Yellow tang not eating Seaweed?

[MichaelReefer]

I picked up a new Yellow Tang last Friday night, and he is doing amazing. Very active, socializing with the other fish, no fighting or any problems. Except one thing. He wont touch the seaweed clip. He will devour Mysis Shrimp though? Any idea whats going on? Is it a fairly normal thing? I tried soaking it in Garlic and Selcon, didnt change anything. This is my first Tang so just want to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong.

 

[Fishurama]

If he is eating other foods and swimming fine, i wouldnt worry too much. Maybe he just isn't used to nori sheets and has to find out what it is. If he wasn't eating altogether i'd say it would be a parasite, but in this case id just say give him time, maybe throw a piece on a rock instead and see if he takes it, but it doesn't sound like anything bad, just a new fish learning it's new environment.

 

[NashobaTek]

My Hippo Tang won't touch it either, hasn't since I got it in February. But it does eat everything else that's fed. I got spirulina flakes and it eats those so I'm not to worried, it's getting some veggies.

 

[MichaelReefer]

If he is eating other foods and swimming fine, i wouldnt worry too much. Maybe he just isn't used to nori sheets and has to find out what it is. If he wasn't eating altogether i'd say it would be a parasite, but in this case id just say give him time, maybe throw a piece on a rock instead and see if he takes it, but it doesn't sound like anything bad, just a new fish learning it's new environment.

I figured that, just wanted to make sure. I tried algae wafers (the little flat pellets), and he wont eat those either.

 

[Fishurama]

I figured that, just wanted to make sure. I tried algae wafers (the little flat pellets), and he wont eat those either.

Just stick with the nori, he will eventually give it a shot when he sees all his other fish buddies swimming to it.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Just stick with the nori, he will eventually give it a shot when he sees all his other fish buddies swimming to it.

He's actually my only fish that eats plants, everyone else sticks with Mysis. lol

 

[sixty_reefer]

Is normal for some fish to refuse nori my regal tang never touch it in 3 years

 

[MichaelReefer]

Is normal for some fish to refuse nori my regal tang never touch it in 3 years

What is another alternative I should try? Pellets or flakes?

 

[JumboShrimp]

Could you put a little Masstick on the clip as well, to see whether that will get him nibbling off the clip?

 

[NashobaTek]

What is another alternative I should try? Pellets or flakes?

Try spirulina flakes, or even Romain lettuce

 

[vetteguy53081]

And thats ok. Feed other foods that offer it such as spirulina brine shrimp, LRS Herbivore diet, Formula 2 flake and frozen and Hikari seaweed delight.
On Nori seaweed, try basting with garlic extract which is also an attractant.

 

[ReefBeta]

All tangs I kept eventually ditch nori and only eats meaty food and pellets. I always feed a lot so there is no shortage or any type of food. I guess it's like people, even one grow up eating salad, once taste the deliciousness of meat, it's hard to get back to the vege when both are available.

 

[najer]

Elastic band some caulerpa brachpus to a bit of rubble, it has been "trained" to eat frozen but really needs veggies, mine always have access to macros.

 

[laverda]

All tangs I kept eventually ditch nori and only eats meaty food and pellets. I always feed a lot so there is no shortage or any type of food. I guess it's like people, even one grow up eating salad, once taste the deliciousness of meat, it's hard to get back to the vege when both are available.

That is not true and such a diet is not healthy for them. That is like feeding your kid nothing but candy. He may love it but they need a balanced diet. I had tangs that I kept for well over 20 years they love nori and other algae’s. They should be given some sort of veggies daily. A little meaty food is ok, but it should be a small portion of their diet if you want them to remain healthy and live to old age without getting lateral line.

 

[laverda]

What is another alternative I should try? Pellets or flakes?

Cut back on the other stuff. Mastic, nori and any algae. Mine eat just about any algae. I pull rocks from my sump covered in GHA and they will be spotless in short order.

 

[Thespammailaccount]

My yellow tang Sunny will not eat the cheap nori. Go figure. Will only eat this brand. A few times I have tried and put the cheap stuff on the clip. Nope would not touch it. Tangs mainly eat algae it is their primary diet. When you add this algae to the tank the tang will loose interest in the mysis or brine

 

[MichaelReefer]

I swung by my LFS and picked up some "Seaweed Extreme," soaked in Selcon and Garlic and he appeared to peck at them.