Any suggesttion how to keep yellow Tangs look fat and healthy.

lovetimmy · 10/31/2006, 11:27 AM

Here is what I have a in 130G fish tank only with refugium set up:
5 yellow tang (3 extra large and 2 small yellow tangs)
1 Purple tang
1 Kole tang
2 larger groupers
1 large Trigger
Water is clear, salinity 1.017 and low nitrate. All fish is healthy, except my yellow tangs. They are eating well, but for some reason, they are all skinny. I feed them 3 brine shrimp cups per day and additional Romaine lettuce. Please help to find out why they are so skinny.
Thanks

jun_celis · 10/31/2006, 11:31 AM

I think you have way too many tangs in your tank. But to answer your question, I would supplement with algae wafers or NORI. You need to have it 24/7 in your tank for your tangs to feed on. You can buy those Nori's from your local supermarket in the asian section. Pretty cheap too.

rooroo · 10/31/2006, 11:35 AM

Grow some chaeto in your refugium. Tangs will usually eat that. You can give them a wad of it every day to feed on all day. Use a clip to keep it from floating around your tank.

FWIW, having a tang in any size tank will get a negative response on here.

miztic · 10/31/2006, 11:37 AM

Romaine is not a good food for tangs, they need real marine algea, i second jun_celis, get some nori, and I'd also suggest frozen formula 2 and frozen spirulina..

Amphiprion · 10/31/2006, 11:42 AM

130 is ok for many tangs, but maybe not quite that many. How is competition with/between the yellow tangs? It has also been noted that they have extensive populations of cellulose catabolizing bacteria in their gut, but presence of other tangs sort of rules that out (due to availability of bacteria through coprophagy). Is there any filamentous microalgal growth in the tank? If not, you may want to encourage some to grow. I would also take Jun celis' advice, except that I would offer both of those foods and any other foods with heavy amounts of algae (romaine lettuce really isn't going to cut it). Though not in the majority of their diet, some live macroalgae (preferably other than Caulerpa sp) can help, as well. I have never noticed many tangs to like Chaetomorpha, but I suppose you could try.

plandy · 10/31/2006, 12:34 PM

Romaine lettuce diet is old school thought harking back to the 70's when tangs used to look like that: Skinny and malnourished. As everyone here points out you need to feed nori and variety of real sea algaes.

ronjeremy · 10/31/2006, 03:51 PM

i agree with feeding nori daily..with that many tangs, you will go through alot of it in a day!!if the tang is sickly looking, it would be a good time to start supplementing vitamins...it's a good idea to supplement the vitamins to tangs anyway!!!I use Zoe and Zoecon for my tangs..also, the brine shrimp aren't nutritious at all for the tangs...they need very little meaty foods, mostly greens...you could feed mysis shrimp for a treat every now and then..the mysis are better than the brine shrimp...Formula 2 is a good substitute for the nori every now and then..

reefkoi · 10/31/2006, 09:06 PM

I feed my tangs(all 14 of them) daily "red seaweed" from julian sprung. Its a really leafy fresh type of seaweed, not just a sheet. And daily PE mysis shrimp, they are nice and fat & healthy, honestly till I started feeding the PE mysis they were kinda skinny, It is good stuff.
Chris

lovetimmy · 11/03/2006, 09:44 AM

Thanks for all advises. I'll try to feed my Yellow tang Mysis shrimp and red sea weed for a month and will post an update result.

ajukes · 11/03/2006, 02:22 PM

Also Reef gel its fantastic

10/31/2006, 11:27 AM	#1
lovetimmy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 7	Any suggesttion how to keep yellow Tangs look fat and healthy. Here is what I have a in 130G fish tank only with refugium set up: 5 yellow tang (3 extra large and 2 small yellow tangs) 1 Purple tang 1 Kole tang 2 larger groupers 1 large Trigger Water is clear, salinity 1.017 and low nitrate. All fish is healthy, except my yellow tangs. They are eating well, but for some reason, they are all skinny. I feed them 3 brine shrimp cups per day and additional Romaine lettuce. Please help to find out why they are so skinny. Thanks

10/31/2006, 11:42 AM	#5
Amphiprion Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mobile, AL Posts: 6,611	130 is ok for many tangs, but maybe not quite that many. How is competition with/between the yellow tangs? It has also been noted that they have extensive populations of cellulose catabolizing bacteria in their gut, but presence of other tangs sort of rules that out (due to availability of bacteria through coprophagy). Is there any filamentous microalgal growth in the tank? If not, you may want to encourage some to grow. I would also take Jun celis' advice, except that I would offer both of those foods and any other foods with heavy amounts of algae (romaine lettuce really isn't going to cut it). Though not in the majority of their diet, some live macroalgae (preferably other than Caulerpa sp) can help, as well. I have never noticed many tangs to like Chaetomorpha, but I suppose you could try. __________________ You've done it now, haven't you? Current Tank Info: 40g breeder patch reef w/ seagrass; 2-250w XM 10K; Vortech MP40wES & MP10wES; BM Curve 7 skimmer; carbon & occasional GFO

10/31/2006, 12:34 PM	#6
plandy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Schenectady, NY Posts: 411	Romaine lettuce diet is old school thought harking back to the 70's when tangs used to look like that: Skinny and malnourished. As everyone here points out you need to feed nori and variety of real sea algaes. __________________ Peter Landy Schenectady, NY Recent Returnee to the Marines! 12gl Aquapod New "custom euro" 90 gallon under construction!

10/31/2006, 09:06 PM	#8
reefkoi Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Colorado Posts: 3,983	I feed my tangs(all 14 of them) daily "red seaweed" from julian sprung. Its a really leafy fresh type of seaweed, not just a sheet. And daily PE mysis shrimp, they are nice and fat & healthy, honestly till I started feeding the PE mysis they were kinda skinny, It is good stuff. Chris __________________ 1Kw bulb club Current Tank Info: A 600gal. on Zeovit & a 240gal.

10/31/2006, 11:31 AM	#2
jun_celis Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Algonquin, IL Posts: 1,487	I think you have way too many tangs in your tank. But to answer your question, I would supplement with algae wafers or NORI. You need to have it 24/7 in your tank for your tangs to feed on. You can buy those Nori's from your local supermarket in the asian section. Pretty cheap too.

10/31/2006, 11:35 AM	#3
rooroo Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: New Market, MD Posts: 406	Grow some chaeto in your refugium. Tangs will usually eat that. You can give them a wad of it every day to feed on all day. Use a clip to keep it from floating around your tank. FWIW, having a tang in any size tank will get a negative response on here.

10/31/2006, 11:37 AM	#4
miztic Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Glendale Heights, IL Posts: 591	Romaine is not a good food for tangs, they need real marine algea, i second jun_celis, get some nori, and I'd also suggest frozen formula 2 and frozen spirulina..

10/31/2006, 03:51 PM	#7
ronjeremy Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Destin ,Fl Posts: 431	i agree with feeding nori daily..with that many tangs, you will go through alot of it in a day!!if the tang is sickly looking, it would be a good time to start supplementing vitamins...it's a good idea to supplement the vitamins to tangs anyway!!!I use Zoe and Zoecon for my tangs..also, the brine shrimp aren't nutritious at all for the tangs...they need very little meaty foods, mostly greens...you could feed mysis shrimp for a treat every now and then..the mysis are better than the brine shrimp...Formula 2 is a good substitute for the nori every now and then..

11/03/2006, 09:44 AM	#9
lovetimmy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 7	Thanks for all advises. I'll try to feed my Yellow tang Mysis shrimp and red sea weed for a month and will post an update result.

11/03/2006, 02:22 PM	#10
ajukes Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: London Posts: 95	Also Reef gel its fantastic