Powder Blue eating pellets only! Advice?

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Hey fam!

I’ve had my powder blue tang for I guess a couple months now and he will only eat pellets! All my other fish love LRS including my Copperband but not the PBT. He will also not eat flakes. He’s still good and healthy but goes crazy when I add pellets because I know he’s hungry because that’s all he eats.

The issue is I don’t really want to use dry foods except for special occasions or special reasons.

Any advice?

 

[Phelipe's Ocean]

I dont really have an answer but Wow, its usually everyones dream to have a finicky fish on pellets! Maybe we should trade powder blues[emoji6] my wont touch anything unless its frozen[emoji25]

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I’ve never had an issue with Powder Blue Tangs not eating frozen. Hmmm...

I don’t like feeding dry.

 

[Phelipe's Ocean]

Yeah Im not a fan either, my only reasons being the nitrate and phosphate ratio is extremely off in dry foods and Id like to think they appreciate fresh foods more

 

[120reefkeeper]

Hey fam!

I’ve had my powder blue tang for I guess a couple months now and he will only eat pellets! All my other fish love LRS including my Copperband but not the PBT. He will also not eat flakes. He’s still good and healthy but goes crazy when I add pellets because I know he’s hungry because that’s all he eats.

The issue is I don’t really want to use dry foods except for special occasions or special reasons.

Any advice?

You have a weird fish [emoji23]! I’m sorry but I can’t say I have an answer for you.

Something you might try.

I feed my fish mostly frozen. I defrost the frozen food in RODI water and strain it into a fish net discarding the juice . Then I dip the net into the tank and let the netting flip inside out and release the food.

I do this because over time it will train your fish to come towards the net and not run from it. Very handy if you ever need to net your fish.

With your PB ... I would put the pellets into the net with the drained fish food and do as stated above . Hopefully over time you can add fewer pellets and the PB will associate the net with food also. As all fish are feeding you may be able to slow transition over .

 

[jda]

I agree that it is weird, but rejoice. When I get fish onto pellets, then they are home free and usually growth takes off and they stay disease free. I feed all of my fish a staple of NLS pellets with an auto feeder for decades and I have a few fish older than my kids who are driving now - it was Tetra DoroMarin or Forumla II pellets before I found NLS.

I would get all of your fish some pellets with an auto feeder a few times a day.

Will it eat PE Mysis? Not some off brand, but real PE? I have never really seen a fish that could resist PE mysis even when they did not other brands of mysis. This might be a good stepping stone to other foods.

Dry food is the same as frozen food for most protein, ash, etc... the only difference is that dry food is not full of water and the amounts are higher since they are more "concetrated."

 

[shoelaceike]

I believe that dry foods have way more nutrition. The protien content is usually way higher and they have all kinds of vitamins as well. It' also easier and mich cheaper to feed. I try to get all my fish on dry. Lol

 

[jt17]

Does he eat nori?

 

[DSC reef]

Maybe try mixing the pellets your tang eats with LRS snd let it sit a few minutes then try feeding the tank and see if he gets a taste for other foods.

 

[Scotty Buttons]

Have your tried adding any garlic to the frozen?

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Thanks for the input so far. Some of these answers inspired this poll here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/choose-one-frozen-food-or-dry-food.444490/

About my PBT!

I have tried mixing the food.

I have tried tricking him.

I have tried weaning him.

He doesn’t eat Nori like all the other tangs.

Maybe I won’t try anymore????

 

[ca1ore]

I've had the occasional fish that only eats pellets. My Naso Brevirostris did that. Eventually it took to frozen, but took a few months. I just included pellets in my regular feeding regimen.

 

[ZoWhat]

My Blue Hippo only eats chopped mussels meat... i guess bc mussels are sweet... i know i like steamed mussels too with a beer.

I never see him nipping on LR like my other tangs. just mussels. 24/7

I'd say if its eating and healthy, i wouldnt worry about getting veggies in its diet. My Hippo is fat.... like f.a.t. .... and about as wide/thick as CardiB's booty. LOL!!

My Hippo looks like a truck coming at you. LOL!

I honestly WANT TO KEEP IT THIS WAY bc I've heard Hippos in their old age could start eating Zoas. Thats like 95% of my tank. I think my Hippo addicted to mussels is a GOOD THING bc it wants meat rather than Zoas.

.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Thanks guys! When I feed both frozen and dry I feel like I over feed because I want to make sure all of the fish are getting their fill.

 

[TexasTodd]

Yeah Im not a fan either, my only reasons being the nitrate and phosphate ratio is extremely off in dry foods and Id like to think they appreciate fresh foods more

Any studies or data to back this up? I've never heard this but interested.
I used Dianichi pellets and had all fish eating them in my last tank. Now local FS doesn't carry it and using spectrum.

 

[jda]

The only reason that frozen food has more (usually) is because it is full of water. If you took the water out, then you have higher concentrations of protein, ash, etc.

 

[TexasTodd]

So dry has more phosphates or nitrates as compared to frozen?

 

[tautog83]

ya i would think leftover frozen would be worse for the tank than anything else . in any event once your fish eats nls pellets you shouldnt really care for whats its worth i mix , spectra a , the reg marine formula and the algaemax pellets all together and then lrs once a week . I also try and soak food in selcon once a week too.

 

[tthouston]

I have one Angel fish doesn't like to eat frozen food, he eats pellet only. I found out he will eat Mysis frozen food if the food flow by current of water, but if I turn off the wavemaker for 10 minutes to feed food then he doesn't eat. I'm just turning off 10 minutes to feed the pellet food.
Usually, I feed the frozen food around 2pm and pellet around 7pm
Notice: I think you need to mix frozen food with garlic for the fist several times to let he use to eat, then you can stop it.

 

[jda]

So dry has more phosphates or nitrates as compared to frozen?

No, not when you compare them equally. The dry says more ash, protein, etc. on the label because the water is all gone. Think of it as beef jerky vs a steak... same protein and everything, but the water weight is gone with the jerky. Pellets can be more clean (no juice), but they can also be sloppy if you feed too much.