How to keep this Blue Tang alive? 3rd attempt.

Miami Reef · Apr 4, 2019

I have had many tangs in my life that I was able to keep alive for a long time, but I’ve never had success with a blue tang, and as sad as it sounds, I don’t want to give up.

I don’t know why they always sell the blue tangs this small size compared to all the other tangs I’ve ever bought.

I just bought this guy Sunday and he was not eating and I got scared he would die too, but today he ate for the first time, so I feel relieved.

Now, I only feed my tank once a day. I have the lights on from 5pm to 11pm (that’s when I’m home so I can enjoy the tank)

The fish are sleeping when the lights are off. How many times a day do you need to feed a fish this size? I want to try something different this time around.

James M · Apr 4, 2019

Did you QT ?
Are you proving nori sheets ?

Miami Reef · Apr 5, 2019

Yes, green. But he hasn’t tried it.

My LFS has him in copper, and a few other medications, so yes.

Mastiffsrule · Apr 5, 2019

I’ll be interested to see how he does. I’m with you, never had good luck with them, I gave up before I made them extinct.

User1 · Apr 5, 2019

I personally do not keep those tangs but I would imagine that it is similar to any other grazer. If you are not you need to keep a sheet of nori in the tank. Rotate between green and red. Rubber band around a rock and toss in the tank where you can remove it easy without going for a swim. You can also use a clip and once it is established use the larger nori sheet holders. They prevent it from blowing off and it last longer if you have a lazy or difficult eater.

Also you probably need to know or at least get used to its eating habits. This means you may need to do more frequent smaller feedings of different types. I do not like pellet but auto feeders and pellets are nice. You can mix in smaller sizes that are for algae eaters. Also try mysis and brine soaked in selcon (frozen of course). I would also pick up LRS frozen since I think it is a better solution.

Remember tangs are grazers and so always moving about. While this tang isn't a bristletooth it is still going to forage and you need to provide it fuel to do that. So if you can stay on top of it and pay a bit more upfront to provide a variety of foods (especially the nori sheets) you should be good. I've kept purple, kole, and lately a rather large Lt. Tang - all ate the nori and each had their own favorite...

nereefpat · Apr 5, 2019

Those tiny regal tangs don't have the best survival rates. It's kind of a shame they collect them at such a small size. It also probably tricks people into putting them in tanks that are too small.

Too late now, but I would have suggested QT. At a LFS in some copper doesn't really count. What concentration? How long? Were they isolated? etc.

I would feed several times a day. Frozen Mysis, spirulina brine, and plankton would be the best. Most tangs are algae eaters, but this specific one is a planktivore.