Very thin tang

dmh41532 · Apr 11, 2015

Today we got a tang, I had no idea just how thin it is. The shop does retail and wholesale, so they had three large tanks with maybe a dozen in each one. They all looked healthy, but when I got it home under lights I so how thin it is. Hoping it can turn around. It's swimming, very active so we are hoping

alan.reef · Apr 11, 2015

seaweed should make them happy

4FordFamily · Apr 11, 2015

Yes add nori and I would recommend going to your lfs and getting black worns. Everything eats black worns and they're one of if not the best food for fish

dmh41532 · Apr 11, 2015

I have nori, but it didn't show interest. Normally I don't worry since its new, but this fish is so thin I don't think it can go a few days to a weeks without eating. I am going to call the store tomorrow.I have a few rocks From the display that it was picking at. Not sure if the store has live black worms, I will call tomorrow before I make the long drive.

Reefing Madness · Apr 11, 2015

Nori
Seaweed Sheets
Spinach
I feed mine Romaine Lettuce and Mysis Shrimp, sometimes Plankton.

4FordFamily · Apr 11, 2015

Leave nori rubber banded to a rock tightly and see what happens for a couple days.

dmh41532 · Apr 12, 2015

This morning I saw it eat a brine shrimp and part of a mysis. It shows no interest in nori or macroalgea, but at least it is starting to eat

4FordFamily · Apr 12, 2015

Those are low nutrition foods generally but certainly better than nothing!

4FordFamily · Apr 12, 2015

But seriously, rubber banding nori to a rock with several rubber bands mimicks algae growing on rocks and will trigger their feeding instincts exponentially more effectively than some clip. Also produces less nori waste (and thus less nitrate waste). The algae has to be picked off and thus more is consumed versus lost

dmh41532 · Apr 12, 2015

I attached both nori and macroalgae from my refugium, just swims past it. im guess it just needs some time to adjust, at least it is starting to pick at shrimp. I'm still concerned with how skinny it is, the last fish I got from the store that was this thin died

Triggreef · Apr 12, 2015

3fordfamily said:
Yes add nori and I would recommend going to your lfs and getting black worns. Everything eats black worns and they're one of if not the best food for fish

3fordfamily said:
But seriously, rubber banding nori to a rock with several rubber bands mimicks algae growing on rocks and will trigger their feeding instincts exponentially more effectively than some clip. Also produces less nori waste (and thus less nitrate waste). The algae has to be picked off and thus more is consumed versus lost

Both good advice.

If you have any access to some macro algaes that may trigger a feeding response as well. Also pick a rock that has some algae growing on it already and rubber band the nori onto it leaving access to the real algae as well. Can also try some mussels or clams on the half shell, and or live brine just to make him happy and get a good feeding response.

4FordFamily · Apr 12, 2015

Can't believe my iPhone corrected worm to worn

jsker · Apr 12, 2015

I was having the same issue with the tangs not eating the Nori. went to the WWC and they recommended Nori with garlic extract to get the tangs used to eating from a veg clip. After one day the tangs will not leave the Nori alone, I have fat and happy tangs now

4FordFamily · Apr 12, 2015

jsker said:
I was having the same issue with the tangs not eating the Nori. went to the WWC and they recommended Nori with garlic extract to get the tangs used to eating from a veg clip. After one day the tangs will not leave the Nori alone, I have fat and happy tangs now

I use garlic guard and selcon

jsker · Apr 12, 2015

3fordfamily said:
I use garlic guard and selcon

The more I read, Garlic is good for the health of fish.

ifarmer · Apr 12, 2015

Definitely feed him with seaweed

4FordFamily · Apr 12, 2015

jsker said:
The more I read, Garlic is good for the health of fish.

I'm not sure why, it's somewhat counterintuitive. At a minimum, it increases a fish's appetite which is beneficial if nothing else

dmh41532 · Apr 12, 2015

hi guys, thanks for all the advice/input. This morning, I did pull microalgae from my refugium, as well as a rock with hair algae on it. The tang still does not show interest in anything green. I just fed it Mysis and it devoured it. I'm going to continue to offer it nori and algae, along with Mysis. At some point it will start grazing on the greens. It seems to now have a good appetite, so I am sure that before long it will start to put on weight. sorry for typos/wrong words....darn iphone.