Is my blond bombshell a/k/a naso ok??

gsiegel · 02/06/2013, 06:24 PM

Photo is attached and hopefully I am being neurotic. She (named Angolina for the voluptuous babe that she is) seems to be swimming fine, eating, and does no seem stressed aside from being a bit uncomfortable with men like me always staring at her.

Hopefully you can see in the photo but under her fin there seems to be a small indent on both of her sides. And around her fin almost seems as if is a little dirty.

Any thoughts or suggestions or am I just being a neurotic first time parent?

albano · 02/06/2013, 07:10 PM

Can't tell from pic, but is stomach pinched? How long have you had it, is it eating? Was it like that when you bought it?

gsiegel · 02/06/2013, 07:14 PM

It seems to be pinched - amost like a small indent (it is pretty small) under the fins and the fins on her sides seem like they are a bit (for lack of a better description) dirty?

I have had her for a week and I did not notice that when I purchased her. She does not seem distressed and is eating.

FYI - I feed a combo of frozen brine, mysis, spirulina and every few days have added some dry seaweed on a clip. I also got New Era Mini Marine Grazer which is "algae, derivatives of vegetable origin, oils and fats, molluscs and crustraceans, minerals" but I have just put that in the tank tonight for the 2nd time. How much should I be feeding these guys? I hear mixed things - don't overfeed, but then I want to make sure they are getting what they need.

blanden.adam · 02/06/2013, 07:48 PM

IMO, every few days is not nearly enough. You should be feeding at least once a day (preferably smaller portions multiple times a day, but that's just not always practical), and the fish should always have food on the algae clip available for grazing.

gsiegel · 02/06/2013, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blanden.adam

IMO, every few days is not nearly enough. You should be feeding at least once a day (preferably smaller portions multiple times a day, but that's just not always practical), and the fish should always have food on the algae clip available for grazing.

The seaweed does not seem to last that long (Julian Sprung's Sea Veggies Purple Seaweed and Omega One Super Veggie Brown Seaweed). I just added some and he swims by to pick but does not seem super hungry whereas the foxface and mimic tang are also doing an occasional picking but more so than the Naso (maybe I am just being a bit hypertechnical). Should I keep the New Era Marine Grazer suctioned to the tank throughout the day as it is more compact? Any other suggestions of what to add that will be long lasting for them to graze on?

When I feed the frozen food it seems like the clowns and chromis attack that much quicker (although the naso does eat it but not as quick as the others). So essentially - how to get enough nutrition and food to the tangs (especially the Naso as of now) without feeding too much???

blanden.adam · 02/06/2013, 08:36 PM

By it doesn't seem to last that long, what do you mean? Is it being eaten or does it fall apart? If it's being eaten, you might just want to add more

As an alternative to the Sea Veggies or comercial seaweed marketed as fish food, you can go to the asian section of your local supermarket, or if you have a straight asian market that would also work, and purchase a product called Nori. It's dried seaweed used for sushi, but is also widely and inexpensively used to feed tangs. It's just as nutritious and way less expensive

With regard to your tang being beaten to the food by the other fish, keep in mind he's only been in the tank a week, and might not be comfortable or adjusted to you and your food yet. Give him time, keep feeding (every day, what the fish will eat in 5 minutes is the rule of thumb for once a day feeding, 2.5 minutes for twice a day feeding), make sure he has algae to graze upon, and I'm sure he'll fatten up.

gsiegel · 02/06/2013, 08:56 PM

Thanks so much Blanden. Part of it gets eaten and other part seems to get pulled off and float throughout the tank. She just does not seem as interested as the others and hopefully it is just a matter of getting used to her new home.

I will try the nori but have heard mixed things about which is better. Does the seaweed from the LFS have added nitrients (not my LFS talking to sell me their product) that Nori does not have?

blanden.adam · 02/06/2013, 09:06 PM

I dont think so, at least not significantly. Nori is pretty much the same thing as long as you get the unprocessed stuff. Definitely don't get the bleached kind.

One thing you can do to prevent the nori from getting ripped off the clip is to first hydrate it, then make little slices from bottom to almost to the top (like the bottom part of fliers on a bulletin board, you know, the ones that have tear off contact information). That way when the fish rip at it, they only pull of a small section. Thank you Mark Callahan!

GSMguy · 02/06/2013, 09:09 PM

Fold the sheet of algae as many times as possible before putting it on the clip. That will keep the fish from being able to tear off more than they can chew.

gsiegel · 02/06/2013, 09:19 PM

I have also heard about broccoli and romaine lettuce. Thoughts?

Should I just order a salad when out for dinner and bring home the leftovers...?

blanden.adam · 02/06/2013, 09:30 PM

Lettuce is a nutrient desert, so it's a no there. But broccoli is a reasonable inclusion in homemade food. I wouldn't just feed it straight though.

02/06/2013, 07:10 PM	#2
albano SALTWATER since '73 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Katonah, NY/ San Fernando Ca./ Sea Isle City NJ Posts: 6,210	Can't tell from pic, but is stomach pinched? How long have you had it, is it eating? Was it like that when you bought it? __________________ ______________________________________ Jan. '11 TOTM Manhattan Reefs Current Tank Info: 500g & 200g acrylic DTs/2 separate reef systems

02/06/2013, 07:14 PM	#3
gsiegel Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 922	It seems to be pinched - amost like a small indent (it is pretty small) under the fins and the fins on her sides seem like they are a bit (for lack of a better description) dirty? I have had her for a week and I did not notice that when I purchased her. She does not seem distressed and is eating. FYI - I feed a combo of frozen brine, mysis, spirulina and every few days have added some dry seaweed on a clip. I also got New Era Mini Marine Grazer which is "algae, derivatives of vegetable origin, oils and fats, molluscs and crustraceans, minerals" but I have just put that in the tank tonight for the 2nd time. How much should I be feeding these guys? I hear mixed things - don't overfeed, but then I want to make sure they are getting what they need. Last edited by gsiegel; 02/06/2013 at 07:29 PM.

02/06/2013, 09:09 PM	#9
GSMguy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northern New Mexico Posts: 17,420	Fold the sheet of algae as many times as possible before putting it on the clip. That will keep the fish from being able to tear off more than they can chew. __________________ Nick. Conehead. Shallow Reef club. Current Tank Info: 48"x27"x14" Envision Acrylic rimless, 6x39w ATi Sunpower, Custom ATB Deluxe Skimmer, 4x tunze nano stream,ATB flowstar 1500, ACJR, Tunze osmolator.

02/06/2013, 07:48 PM	#4
blanden.adam Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Manlius, NY Posts: 1,666	IMO, every few days is not nearly enough. You should be feeding at least once a day (preferably smaller portions multiple times a day, but that's just not always practical), and the fish should always have food on the algae clip available for grazing.

02/06/2013, 08:36 PM	#6
blanden.adam Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Manlius, NY Posts: 1,666	By it doesn't seem to last that long, what do you mean? Is it being eaten or does it fall apart? If it's being eaten, you might just want to add more As an alternative to the Sea Veggies or comercial seaweed marketed as fish food, you can go to the asian section of your local supermarket, or if you have a straight asian market that would also work, and purchase a product called Nori. It's dried seaweed used for sushi, but is also widely and inexpensively used to feed tangs. It's just as nutritious and way less expensive With regard to your tang being beaten to the food by the other fish, keep in mind he's only been in the tank a week, and might not be comfortable or adjusted to you and your food yet. Give him time, keep feeding (every day, what the fish will eat in 5 minutes is the rule of thumb for once a day feeding, 2.5 minutes for twice a day feeding), make sure he has algae to graze upon, and I'm sure he'll fatten up.

02/06/2013, 08:56 PM	#7
gsiegel Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 922	Thanks so much Blanden. Part of it gets eaten and other part seems to get pulled off and float throughout the tank. She just does not seem as interested as the others and hopefully it is just a matter of getting used to her new home. I will try the nori but have heard mixed things about which is better. Does the seaweed from the LFS have added nitrients (not my LFS talking to sell me their product) that Nori does not have?

02/06/2013, 09:06 PM	#8
blanden.adam Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Manlius, NY Posts: 1,666	I dont think so, at least not significantly. Nori is pretty much the same thing as long as you get the unprocessed stuff. Definitely don't get the bleached kind. One thing you can do to prevent the nori from getting ripped off the clip is to first hydrate it, then make little slices from bottom to almost to the top (like the bottom part of fliers on a bulletin board, you know, the ones that have tear off contact information). That way when the fish rip at it, they only pull of a small section. Thank you Mark Callahan!

02/06/2013, 09:19 PM	#10
gsiegel Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 922	I have also heard about broccoli and romaine lettuce. Thoughts? Should I just order a salad when out for dinner and bring home the leftovers...?

02/06/2013, 09:30 PM	#11
blanden.adam Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Manlius, NY Posts: 1,666	Lettuce is a nutrient desert, so it's a no there. But broccoli is a reasonable inclusion in homemade food. I wouldn't just feed it straight though.