Blonde Naso Eating Problem

[johnkristie]

I've just got a new blonde naso tang for my tank. He just came out of quarantine and I can't seem to get him to eat anything other than nori and flake food. I know nasos are mainly herbivores, and when he does eat the nori and flake he loves it and eats a fair amount, but it seems like the nori and flake just isn't enough to support him. Even in quarantine that is all he would eat. I make my own frozen food mixture of shrimp, squid, clams, nori, and green spirulina powder. All of my other fish love it and go nuts, but the new naso won't touch it. Any suggestions on what else I could offer? I love this fish and don't want to lose him.

 

[lando]

What are you feeding for flake? You may want to try adding some GarlicGuard or similar product to your mush as an appitite stimulant.

 

[clowninround]

try formula two

 

[johnkristie]

I've got Prime Reef flake food. I'll give the garlic thing a try. Is Formula Two made for herbivores? I see you've got a naso "clowninaround". Is that what yours eats?

 

[clowninround]

Yeah she loves formula two, so do the other fish. It is for herbvores mostly. She eats pretty much everythng I put in the tank really, but she put on a little weight when I gave her the formula two, so I make sure to rotate that in with the other foods I put in there. I have a sailfin that only eats flake food and nori, but he/she seems to be warming up to the formula two as well.

HTH

Mary

 

[johnkristie]

Thanks "clowninaround"! I'll give it a try, maybe soaking it in garlic too.

 

[lando]

The key is variety. You may need to make several trips to the LFS as you try and find something it likes.

 

[clowninround]

No problem anytime, soaking it in garlic sounds like a good idea too!

 

[Phyl]

My maroon clown took a while to get into the whole feeding frenzy in my tank. She didn't really feed very agressively until a few weeks ago. It may take your naso some time to get into the feeding routine. Hopefully with the garlic and Formula 2 (my YT & PT both love that but neither are particular about what they eat) he'll come around. My PT took a good 2w to decide that he'd eat when I was in eye-shot. I had to leave the room (and peer around the corner) to know if he was eating.

Good luck!

 

[JamesR]

I have tried EVERYTHING for my naso, she will only eat NORI. Thats IT. She has been fine for 4 months now. Tried it all, garlic, veggies, flakes, you name it. She does eat the hair algae in the tank and other stuff on the LR. Even tried "tang heaven" nothing she'll touch.

I was worried, but she looks great and healthy.

Jim

 

[johnkristie]

Well, I've tried the Formula Two and I bought some frozen freshwater mysids and also some frozen "Brine shrimp plus". The naso took a couple of mysids, but spit most out, same with the Formula Two . He will go crazy for flake and nori though. Just doesn't seem like that would be enough to sustain him. Does seem to have lost a little weight since I first got him too. I'll keep trying!!

 

[clowninround]

Wow, not even brine? I've never had a fish that wouldn't eat brine (but I stopped feeding that about a year ago, been doing this 6yrs now). I would say in the meantime to feed little amounts several times a day of the flake and keep nori there as constant as you can. I put some out 3X per day. He might gain it back, you never know, just keep tring. Let us know if he gets worse or you find something he likes. My prayers are with you .

 

[pacheco]

my naso eats formual 1&2 but loves the alge strips I hang in the tank. I've hade it for two weeks and seems to be doing fine.

 

[johnkristie]

I guess I was just a bit too nervous with my new naso. He is starting to eat other stuff now. Still seems to like flake and nori best, but I 've gotten him to take some Formula 2 and a little bit of the frozen freshwater mysids. Thanks to everyone for their help!!