Sailfin Tang Eating Problem

Poseidon03 · Jun 2, 2023

Has anyone ever had a problem with sailfin tangs not eating anything? Mine will not eat flakes, frozen, nori or pellets, but luckily, he is constantly grazing on the rocks. All my other fish are pigs and have gained a ton of weight since I got them, but he has lost some weight. I've tried putting nori on the rocks and clip, but he will not even taste it. I've tried garlic and selcon on it, and still nothing. I've also tried ulva from my sump. All he does is look at it, and then turn right back to the rocks and starts graising again. My tank does have very short turf algae all over, so he is getting some nutrition, but I'm not sure if it is enough or varied enough for him. You can sort of see the algae in this picture.

240gal display 8ftx2ftx2ft (240gal tank + 240gal water with tank and sump)

Tried nori, ulva, TDS pellets, flakes, small clown pellets (forgot brand), Neptune pellets, and algae pellets

nuxx · Jun 2, 2023

Maybe still getting used to the tank and tankmates?

Selcon and garlic was like crack for my tangs.

Poseidon03 · Jun 2, 2023

nuxx said:
Maybe still getting used to the tank and tankmates?

Selcon and garlic was like crack for my tangs.

That's what I thought at first, but he has been in the tank for 28 days. He swims with the other fish, isn't aggressed or anything. That's why I messaged in here. Here's how thick my other fish are. You can see his backbone and I want to fatten him up like my mimic.

Troylee · Jun 2, 2023

Nori clip? Or tie seaweed to a rock with a rubber band and out in tank.

Poseidon03 · Jun 2, 2023

Troylee said:
Nori clip? Or tie seaweed to a rock with a rubber band and out in tank.

I've tried rocks, clip, flakes and letting it float.

Goaway · Jun 2, 2023

have you tried mysis?

Poseidon03 · Jun 2, 2023

Goaway said:
have you tried mysis?

I feed rods food daily (original and the one with little nori flakes), which has some mysis.

vetteguy53081 · Jun 2, 2023

Poseidon03 said:
Has anyone ever had a problem with sailfin tangs not eating anything? Mine will not eat flakes, frozen, nori or pellets, but luckily, he is constantly grazing on the rocks. All my other fish are pigs and have gained a ton of weight since I got them, but he has lost some weight. I've tried putting nori on the rocks and clip, but he will not even taste it. I've tried garlic and selcon on it, and still nothing. I've also tried ulva from my sump. All he does is look at it, and then turn right back to the rocks and starts graising again. My tank does have very short turf algae all over, so he is getting some nutrition, but I'm not sure if it is enough or varied enough for him. You can sort of see the algae in this picture.

240gal display 8ftx2ftx2ft (240gal tank + 240gal water with tank and sump)

Tried nori, ulva, TDS pellets, flakes, small clown pellets (forgot brand), Neptune pellets, and algae pellets

These guys are generally aggressive eating machines and has to be a stressor such as elevated temperature, ammonia, low salinity or aggression. Some foods to consider for enticement are line brine shrimp or live mysis. Foods to feed are:
LRS herbivore diet
Formula 2 flake and frozen
TDO Pellets
small plankton
Hikari Marine cuisine
Ocean nutrition veggie diet
spirulina brine shrimp
mysis shrimp
Prime reef
Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract

Add selcon vitamins to foods occasionally

Poseidon03 · Jun 2, 2023

vetteguy53081 said:
These guys are generally aggressive eating machines and has to be a stressor such as elevated temperature, ammonia, low salinity or aggression. Some foods to consider for enticement are line brine shrimp or live mysis. Foods to feed are:
LRS herbivore diet
Formula 2 flake and frozen
TDO Pellets
small plankton
Hikari Marine cuisine
Ocean nutrition veggie diet
spirulina brine shrimp
mysis shrimp
Prime reef
Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract

Add selcon vitamins to foods occasionally

Guess I'll crack out my brine shrimp hatchery again, lol.