Feeding a tang

[tebstan]

I had dreams of pretty macro algae swaying in my tank. I'd collected a few small varieties and was eagerly watching it grow.

Then I got a tang.

He's voracious! All the macro is gone. Hair algae doesn't stand a chance. Any amount of dried algae I put in a clip receives his dedicated focus until its gone.

I've increased feeding, but I feel like I'm starving him! He never seems full, even though he's got a belly. How often and how much should I be putting in the seaweed clip?

I feed all the usual assortment of frozen foods, and he goes for that too. He'll even eat pellet, flake, and gel food. I thought tangs were hard to get eating regularly?

[Gseclipse02]

my tangs look healthy and i have 6 of them 2small 4medium i put a 2-3 by 4 inch sheet of nori every other day and feed meats on the opposite day and they seem to be fine

[Europhyllia]

what kind of tang is it? Does it eat caulerpa?

[Gseclipse02]

what kind of tang is it? Does it eat caulerpa?


lol ... sorry

[Europhyllia]

If it does I'd be interested in a joined custody agreement... :D

[tebstan]

It's a sail fin. He ate my caulerpa prolifera I'd been nursing for a while. It was finally sprouting good growth, and it was gone the day after I put the tang in.

He's eaten a 2x4 sheet of algae every day or two. I stopped putting it in every day when he got a gut. He also eats hardily at every feeding - twice a day.

I was feeding often, but sparingly. Now I think I'm feeding lots, and often. Nitrates are 0 and I have no algae, so I guess I shouldn't complain. But I really liked that caulerpa :( The clowns were hosting in it.

[BIGBIRD123]

I used to have 9 Tangs in my 280g and fed 6 cubes a day and 6- 4"x6" sheets of Nori daily and they would come to the glass and show me their ribs...and my rock was spotless. They will just about eat themselves to death...

[tebstan]

.. they would come to the glass and show me their ribs...

LOL, I guess I shouldn't feel bad then. He begs as bad as my dogs. I drastically increased feeding because the goby doesn't seem to get his share anymore, and is looking a little forlorn. (The tang also stole his cave, poor guy.)

[ErikH]

If it's fat, it's fed. Overfeeding leads to big problems down the line.

[tebstan]

If it's fat, it's fed. Overfeeding leads to big problems down the line.


Exactly what I'm afraid of. But the poor goby just isn't the same anymore. He used to be Boss in the tank, before the sail fin came along.

I used to feed flake or pellet in the morning, 2-3 cubes in the evening, and a few times a week would feed the corals as well. Now I'm feeding 4-6 cubes a day, added the dried algae to the routine, and the only new addition is the tang.

Tank occupants: Clarkii pair, 2 firefish, 3 chromis, dragon goby, starry blenny, and the tang. There's also a tube anemone grabbing a good amount of the meaty foods.

[Gseclipse02]

thats a lot of meats IMO for one feeding ...

[tebstan]

thats a lot of meats IMO for one feeding ...


I thought so too. That's why I asked about the seaweed clip. If the tang is the reason I've increased the cubes, maybe I can distract him with the clip and feed fewer cubes?

(The anemone gets half a cube, easy. For some reason I'm not so concerned about it over eating.)

[justahobby]

Spectrum pellets are a great food for tangs. You might want to turn off pumps during feeding to prevent waste. Tangs are very active and I wouldn't worry as much about overfeeding them to the point of fatness. IME I haven't seen a fat tang.

HAHA, Karin, I wish I still had my Scopas. I would have glady given it to you had I know it ate caulerpa when I sold it. I found out after the fact when it started popping up.

[tebstan]

Spectrum is the pellet I use. :) I actually haven't used it much because the other occupants didn't care for it too much, but when I saw the way he ate I gave it a try again. Once everyone else saw him eating it, they gave it a second chance.

I turn off the pumps for a while at feeding. The fish get fed first, then when the lights switch I target feed some corals. Wait a bit, then the pumps go back on.

[Europhyllia]

Tangs are very active and I wouldn't worry as much about overfeeding them to the point of fatness. IME I haven't seen a fat tang.


Exactly. It's our responsibility to figure out a way to keep up water quality without letting our fish go hungry. They didn't volunteer to be fished out of the ocean. Since we got them we ought to provide them as close to natural conditions as possible. In the wild they'd just be munching all day.

[tebstan]

So it seems I should be worried more about the goby not eating enough than the tang eating too much. He's looking emaciated and sad. Its only been recent, since the tang was added. I've had the goby for 8 months. Everyone else is fine, and the parameters are good. He just doesn't go after the food like he used to, so I'm adding more to give him a chance around the piggy tang.

[justahobby]

What kind of Goby??

[tebstan]

Dragon goby. sometimes called a harbor goby. I'm worried about him :( Mean ol' tang.

[Europhyllia]

Dragon goby. sometimes called a harbor goby. I'm worried about him :( Mean ol' tang.
:( welcome to the club. That's why I prune my caulerpa myself with tweezers...

[tebstan]

BTW, the goby either doesn't like or can't handle the larger meatier foods. He stares at them hungrily, but the tang swoops in and gobbles it up. I've taken to target feeding him as well as the corals. He actually takes rotifers and cyclops thawed in DTs right from the pipette. He must be starving to let me hand feed him! These foods are the only thing the tang doesn't devour. He still eats them. He just doesn't chase down every piece.

[justahobby]

Those are sand sifters. I haven't owned one but they have a reputation for being mean. Gobies in general have a rep for being finicky.

[Europhyllia]

Poor little guy. Target feeding will probably be your ticket to keeping this guy alive. Try some prawn eggs. I bet they would be a good size for him and good for putting on some weight. :)
(Nutramar Ova)

[tebstan]

Oh, he used to be a mean sucker. That's how he got the name Boss. He owned the only large cave, until the tang came along. I actually was amused to see him ousted, he was such a bully. He bit me all the time when I was trying to do maintenance. But since the sail fin came along, he only goes in the cave when the tang is busy eating (which is often, I admit) and he eats so little he's gotten skinny. All this time, he's done well - before the tang. He still sifts the sand, but I'm sure that's not enough to keep him going. I hope the special attention with smaller micron food will save him, since the tang pays more attention to the larger foods. Now I feel guilty for laughing at Boss getting booted out of his cave.

[justahobby]

Karin, Where do you get your prawn eggs?

[tebstan]

Poor little guy. Target feeding will probably be your ticket to keeping this guy alive. Try some prawn eggs. I bet they would be a good size for him and good for putting on some weight. :)
(Nutramar Ova)


I use oyster eggs occasionally for the sponges. Is this similar? Haven't thought to try it with the goby. When I thaw some, it just looks like dirty water. I know he wants a smaller micron size, but that stuff is ridiculous small. I always worry about over doing it, and the skimmer goes nuts.

[Europhyllia]

Justin,

From prawns of course...
:rolleyes:

Actually I used to order them online but now Gabe's carries them. I just got some more during his 25% off frozen food deal.
They're packaged by Nutramar under the name Ova

[Europhyllia]

tebstan,

Oyster eggs are good for corals, etc. but too small to count for the goby

[justahobby]

Honestly, I have gotten rid of a fish before because it messed up the karma in my tank. One fish can disrupt everyone's personality if it is too boisterous. I'm not saying you should get rid of the sailfin, but consider these moves in the future. I can't see the goby for myself but, If you are truly worried adopt the dragon goby out, even if temporary.

[justahobby]

of course, prawns lay prawn eggs! Why didn't I think of that LOL. Do you remember about how much they cost @ Gabe's? I've wanted to use oyster eggs in the past but have been turned off by the idea of $20 eggs going to waste due to freezer burn every couple months.

[Gseclipse02]

Dragon goby. sometimes called a harbor goby. I'm worried about him :( Mean ol' tang.


i had one of those .... stupid thing killed some sps ( would always drop sand on my corals:bareteeth:) mine never really ate always sifted untill i started feeding him on the other side of were i fed my other fish he was to shy

[Europhyllia]

of course, prawns lay prawn eggs! Why didn't I think of that LOL. Do you remember about how much they cost @ Gabe's? I've wanted to use oyster eggs in the past but have been turned off by the idea of $20 eggs going to waste due to freezer burn every couple months.
10 bucks for a sheet