How Do Tangs Eat So Much?

[tdileo]

This topic is kind of a joke but also kind of serious. How can tangs eat all that they do? Mine can go through a piece of nori twice the size of her in a day (with a little help from my blenny) even when I am also feeding twice a day a mix of pellets, flakes, and frozen foods. You would think she’d burst after all of that!

 

[dealseer]

The sheets I use are paper thin.

 

[nemo1017]

They are extremely Active fish, they graze in nature all day. Constantly swimming around; The food they eat pretty much gets burned up because of their high activity level.

 

[Potatohead]

They poop.

A lot.

 

[tdileo]

I did notice they are very active, my dad said mine is far more active than any of his ever were and I think that’s a good thing in concern to it’s health. I didn’t realize all of that food would get burned up because of how much they swim, that’s pretty cool to know. And yes I have seen how much they poop LOL!

 

[Maritimer]

Veggies in general aren't as high-nutrition as meats. Most herbivores graze or browse all day long, and need some kind of assistance to extract the most from their meals. Elephants, horses and ruminants have great big fermenting vat bellies, and rabbits eat their food twice.

Tangs graze all day long, process what they can and eliminate an awful lot of coral-food at the other end. They also burn a lot of calories pushing that tall body through the water all day long with just their pectorals. (Except Naso-family tangs, of course . . . )

~Bruce

 

[Donovan Joannes]

They poop.

A lot.

Couldn't agree more. My dory clouds the water column when she pooped. Tangs are seriously a heavyweight champion on pooping.

 

[oceanfreak09]

They are extremely Active fish, they graze in nature all day. Constantly swimming around; The food they eat pretty much gets burned up because of their high activity level.

Hit it on the head! [emoji375]

 

[oceanfreak09]

I did notice they are very active, my dad said mine is far more active than any of his ever were and I think that’s a good thing in concern to it’s health. I didn’t realize all of that food would get burned up because of how much they swim, that’s pretty cool to know. And yes I have seen how much they poop LOL!

They are twice as active as your dads maybe cause they eat twice as much veggies!! And I love the comment on poop=coral food!! [emoji106]

 

[Reefbuds]

I agree, they poop.. a lot.

 

[b3ja]

Tangs are poop factory when they eat alot!
Good for corals though

 

[mort]

Their digestion isn't particularly efficient which is why you see them eating their own poo like rabbits do, to extract all the goodness they can out of it.

 

[jasonrusso]

I can say the same for my foxface. He eats Nori all day and when he poops it out it is still green like it's fresh