Do I need to feed a bristletooth tang?

[jasonrusso]

No that is not a joke, lol. I recently lost a kole tang to a velvet outbreak. When I had the kole, he would peck at the rocks all day, but also ate nori, mysis, krill, clam, etc. I never directly fed him, but he would eat the community food.

I bought a 2 spot bristletooth tang about 6 weeks ago. He is in a 55g QT with a foxface and they are going primetime this weekend. That being said, I watch him peck all day long, but he doesn't eat nori or the mysis, krill, etc I that the foxface eats. It's been 6 weeks and he is still alive so I guess whatever he is pecking at is enough for him. Once he goes into the DT, he will have a lot more to eat but it is going to be harder to monitor him. I assume he will be fine and won't let himself starve to death if there is available food.

 

[Bubs2]

The fatter the better

 

[DSC reef]

They will constantly pick at the rocks and after some time will be happy to accept food you introduce to the tank. I'd recommend a mixture of foods with algae in them instead of just meaty options. Quality frozen food like LRS reef frenzy, omnivorous and herbivorous pellet foods should get a feeding response. We've got a purple tang that's about 5 years old and he won't touch any nori on a clip but as soon as the nori in LRS reef frenzy hits the water it's devoured. Some fish are just silly like that. Variety of foods that are designed for the fishes dietary needs is your best bet.

 

[lion king]

That's the knock on some of the bristletooth tangs is that they can be hard to feed. But as long he made it through qt once he gets to the dt with more grazing opportunity he will be fine. He will likely eventually take to the other foods floating around the tank. So you run a qt with rocks he was able to graze on, that's excellent. People lose these fish when they put them directly into dt and they stress and never eat, or their qt has no grazing opportunity.

 

[jasonrusso]

That's the knock on some of the bristletooth tangs is that they can be hard to feed. But as long he made it through qt once he gets to the dt with more grazing opportunity he will be fine. He will likely eventually take to the other foods floating around the tank. So you run a qt with rocks he was able to graze on, that's excellent. People lose these fish when they put them directly into dt and they stress and never eat, or their qt has no grazing opportunity.

Actually I didn't have any rocks in the QT, but I use a big sponge filter. I fed the foxface nori and the bits would get stick on the HOB intake or the foam filter. He would peck at them all day.

I literally just plunked them into the DT 10 minutes ago and I can see him pecking away at the rocks under the blue lights. Hopefully tomorrow he will be swimming around the rocks.

I stopped at Petco today on the way home from an event and they actually had a good size bi-color angel that was going to be my next fish. He had a bit of a cloudy eye so I ended up getting him for $15!!! I have every anti-biotic so as soon as I got the foxface and tang out of QT I put in the angel. I started erythromycin today so we will see how it goes.

This is the foam filter I am talking about. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B009UY519M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[DSmithZ28]

I am using the dual foam sponge filter in a 10 gallon. I'm ab It to start my QT on a whitetail this Tuesday. Hope mine works out. I don't have lot of algae in the DT as it is new so I'm hoping mine will take to meaty foods and nori also. How did you get petco to give you a deal? Mine has Ich so bad the fish die regularly and they will not BUDGE on any price. I'm not paying full price for a fish that absolutely has parasites.

 

[lion king]

I stopped at Petco today on the way home from an event and they actually had a good size bi-color angel that was going to be my next fish. He had a bit of a cloudy eye so I ended up getting him for $15!!! I have every anti-biotic so as soon as I got the foxface and tang out of QT I put in the angel. I started erythromycin today so we will see how it goes.

This is the foam filter I am talking about. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B009UY519M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You really like challenging fish LOL. That angel can be another one tricky to get to eat.

 

[Flippers4pups]

My Tomini doesn't like red nori, purple nori or garlic nori, just the green type. Sometimes they are just picky.

DSC reef is correct, try LRS reef frenzy or Rods herbivore blend.

 

[jasonrusso]

I watched him for a while at the store and he was pecking the rocks pretty good. Really vibrant color (which is rare for Petco) just the cloudy eye.

People also say that anglers are challenging (I think it was you, lol) but I got my new painted black eating off a string in 4 days. He actually took squid out of my hand this week.

If I'm anything, I am disciplined.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I watched him for a while at the store and he was pecking the rocks pretty good. Really vibrant color (which is rare for Petco) just the cloudy eye.

People also say that anglers are challenging (I think it was you, lol) but I got my new painted black eating off a string in 4 days. He actually took squid out of my hand this week.

If I'm anything, I am disciplined.

Cloudy eye?!

#reefsquad

 

[jasonrusso]

I am using the dual foam sponge filter in a 10 gallon. I'm ab It to start my QT on a whitetail this Tuesday. Hope mine works out. I don't have lot of algae in the DT as it is new so I'm hoping mine will take to meaty foods and nori also. How did you get petco to give you a deal? Mine has Ich so bad the fish die regularly and they will not BUDGE on any price. I'm not paying full price for a fish that absolutely has parasites.

Hmm, this is actually the first fish I bought from Petco. I just said "I like that one, but it has a cloudy eye. What is the price?" She said 50% off. No hassle.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Hmm, this is actually the first fish I bought from Petco. I just said "I like that one, but it has a cloudy eye. What is the price?" She said 50% off. No hassle.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/fish-diseases-101.189284/

 

[jsker]

Treat the Popeye with tetracycline, chloramphenicol or kanamycin in QT bound with seachem's focus bind the meds to some frozen food and feed. I would also suggest some vitamin c and b12 in the mix.

 

[cracker]

. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B009UY519M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the link I was looking for a big bio filter like that!
ps this is cool I finally figured how to post a quote ! lol

 

[jasonrusso]

. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B009UY519M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is the big one, lol. I ordered this one because the description was the same size but it is a monster!

XY-380 Aquarium Fish Tank Biochemical Sponge Filter, 4-1/2-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051XIN78/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_HCpMzbSX8BS80

 

[jasonrusso]

I still haven't seen they little guy eat what is in the water column, but he seems very active after the feeding. Maybe he is going around picking up small pieces. Either way, he is active and pecking all day long. His color looks good.

 

[jasonrusso]

You really like challenging fish LOL. That angel can be another one tricky to get to eat.

Maybe I just got lucky, but he was munching on nori the next day. He eats pellets, nori, mysis, and krill. His eye is not cloudy anymore but is still a bit swollen.

I may try Epsom salt, but he still has a while in QT.

 

[DSmithZ28]

My Bristletooth is in QT and loves pellets. I could not get him to eat seaweed/nori and he was 'meh' with mysis and brine.