Powder Brown Tang - I need some help!

OOOOOK So I've had my PBT for about 8 months now. For one, this is about the best luck I've ever had with a tang living this long. I was about to give up but this guy has given me renewed hope.

Now to the "HELP!" part:

He/She is starved!! I noticed the poor thing was getting skinny, but I had no clue how underfed it had been until today when I was at an LFS and I saw another one there that they had just apparently gotten in stock. That one was in MUCH better condition and makes my PBT look downright GHASTLY!

I accept full responsibility for the condition of the Tang, as I have been very sparse in feedings lately because I've been fighting high nitrates and a huge algae breakout as a result. It is currently on TetraMarine Flake food and frozen brine shrimp. I've seen it grazing the rocks for algae (my guess, anyways). I recently bought some Feather Culerpa (sp?) for my fuge, and was told that Tangs will also eat that. I tried some and it kinda took a bite once but hasn't touched it since. :-[

So any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I don't think it's too late. The Tang still is very active and eats readily (obviously because it's starved!). Thanks!!

 

Try some Nori sheets. Tangs are high energy and need a lot of fuel. Mine gets Nori every day and a mixture of other stuff once or twice besides the Nori. I was in the same boat until I started feeding more. Now everyone is fat and happy.

 

We have a Yellow Bellied Hippo Tang and a Kole Tang. They both have ravenous appetites. They are both constantly searching the tank for food while picking algae off of the glass and rock. I feed them a small 3 inchish sheet of Julian Sprungs Red or Green Seaweed a few times a week. They are also fed Formula Two frozen food. Of course they eat whatever we feed the rest of the tank, mysis, brine, formula one, or whatever else we feed. I also add vitamins and amino acids to their food a few times a week along with garlic extract.

 

Is garlic a good way to entice them to eat something new? I have some "seaweed salad" stuff (or something along those lines - sheets of green food) that I've tried several times to no avail. It seems to be used to the flakes and frozen food, how do I get it on the nori sheets or the seaweed sheets?

 

If you can find an asian market or even a asian restaurant, ask for nori, we got 15 sheets, 10x15" sheets for $4.99 at a market. Its seaweed used to wrap various foods.

 

from wikipedia ****
Nori, is the Japanese name for various edible seaweed species of the red alga Porphyra including most notably P. yezoensis and P. tenera. The term nori is also commonly used to refer to the food products created from these so-called "sea vegetables". Finished products are made by a shredding and rack-drying process that resembles papermaking. Japan, Korea, and China are the current major producers of nori, with total production valued at up to US $2 billion per year.

 

TMI? hahaha

 

Hey! Chap!

Garlic should work! At least you could give it a try!

Good luck!

 

I miss bucky tang

 

My tang and other fish did not like the "Red" nori very much.

They go nuts over regular green Nori, which I buy at the local Asian food store in a package that already has it ground up in very small flake sized pieces. ---

I just mix it in with regular food flakes and they all gobble it up.

Yes, garlic is a great appetite enhancer.

I saw a distinct increase in their feeding frenzy when I first used it.

You can get garlic extract at your local health food store.