Starving Tang

[orlandobrian]

I could use some help with an Orange Shoulder Tang. I can not get him to eat. I have a Blue Tang, Two Yellow Tangs, a Bi-Colored Foxface Lo, and a Red Sea Sailfin Tang in my 265 Gallon Reef Tank. All other Tangs eat like pigs. This Orange Shoulder will swim with the others at feeding time, but will not eat. I feed flakes in the morning, pellets at night and Nori/Culpera during consistently throughout the day. Granted, the Orange Shoulder could be eating while I am at work, but I doubt it. This tang has a sunken belly, and is pinched at the top too. He also has a horrible case of Lateral Line. I must admit I bought him with this - but assumed with the proper diet he would come around. He did eat at the store. Any ideas?

[jnc914]

HAve you ever fed frozen preparations? Get some Hikari Mysis and dose with either Kent Garlic Extreme, Vita-Chem., or Selcon. I had a Purple tang that had HLLE and the combo of dosing with Selcon and feeding Red Gracilleria Macro seemed to clear it very quickly. HTH.

[GuOD]

Have you tried mysis shrimp in garlic?

[MIKEMARTIN]

what is lateral line. Is it a white line that goes acroos the body (stomach) because my yellow tang has it everytime my lights go on. Then it goes away. Is this ok.... (sorry if I hijacked you thread)

[jnc914]

Lateral Line is due to a poor diet and it typically looks like a worn light colored line(s) across the body and around the eyes and head of the fish. Your yellow doesn't sound like he has it, as it disappears once he acclimates to the lights coming on. It is typical with most fish that their coloration is very pale as the lights come on. One way to avoid HLLE is to dose food with vitamins and feed high quality food to start with.

[MIKEMARTIN]

thanks

[orlandobrian]

I have been using Garlic Extreme (I added this in the recomended dose to the the whole tank - not just the food) and Vita-Chem. I have not tried a frozen preparation. I will give this a shot. I have Selcon, but have only used it to feed brine. By the way, the Orange Shoulder wont eat brine either. Should I add Selcon dirrectly to the tank water?

[rdnyva]

Have you tried live brine shrimp?

[orlandobrian]

He wont eat live brine either.

[GMAX]

Try soaking a sheet of Nori in the garlic for a time and then put it in the tank on a clip. If he wont go for that or mysis, he may just be too sick to save.

[orlandobrian]

The weird thing is other than not eating, it seems like a perfectly healthy fish. He is swimming with the pack and interacts as normal. Its not like he's hiding in the back of the tank waiting to die. He just doesnt eat.

[jnc914]

You can add the Selcon directly to your tank. It sounds like there may be other things going on with the tang, possibly internal parasites. You may need to pull the tang and quarantine with meds. before its too late.

[pmvalenti]

how long have you had him? i had a naso with the same problem, sunken stomach and swam with everyone at feeding. so, i started feeding 4 to 5 times a day in smaller amounts than my 1 to 2 times a day, and in about 4 days he finally started eating. i also have six different frozen foods i feed

[orlandobrian]

I've dosed the entire tank with garlic. I feed live mysis to my seahorse but the only tank interesed in those is my blue. He will not eat brine either.

[MTB]

Variety is best. Soaking the food in garlic extreme may stimulate his feeding habits. You may want to try formula two by ocean nutrition. My LFSs use that and Rods Food to fatten up their tangs before sale. I have not owned a tang cause my tank is toooooo small. I have used garlic for clowns and the like. Good luck.

[orlandobrian]

I'll try frequent feedings to see if this helps. Perhaps with some frozen food too. I'll also try Selcon since I have this already. I'm afraid I should have quarantined him first. I'll let you know if this works. I already add garlic directly to the tank. I'll keep this up. My guess is the others tangs are going to be fat as heck!

[wantsalotta]

As everyone here has recommended...try soaking the food in garlic extreme, or other garlic supplement. This will have greater efect on him feeding than adding it to the tank will, IMO.

[MTB]

I would add the garlic to the food. It adds the scent to the food instead of all the water, which is what stimulates them. IMO frozen food is the way to go. All my fish seemed much more active since swiching to frozen some 10+ months ago. I feel it retains more of the nutritional value over the freeze dried, zapped and pressed and what ever else they do to that food. Of course that is just my opinion on food.

[nyvp]

when i added my naso it was stressed ( got popeye ) I removed him and put him in the sump for 1 month. I tried everything and nothing worked. He didnt eat the entire time in the sump. I put him back in main tank after his eye went back in an 2 weeks later he was eating. Tangs are known to starve them selves if something is wrong. Hes close to 14" now

[Aquarist007]

tangs love flaked spirula ---I agree with the poster above with a nori clip but if the fish is too weak and timid because of being sick it won't be motivated to wade in with the others and hack at the nori. The flakes will come to him

[FLReefGirl]

Try Emerald Entree soaked in Garlic Extreme. You can get it a your local Petsmart or Petco. Most LFS have it also.
The garlic is not only good for the fish but it entices the fish to eat. The Emerald Entree has Veggies, Shrimp, and Vitamins in it. It also has Spirulina Algae which is very good for them as well. Give him a few days to warm up to the new food.
Mine also love the spirulina flakes. I feed the whole tank both daily and everyone is doing GREAT.
.
http://www.sfbb.com/product_popup.as...0Entrée&id=26

[useskaforevil]

my clown tang would only eat fresh live seaweed when i first got him, after a few weeks he's eating anything that comes into the tank, except nori.