New naso eating - how long???

[austinsdad]

I've heard these turkeys can take a bit to acclimate to a new home and start eating. Got a 5"er in my 29g QT tank. Got 4 b/g chromis in there with him and about 20lbs of rock. No ammonia issues, thank goodness.

Still, he's been in there for 3 days and I've seen no sign of him eating. I've put clips of algae sheets in, but I've never seen him go to it. The algae is gone when I check back, but you know that stuff can get real soft and almost disolve - I think. Then again, I see no signs of leftover either. Gotta check the filtration more closely. He's out swimming around all the time until I walk in the room when he hides behind rocks.

Tell me your experiences with your new nasos and what may have worked for you. And how loooong did it take? :?

 

[DeathWarp]

I've never personally owned a Naso Tang;however; my yellow tang took about 6 days before he decided to take his first bite of algae in the tank. It had me terrified because I thought forsure that he was going to die. I must have used every possible food I could find at any LFS but nothing worked. Over time, he just sort of came to. Sorry that I can't offer any tips to this, but the only thing I could say would be to just keep feeding in small amounts (not to spike your amonia) and hopefully he'll come to and stuff his face.

 

[tecwzrd]

I had a similar experience with my YT (don’t have naso either). Was interested in the frozen food by the 2rd day but wouldn’t touch the nori on the clip till the 5th day.

I also noticed that it eats Julian Sprung's Sea Veggies more quickly then Seaweed Salad.

Both products get pretty limp after 2+ hours and I remove from the tank if not completely eaten. My YT is 5” and will eat a 2” by 3” strip every day. It sometimes pulls the sheet from the clip in it’s exuberance to eat and I have to reattach. By the 2nd month it would eat the nori straight from my hand

A 5” tang should be able to go for a week without eating anything as long as it’s healthy. Have you tried soaking the nori in tank water with a couple of drops of Kent Garlic Extreme?

 

[steve-s]

This species of tang will prefer brown types of algae over green or red but you can try them all. For brown, try to find Marine Seaweed Selects, Shirakiku wakame or similar.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Brenden]

My naso was the same way. He eventually took flake before anything. Now he destroys nori. Never has cared for any frozen meaty foods.

 

[austinsdad]

Marine Seaweed Selects, Shirakiku wakame or similar.

Find them where?

 

[tecwzrd]

If your lfs doesn’t have them they are available online: Marine Seaweed Selects & Wakame Seaweed dried

 

[austinsdad]

I got the Marine Seaweed selects in red and green already. Just habg in there w/those, huh?

 

[Feron]

Blue tang, similar situation..
Took to frozen after a few days, seaweed selects after 5 or so...

I too got a little worried, but he's become king of the tank now

 

[Melissamustang]

I can hand feed ours.......it will do fine.....It has a caring person to watch over it.

 

[austinsdad]

I saw that turkey eating of the green algae clip when he thought I wasn't looking. His stomach is still a little drawn in, but he's very active and gets along fine with the small bristletooth tang he's housed with in QT.

Well, if he stays the course, I guess I'll be moving him and the bristle to the main in about 2 weeks or so. I usually QT for 2 - 3 weeks depending on the fish. Thing is, those two and my purple tang will all move in on the same day.

I think I'll also hit the local Asian stores for tang food also. Looking for what again? Vegetable wrapping stuff - what's it called? Nori?

 

[tecwzrd]

Glad it’s eating, some are more bashful then others in the beginning.

At the Asian markets just calling it Nori should be fine. It’s what they wrap the sushi in

 

[seaham358]

you can get Nori at most supermarkets also.. real cheap there.

 

[Brenden]

One thing I have done that has worked well is cut nori in thin strips but leave the strips attached by not cutting all the way through. Soak it in garlic and attach it to a rock with a rubber band. The strips waving in the water seems to attract them better.

 

[austinsdad]

Oh yeah, eating in plain view now. Not bashfull at all anymore. Eats green algae from the clip and follows broken away pieces thru the water too. So far, so good.

Can't wait to put him, the bristle, and the purple tangs in the main. Got a pair of pick skunk clowns that need to get put in their place. They, especially the female, bullys others. She's the biggest thing in the tank right now. Figure the tangs will calm him down.

Either that, or I'll snatch her up at feeding sometime and return her- if I'm able. I think I can.

Think the tangs will settle her down? Leave her alone? I'd keep the male.

 

[Brenden]

Think the tangs will settle her down? Leave her alone? I'd keep the male.

Prob will not pay it any attention. The clown will prob be just as bad but will stick closer to its territory.

 

[austinsdad]

OK. I think the female for sure has to go. I don't like bullies -in or out of fish tanks.

Last nite, found my aurora shrimp goby on the floor and my male flasher wrasse in the overflow. I tried to get him out for about a half hour last nite to no avail. Gotta go at it again tonite. Best I can do is pull the durso off and fish. Hope I don't hurt him it's tight in there.

Anybody know of any good tricks?