What To Feed Bristletooth Tang?

[Tnops]

Hello, I have a new two spot bristle tooth tang and it hasn't been eating nori tied to a rock in the tank or been seen to eat thawed mysis dropped into the tank; I'll try to target feed it mysis tomorrow. It is doing a great job at removing the algae on rocks but that supply will run out very soon. What is the best thing I could do right now?

 

[JumboShrimp]

Just curious, are there already other Nori eating fish in the tank it can ‘learn’ from?

 

[BoneDoc]

Did you see it eat in the store? That’s my #1 rule when buying fish from the lfs.

 

[CoralB]

Might try switching brand of nori . I had a tang that wouldn’t eat a certain brand and when I switched problem solved . Also try pellets

 

[CanuckReefer]

Bristletooth should get quite a bit from your rock, but with regular feedings try Dulse. I have never had a Tang refuse it. It's more leafy purple in texture. Julian Sprungs Purple seaweed is Dulse. Try it. But can get cheaper through other retailers.

 

[Tnops]

Did you see it eat in the store? That’s my #1 rule when buying fish from the lfs.

No I did not

 

[Tnops]

Just curious, are there already other Nori eating fish in the tank it can ‘learn’ from?

Non of the other fish would touch nori

 

[vetteguy53081]

-Spirulina brine shrimp
- LRS Herbivore diet
- mysis shrimp
- small plankton
- Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract
- Hikari Marine cuisine
- Formula 2 flake and frozen
- Hikari veggie marine

Add selcon vitamins to the foods 2-3X per week and on alternating days, garlic extract for stamina and immunity health

 

[Tnops]

-Spirulina brine shrimp
- LRS Herbivore diet
- mysis shrimp
- small plankton
- Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract
- Hikari Marine cuisine
- Formula 2 flake and frozen
- Hikari veggie marine

Add selcon vitamins to the foods 2-3X per week and on alternating days, garlic extract for stamina and immunity health

I'll see if I can pick up one of those at the LFS

 

[BoneDoc]

1+ for the spirulina brine shrimp

If you want to minimize early fish loss, consider that as your must follow rule

 

[Tnops]

1+ for the spirulina brine shrimp

If you want to minimize early fish loss, consider that as your must follow rule

but what if the LFS fed already or if you are afraid that someone else is going to get the fish

 

[BoneDoc]

Then you must ask yourself if what you’re going through is worth the possibility of “loosing” that fish to someone else (who would I turn inherit the problem or having right now)

 

[BoneDoc]

I would come at a later time or at least ask them to feed just a little. The lfs in my area never said no. I’m also mindful that don’t ask that unless I’m preparing to commit to buying the fish once I see it eats.

So I spent a lot of time observing the fish to ensure that it looks healthy, swimming normal (for that particular fish), not exhibiting stress behaviors, not showing sick behavior (like swimming against the power head, scratching itself against the tank/rockwork). Just doing this eliminates about half of the livestock that is potentially purchasable.

Then, when I’m sure I think I want it, I ask them to feed it. That way I’m also being considerate to the LFS.

 

[Tnops]

-Spirulina brine shrimp
- LRS Herbivore diet
- mysis shrimp
- small plankton
- Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract
- Hikari Marine cuisine
- Formula 2 flake and frozen
- Hikari veggie marine

Add selcon vitamins to the foods 2-3X per week and on alternating days, garlic extract for stamina and immunity health

1+ for the spirulina brine shrimp

If you want to minimize early fish loss, consider that as your must follow rule

But first I have a question. If it isn't eating thawed mysis in the water, then why would it eat those types? Is it basically luck?

 

[jesspal]

But first I have a question. If it isn't eating thawed mysis in the water, then why would it eat those types? Is it basically luck?

Because at some point in time it may have eaten those things and not your choices.

 

[Mr Cypher]

I have a white tail bristletooth and I can tell you he now loves nori on a clip but it took him about a week to warm up to it I cut the nori into strips (still attached to a base then clipped) to give a more natural look and he started to eat it and now he loves it can't keep him away from the stuff

 

[Onewolf]

About a month ago I got my first Tang, a Squaretail Bristletooth. At the store he would eat Mysis but he was more interested in battling the White Tail Tang in the tank next to his. In my tank he was/is extremely skittish as far as hiding if there's any motion outside the tank. Initially he wouldn't eat anything, however within a couple days he started eating Masstick Easy. He would not eat Nori from a clip, but he started eating it if rubber banded it to a small rock and sent it to the bottom. After several more days he started picking up 'leftover' food (Mysis, Reef Frenzy Nano, Bay Bridge Angel/Butterfly, etc) on the rocks at the bottom. Eventually he started eating the food while it was still floating. Now he's a fat pig that eats everything I put in the tank. He is still skittish but now he eats while 'hiding' and once I leave the tank area he becomes a marine Hoover eating everything in his path.

 

[Reef AquaCult]

My convict tang is extremely picky and he eats hikari seaweed extreme, loves it in fact. Won’t touch other foods. Also, a turf algae scrubber is useful , because you can scrape off growth and feed directly to tank.

 

[workhz]

My tomini loves those seaweed extreme pellets.

 

[Tnops]

Update: Thanks guys, I got a pack of spirulina brine shrimp and selcon vitamins and the tang seems to be interested in them but is still very shy. I saw it ate 2 but spit out some other ones. Hopefully this works!