Skinny Tang

[mandarin man]

My Yellow tang looks skinnier than he is supposed to be. He doesnt show any signs of being sick. I currently feed him brine shrimp which he eats well,but i was wandering what else could i feed him to maybe make him "fuller" or healthier

 

[xxmoorishmanxx]

there isn't a whole lot to brine shrimp, i would recomend a pellet food, i like ocean nutrtion and new life spectrum, try to feed him smaller meals, more often, and supplement nori as well

 

[revhtree]

He most definately needs more than what your feeding. The frozen brine has really no nutritional value. A tang needs some veggies to maintain it's health and color. It will also eat off of live rock. Do you have lr? You can feed it dried seaweed by Nori. You use a clip, or rubberband it to a rock. It will eat off of that. Also you could feed it Spirulina flakes, or herbivore pellets. But your fish needs more than brine shrimp. You have come to the right place for info. Good Luck with the tang. Keep us informed.

Here are a few links to some food you could use.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...0&R=5607&ref=3055&Nao=9&subref=AD&N=2004+6125

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...R=17888&ref=3055&Nao=18&subref=AD&N=2004+6125

Heres a link to the clip you can use for the dried seaweed. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=6&pCatId=4446

 

[steve-s]

First step, no more brine. No fish you will keep in SW will benefit from it unless heavily vitamin fortified or newly hatched naplii. Tangs are herbavors and require constant grazing foods high in spurlina content. Meats are fine occasionally especially with other fish but the tang needs one step further. Usually placing a sheet of Nori in the tank once or twice a day will be good.

If you do have meat eaters as well as the tang I would at the least switch to mysis shrimp and soak in a liq vitamin before feeding. Selcon or Zoecon would be best as they are high in [acronym="Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acid"]HUFA[/acronym]. Better still making your own >>blender mush<< will cover all the basis.

Cheers
Steve

 

[quarryshark]

The rev and Dr Steve are right on. When I purchased my Yellow, he was a bit skinny but these guys will eat almost everything. I easily fattened him up.
Just avoid the brine. try Mysis shrimp instead and the other foods that the good rev and Steve suggested, especially the Nori.

 

[mandarin man]

Yea i Have about 60 lbs of live rock in a 55g reef, yellow tang, tomato clown, yellow tail damsel, green mandarin, Lawnmower blenny, cleaner and coral banded shrimp, really kind of looking for one type of food for all the meat eaters.

 

[MT79]

They can eat more nori than you think! Keep it available through out the "day" light cycle. Meaty items are also a good thing in moderation.

 

[mandarin man]

Ok thanks for the advice I guess you can say im "fairly" new at this and I have never heard of "Nori" what is what does it stand for and where can i get it. And will just the tang eat it?

 

[revhtree]

Hey Mandarin Man!

Quote from Steve:

Better still making your own >> blender mush << will cover all the basis.

Here is the link again. http://home.comcast.net/~76fxe/food.htm

This mush (food) will feed most all of your tank buddies...

 

[revhtree]

I can get Nori at my lfs, maybe you can too. It is used by Japenese resturants and by people for a number of things including wrapping sushi. You can get it at an oriental store. HTH!!

Here is a link to some roasted nori. Unroasted is better from what I hear. http://www.thegoodlifegourmet.com/detail.asp?gourmet_id=234

Here is a link to some info on Nori. http://www.thegoodlifegourmet.com/spotlight.asp?spot_id=13

 

[mandarin man]

So for the "Blender mush" should my LFS have all the ingredients?

 

[revhtree]

They will have most of everything except for the fresh fish of course. I made some a couple of weeks ago. It really stinks, but the fish LOVE IT!!!

 

[snapcrackler]

My Tang decided he did not like Nori so I got him "Sea Veggies" made by Two Little Fishies, and if I snip it up into little strips with a scissors first, he gobbles it all up. He stays pretty fat.

 

[Guest]

You might wanna return that mandarin, or set up a fuge to keep him healthy. They need a constant supply of pods, and all in all your tank is to small for any tang.

 

[flatzboy]

My mandarin goby does fine and very healthy in my 20gal. with out a fuge and only about 20 lbs. of live rock. Also his tang should be good for a while until it reaches like 6 inches then it is time for a bigger tank like a 75gal. I also ahve my tang in my 20gal. but he is only about 1 1/2 in. but he will be moving to my 75 after it cycles.