Feeding question

[bradsark]

I have a 150 Gallon tank with 150 lbs live rock. It has a Yellow and Blue Tang in it along with a "Cleaner Pack" (peppermint shrimp, various crabs, scallops, etc.). What should I be feeding the fish and how often? How about the other creatures?

 

[danmhippo]

Tangs should be given marine macro algae on constant basis. You can use unseasoned seaweed sheets commonly found in most oriental market as substitute. Tang do eat flakes, frozen, and other live food. But marine algae should comprise most of their diet.

Everthing else in your tank should be do well feeding on scraps after feeding tangs. You can look for clues too. They are hungry if you find them begging for food. Of course, don't let that happen too often too.

Also, click on the "advanced aquarist" link on the header section. There are sevral articles that talked about feeding requirements in the past issues archive.

 

[bradsark]

ok so everything I read says not to overfeed the fish as it will cause problems with too much junk in the tank. But how much is too much if they need constant feeding? How much is too much?

 

[danmhippo]

Well, I would first start offering, say, 2" by 2" square of nori sheet. If they finish them in 4 hours, offer another sheet about the same size. This way, you will know roughly how much they consume a day, and judge for yourself from there.

As for flakes and other frozen food. Since these sinks very fast, I would not feed more than they could finish within a minute. Usually when food hit the sand, tangs do not normally go after them. Unless your scavengers clean them out, the uneaten food quickly build up excess nutrient in your water and soon enough, nuaince algae invade your tank.

 

[Anonymous]

Many folks disagree with this strategy, but it's used at the LBAOP with excellent results. Free feed them with romaine lettuce on a clip.

 

[wombat1]

Broccoli holds up real well in saltwater, and my tangs love it. Just rubberband it down to a rock or something.

 

[Diane]

I would go with what seamaiden said about the romaine lettuce. My tangs went crazy over it.

 

[Anonymous]

Would this blue tang by any chance be what is also refered to as a "hippo" tang, Paracanthurus hepatus? Oval shape, yellow tail? If so, unlike other tangs he requires meaty food in his diet. You can feed any of the frozen meaty fish foods they sell at the pet store, or just get some raw table shrimp and chop it up finely. They will also like mysis shrimp and brine shrimp.

Just checking, there are more than one tang called "blue tangs"

 

[ZigZagZombie]

My tang will eat anything you put in the tank. I guess thats a good thing. Seaweed sheets are very good. If you rubberband it on a small rock also, it will nibble on it all day.

 

[Anonymous]

Mulberry makes a good point, however, I'd like to add that I've yet to see a tang that doesn't take krill and the like. Unless it's sick, but that's another story.

 

[Tanger]

My tangs would eat my finger if I put it in long enough. I never had any problems feeding them. (yellow, sailfin and a purple) I have never tried feeding brocolli, is there a need to pre cook or just throw it in??