Tang not eating

hello all,

bought a yellow tang 3 days ago, and he has yet to eat. I noticed a few ich spots on him but only a few. My cleaner goby picked them off. I have tried soaking the food in garlic and have had seaweed salas in the tank. He is starting to get skinny. Any thoughts on how to get him to accept food?

thanks

 

Try placing some of the seaweed around the rocks with either rubber bands or some type of fishing line.

 

doing it now
thanks

 

how long do you think he can go without eating until he kicks the bucket

 

Depends on how his weight and size when you got him and the severity of the ich.

You may have not seen him, but new ones frequently pick at the rock work attempting to eat what ever algae they can find. That is their natural way of eating in the wild, hence the reason that putting the algae sheets on the rocks sometimes works.

I have had them go as long as 5 days with no witnessed feeding.

 

he is about 2.5" - 3" wasn't fat when i got him but getting pretty skinny. He looks as if he is breathing hard and not to active. I guess he has some ich in his gills. If it is ich how long does it take for them to shake it.

 

Unfortunately most of the damage done by ich is to the gills.

Anywhere from 3-7 days the parasite falls off the fish to complete it's life cycle in the substrate and if possible re-infect the fish. The severity will depend on the fishes immune system and stress level.

http://www.3reef.com/forums/fish-diseases/life-cycle-marine-ich-96343.html

 

my other fish have gotten it and were able to fight it and as best i can tell have not been re-infected. Would a UV sterilzer get rid of it completely

 

You might wanna try some selcon to help entice the fish to eat as well Jmo

 

In recent years I have come to believe that a UV may play a part in limiting the number and eliminating other pathogens that cause stress and play into the development and symptomatic stages of marine ich. Is it a cure and will it eradicate it from the tank no, a tool in battling it yes.