Lemon Tang Questions

[PeteH]

For Valentines Day, my sweetie let me add a fish to our tank. I wanted to get a regular Yellow Tang , Zebrasoma flavescens, because I have seen these guys munch on razor caulerpa. I have razor caulerpa growing in my tank for Nitrate export and for pod protection. I was thinking he could do some growth control for me. Anyway, went to AquaTek and they had some unhealthy looking examples. I decided to skip them. Went to AquaDome, and they did not have any Yellow Tangs, but they did have a healthy looking Lemon Tang, Acanthurus sp. (I think). They said he would eat caulerpa. We looked up the fish in their great big book O fish, and it said the fish would take well to prepared foods. So, I took him home, acclimated him and he seemed happy at start. For the past several days, however, all he has done is grazed the rocks. He won’t touch the caulerpa. He ignored the dead brine shrimp. The piece of dried algae I put in for him is starting to decompose from his neglect. He won’t eat anything I have offered.

My question is, can I expect him to do this forever? Or, will he start behaving differently and change his diet with time. AquaDome said they would take him back on trade. Should I take him back? Should I hold on to him? That is, of course, assuming I have the right environment for him to live. I think for now, I do. In the future, when he gets larger, I would have to trade him. See my tank and description in my gallery. The bio load is 1 small Damsel, a bunch of pods, 3 snails, 1 Emerald Crab, 1 BC shrimp, various feather dusters, small star polyp colony, small Xenia colony, and a bunch of razor caulerpa. I test water regularly. It is always zero across the board. What do you guys think?

Thanks,
Pete

[PeteH]

OK, I have heard of using garlic to prevent fish illness, but I have never heard of it being used to expedite acclimation. I will do more research on this but does anyone know how or why this works?

[DeletedAccount]

I do not know how or why it works, but I used it and it definately worked as an appetite stimulant!!!

[Yves Nobleza]

Garlic is an old fisherman's trick they would rub their hooks on garlic cloves and then bait them. They noticed they attracted alot more fish that way I use it alot to getting finicky fish to eat.

[Triggerman]

i happen to have one also. mainly grazes of the live rock and glass looking for algae. but i added some live brine to get him to eat and that usually works everytime with pretty much any picky fish. there's something about going after a moving target that gets the fish to eat, might just be natural instinct. adding garlic also sometimes does the trick. if you haven't seen him eat by now, i would go find some live brine shrimp.

ray

[PeteH]

I have seen him graze the rocks and maybe nibble a pod or two. I will be incubating brine shrimp soon. Where can I get this "garlic elixer" that you speak of? Is this just a disolved garlic salt solution?

[DeletedAccount]

Most health food stores carry a garlic extract that is fairly cheap OR some petstores carry KENT Marine Garlic Xtreme.