What do you feed your tang??

[yesjenks]

I have a 2inch powder blue tang, 2 clowns, 1 banded goby and 1 mandarin in my 75 gallon tank. The tang was added about a week ago and has been eating like a pig! He's been picking at the algae on my rocks and today I noticed him chasing a clown and bullying my goby and nipping at my dendoro! I've been feeding my tank twice a day with tetramarine flakes in the morning and the newlife spectrum thera +a pellets w/ garlic. Twice a week i put in half a sheet of green marine algae (which is the olny thing the tang isn't devouring) which he just nipps at and frozen brine shrimp. What and how often should i be feeding him? Never heard of a tang messing with coral before.

 

[rkaragozler]

I feed my tangs 3 different kinds of seaweed, red, brown, and green everyday, on top of that that they also eat flakes, pellets, and frozen foods as well. tangs are known to be grazers, they will pick at anything

 

[yesjenks]

I feed my tangs 3 different kinds of seaweed, red, brown, and green everyday, on top of that that they also eat flakes, pellets, and frozen foods as well. tangs are known to be grazers, they will pick at anything

Dried algae? If so what brand? You feed them all 3 and flakes and pellets every day?

 

[rkaragozler]

algae everyday, and i alternate every other day for the rest. this is what I use
http://www.sfbb.com/product_list.php?id=5

 

[yesjenks]

I'm using the same green algae. I'll pick up the red and brown tomorrow too. Do you use cut the sheets in half? Use a clip? Do they eat it all right away? Mine kind of nibbles at it and leaves some behind.

Thanks for your help!

 

[rkaragozler]

i take the whole sheet and fold it into a 1/4 of its size, I rubber band my algae to a piece of pvc, and have the pvc float with fish line in my tank. Just so you know i have over 6 tangs in my tank. you don't have to put the whole thing in, just put enough for him to consume in 2 hours. My fish consume in 10 minutes 4 sheets.

 

[yesjenks]

WOW!

Ok, thanks for your help!

 

[rkaragozler]

good luck. let us know how you made out.

 

[yesjenks]

Ok, I fed my tank pellets, mysis and purple algae. Tang is still messing with my banded goby. My dendoro hasn't come out since I found the tang messing with him. I love my tang and don't want to get rid of him. But, he's been acting like a freaking damsel!! What can I do??

 

[rkaragozler]

since he is still bothering the coral, try moving the coral somewhere else. and has the goby settled into his territory yet?

 

[saltwaterinbrooklyn]

dried seaweed , and formula 2 garlic flakes! oh and on occassion i feed the whole tank with a quick squirt of marine blend gel. they all respond well to that stuff , its like candy to acans.

 

[yesjenks]

since he is still bothering the coral, try moving the coral somewhere else. and has the goby settled into his territory yet?

Sorry, forgot to mention that I did move the coral right after he started picking on him.

The Goby has settled in. Even when he's just sticking his head out the tang swims over and shakes his back fin at him keeping in the LR.

I have to say that the tang has really beefed up since i got him! He was super skinny when I got him a week ago and today he is looking a lot bigger! Will it help everyone if I re-aquascape?

 

[rkaragozler]

not sure if that would help. try this put a small piece of rock in front of the goby's hole he will trench another one, this might discourage the tang.
better this way then to rearrange everything

 

[yesjenks]

not sure if that would help. try this put a small piece of rock in front of the goby's hole he will trench another one, this might discourage the tang.
better this way then to rearrange everything

Thank you for your help! I'll try it tonight and let you know how it goes.

 

[saltwaterinbrooklyn]

Crazy feeding frenzy is the only way to describe how the fish feed in richies tank lol very kool to see.

 

[yesjenks]

not sure if that would help. try this put a small piece of rock in front of the goby's hole he will trench another one, this might discourage the tang.
better this way then to rearrange everything

Tang is still picking on him a little but, a lot less since I putting a rock by his trench!! Thank you!!

 

[yesjenks]

i take the whole sheet and fold it into a 1/4 of its size, I rubber band my algae to a piece of pvc, and have the pvc float with fish line in my tank. Just so you know i have over 6 tangs in my tank. you don't have to put the whole thing in, just put enough for him to consume in 2 hours. My fish consume in 10 minutes 4 sheets.

I'd love to see you feed sometime your tangs sometime!

 

[yesjenks]

rkaragozler can you recommend anything else? Tang is picking on everything now. He's chasing clowns, picking on coral, and even saw his use his back fin to hit my goby. Have any of your tangs ever acted like this?

 

[rkaragozler]

honestly, the only other option you have is to catch him and find a new home for him. IMO.
Powder bue and hippos are known to be aggressive, but not like yours.

 

[Jim]

I have found to discourage aggression in my tangs to put up a mirror on one side of the tank for a few days. It will take the attention away from the other fish and give them a little stress relief. I also use the mirror when I've had aggression with my wrasses, and its fun to watch them flash at the mirror. Good luck