agressively now!

in a post you said he’s focused on his reflection, try to take that source away where he isn’t so focused? He might be too distracted to think about eating

 

[PbMan26]

He is doing great and I still have him! I honestly don’t remember how he got to eating but he’s eating agressively now!

in a post you said he’s focused on his reflection, try to take that source away where he isn’t so focused? He might be too distracted to think about eating

That's great! I'm glad it worked out.

Yea that's a good idea. Thanks