Yellow Tang care?

[Reefaddict]

Im getting a Yellow Tang this week from my LFS. I was just wondering if anybody could give up some good advice on what and how to feed him, and any other care tips that you might want to share. He will be only one and a half to two and a half inches.

I've been doing some research, and I've read that "they need a varied diet high in beta-carotene and vitamin C, and low in protein matter. To maintain its bright coloration, however, it must keep to a strict herbivore diet to prevent fading. Therefore, the diet of the Yellow Hawaiian Tang should consist of dried and frozen herbivore food that contains marine algae, and vegetarian items such as Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, leaf lettuce, and dried seaweed."

Just curious if this is accurate, and im looking for any other suggestions on general care.

Thanks for all the help!

-Mike

 

[reefrunner69]

Give them plenty of room, lots of green food and quarantine and you should do OK. They are a very hardy fish and an excellent aquarium fish, but just like every other tang, they are prone to ick.

 

[SquishyFish]

Sounds like your right on track. I feed my tank frozen meaty foods about once a day and try to keep algae in a clip in the tank for the herbivores....they are doing great. Tangs are not pickey eaters at all!

Squishy

 

[Brisc0]

What brand of algae are you using? I just got some "two little fishes" brand Green seaweed. Do you just leave it in the tank all the time?

 

[loganj]

I put 2 pieces of nori (about 2"x5") in the 180 every day. This takes care of a yellow and a hippo tang. They also get flakes, a variety of frozen food, and an occasional feeding of blender mush. I have never seen the yellow spit anything out...he eats about anything that will fit in his mouth and a few things that didn't look like they'd fit. He has been fat, happy, and healthy for almost a year. I think about any kind of unseasoned seaweed is fine. I don't like the Julian Sprung brand because it falls apart too easily and spreads all over the tank. I get mine by the case from a Korean grocery warehouse.

 

[quarryshark]

I keep a nori clip in the tank just about all the time. The problem is, she was starting to get fat. Now I just leave a smaller piece for her. She is a pig!

 

[reefrunner69]

Tangs are supposed to be fat full bodied fish

 

[quarryshark]

Don't worry, I won't let her get skinny

 

[Reefaddict]

Thanks for all the input!

 

[ellisz]

Is the seaweed sheets sold at the LFS ok or is fresh produce a must?

 

[SquishyFish]

Is the seaweed sheets sold at the LFS ok or is fresh produce a must?

I use Sea Veggies...Nori is about the same thing, but I just feel safer with the name brand stuff for some reason. IMO, the algae is a must. Now this doesnt mean that you cant keep them alive with out it, just that if your goal is to provide for them a "natural" environment...they need to be able to graze.

Squishy

 

[nodoubt471]

i feed just nori sheets and none of my tangs have e ver had a problem or faded, so i think that seaweed sheets are just fine