Tang won't eat

[Dragon174]

I picked up a small clown tang on Friday. It is very skiddish. I have been going up to the tank to get it used to me being around and he is getting better, but every time I try to feed it hides. I bought the small slow sinking pellets that the store was feeding, but nothing. I've tried nori and also soaking some brine shrimp in garlic and still nothing. It just keeps hiding.

I am worried because it is going on day 4 and hasn't eaten.

Any suggestions are really appreciated.

 

[BlennyTime]

It’s not unusual for new fish to go several days without eating or to hide. We’ve had ones hide for a week or more before showing up.

They will also munch on algae in the tank, which you may or may not see.

 

[Conovan]

To get my yellow tang to eat when I first got her I had to cut a very slim, short, single strip of nori and put it on the clip. I guess it was less intimidating than a folded mass waving around.

 

[BobFageUK]

I picked up a small clown tang on Friday. It is very skiddish. I have been going up to the tank to get it used to me being around and he is getting better, but every time I try to feed it hides. I bought the small slow sinking pellets that the store was feeding, but nothing. I've tried nori and also soaking some brine shrimp in garlic and still nothing. It just keeps hiding.

I am worried because it is going on day 4 and hasn't eaten.

Any suggestions are really appreciated.

It will eat when it is hungry. I went through this a few months back with my yellow eye blue tank. He hid behind the rock peeping his head out of one of the areas to behind the massive rock area I have I tried him with Nori which he ignored. In the end he joined the pack to feed off a frozen cube and a dry Ocean Flakes with Garlic mix. But for the first 15 days he must have been feeding of the rocks or glass out of sight but now he is nearly thee first behind Candy Cane Hog to get to the 3 meals a day they get fed. All gone within 3 to 4 minutes then they spend thier time hunting for left overs in the rock and sand base. I had a Cardinal go 10 days without eating, he was out with the pack but just did not eat until the 10th day. Do not worry.

 

[sam2110]

as you dont watch the tank 24/7 you might find its been picking at the algea on the rocks. It might be eating but still very skittish when your close by. I wouldn't worry too much yet

 

[vetteguy53081]

Here's something comforting:

Last clown tang I had, it hid and finally came out a little on day three. Did nothing with food until day 6 and mostly grazed off rocks and glass until it finally took some food on day 9 and then hogged up all the food when i fed it and then started to be uninviting to other tangs for a while

 

[PTXReef]

If nothing works, maybe try some live brine shrimp just to get something into it's system?

My tangs are still a bit skittish (had them for close to a year). Initially (first ~2 weeks), clipping a piece of nori and walking away from the tank did help them calm down and start eating. Now I feed my yellow and blue hippo tang a mix of nori (~3''x3'' total a day), seaweed delight, spirulina brine, and PE mysis soaked in some selcon and reef plus.

 

[najer]

Fresh macro, not cheato attached to a rock placed near it's safe spot, it wants to graze imo it is better for them than nori, mine get both but on different days.

 

[Dragon174]

Fresh macro, not cheato attached to a rock placed near it's safe spot, it wants to graze imo it is better for them than nori, mine get both but on different days.

What kind of macro and where do you get it?

 

[najer]

Caulerpa is my go to, brachypus is the naughty invasive one, veggie eaters love it.