New Powder Blue Tang not watt

[Hatzo1]

So I got a new Powder Blue Tang Tuesday and it does not seem interested in anything I offer it, it grazes on what algae it can find on my rock and back glass. I now have nori on a clip and a rock in hopes it will eat. Was wondering if anyone has some suggestions.

 

[albano]

Can be a hard to acclimate fish... as well as a bully to tank mates

Wish you luck

 

[Jesterrace]

As mentioned Powder Blues can be a tough one to get acclimated. I suppose if all else fails you could try dipping the seaweed in some tank water with a drop of Kent's Marine Garlic to see if you can induce feeding.

 

[Hatzo1]

As mentioned Powder Blues can be a tough one to get acclimated. I suppose if all else fails you could try dipping the seaweed in some tank water with a drop of Kent's Marine Garlic to see if you can induce feeding.

Forgive my ignorance but what does the garlic do ?

 

[Oscaror]

Forgive my ignorance but what does the garlic do ?

#Welcome to R2R! From what I know it's supposed to entice them to eat

 

[Maritimer]

Garlic is reputed to be an appetite stimulant - certainly works for me in a bowl of pasta!

It's also reputed to keep away vampires, but doesn't seem to work on Dracula gobies.

If your tang is picking at the rock, but not interested in the nori on a clip, you might try rubberbanding some nori to a rock. You could even make a "nori burrito", by wrapping a bit of frozen fish food in nori, and _then_ rubberbanding it to the rock.

~Bruce

 

[4FordFamily]

Live brine is a great way to get finicky acanthurus tangs to begin feeding. It’s an easier transition to frozen brine (I prefer spirulina) later. Rubber banding nori to rocks mimics their natural feeding behaviors, as @Maritimer suggested.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I had similar issues I used a rubberband and attached the Nori to the rock, once he found that I kept the same routine up and a week later added the clip. Once he was comfortable with the clip I started moving the clip to where I wanted it. He is now trained! (Now If he could only get me a beer!)

 

[ca1ore]

It would help to know something about your tank, tankmates, how you acclimated and how the tang is behaving? Otherwise it’s all wild guesswork.

 

[Jesterrace]

Forgive my ignorance but what does the garlic do ?

It can help induce feeding. I figure if nothing else works it certainly wouldn't hurt anything to try it.

 

[Hatzo1]

It would help to know something about your tank, tankmates, how you acclimated and how the tang is behaving? Otherwise it’s all wild guesswork.

It’s a 125gal with 100 lbs of rock,has 2 clowns and 3 Chromis. Other than the clean up crew and at Toadstool coral that’s it.
We drip acclimated it. The tang was ordered from Live Aquaria. The tang is active and swimming . Still shy to people coming to the tank. Tends to swim and pick at the rock and tank back.

 

[Captain Quint]

It’s a 125gal with 100 lbs of rock,has 2 clowns and 3 Chromis. Other than the clean up crew and at Toadstool coral that’s it.
We drip acclimated it. The tang was ordered from Live Aquaria. The tang is active and swimming . Still shy to people coming to the tank. Tends to swim and pick at the rock and tank back.

If he/she is picking at the LR he/she should easily take to shets of algae rubberbanded to a piece of LR to pick at.

The PBT has been eating as you stated that he/she had been picking at algae in the tank which is natural food for the tang so it sounds like it is eating.

Agree on adding some garlic guard and perhaps a bit of selcon to some frozen Mysis into the mix. IMO it sounds like the PBT is eating its natural food right now. Good luck and please keep us advised.

 

[lakai]

Try cutting up the nori into 3mm squares and just feeding them like flakes.

 

[Hatzo1]

Well decided to try some Kent Garlic and I also ordered some Masstick from EasyReef to give it a shot. I’d hate to lose this fish.

 

[Hatzo1]

Well again thanks to all that gave advise. The PBT is eating now like crazy. Not sure what factor did it but I think it was the Garlic Extreme . But he now eats everything I put in the tank.

 

[ca1ore]

I tend to doubt it; but it doesn’t matter, the important thing is that it’s eating. Looks thin, so feed it a lot.