skinny naso tang

[platax88]

Hello, i have a blonde naso (~4) that dosent seem to gain weight. He has been slender since i got him about 5 months ago. I feed him a healthy diet of nory, pellets, flakes and misis shrimp ... yet he dosent seem to gain much weight. Other than that he is active, colorful and curious as can be. Do you think that he may have internal parasites? are there any symptoms to look for?

Thanks!

[dragon_slayer]

how much are you feeding it???

they are huge eaters with enormous apatites. when i took my 180g down i gave my blond away but at the time she was 6" and FAT, all my tangs eat huge amounts of food several times a day with nori sheets available almost continuously and they pick at them continuously.

kc

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/523/29872Naso.JPG

[alan214]

It's been almost too long for the possibility of your fish having been cyanide-caught but I would not rule that out. The eating but not gaining any weight is a classic symptom.

I sincerely hope I'm mistaken but if that turns out to be the case, he'll slowly starve to death due to his digestive track being damaged by the cyanide.

[platax88]

dragon_slayer -- now thats a fat boy! My lifestock consists of 5 cromis, 1 blonde naso, 1 flame angel and a newly added small powder brown tang.

I place nori, 3"X1" twice a day (gone in 10 mins) and pinch some flakes, or pellets a few times a day... every few days i add 1/2 cube of misis shrip.

should i be feeding more? i am always cautious about overfeeding

[dragon_slayer]

yeah, increase that nori to the point it's constantly available to them and increase the frequency of meaty foods. Surgeons are labeled as herbivores but they love meat. they also love bananas and oranges (just the pulp from inside the individual slices, not the skins)

kc

[tkeracer619]

its hard to satisfy a naso... mine will eat all day long. Leave fresh nori in the tank all the time

[platax88]

ok, well this makes me feel a bit better... seems like my feeding habit has been the issue instead of parasites

How do you feed your nori, i have to place small pieces because if not the naso will bite and pull and release the nori from the clip.

Thanks for all your help

[dragon_slayer]

i place a whole sheet under my MagFloat (and i don't fold it at all) and let them have at it. when they take it down to the point the only thing left is what's behind the magnet I'll take it loose and let that piece float, they quickly consume it and I'll add a new one.

kc

[tkeracer619]

Take a cleaned pair of scissors and make little tear off strips.

Imagine pay phone add..... tear off the little number at the bottom.

[dragon_slayer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9717843#post9717843 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tkeracer619
Take a cleaned pair of scissors and make little tear off strips.

Imagine pay phone add..... tear off the little number at the bottom.

that's just un-necessary work, tangs have the ability to 'bite' off bits and pieces, even holes.

kc

http://i17.*******.com/47j6agi.jpg

[platax88]

great ideas... cant thank you enough. Just loaded up the clip for them!

aside from nori... what other foods do you recommend to get him fattened up?

[dragon_slayer]

I've yet to find that any of my tangs wouldn't eat. i just mix it up, like humans they don't want the same thing every meal of every day.

i feed mine bananas, oranges, broccoli, mysid, brine shrimp, chopped shrimp/clam/squid/krill, they absolutely love freeze dried tubiflex worms, frozen spinach, Romano lettuce macro algae, flakes, etc..... etc.... etc....

the only thing i don't feed are pellets, i only use pellets in my Koi ponds.

kc

[platax88]

awesome thanks again

[platax88]

How long do you think it will take to fatten him up.. i have been feeding alot more. There is always nori on the clip and his stomach is always expanded with food.

Also i made a mix of cyclopese, formula 2, spirulina frozen food, chopped silversides and pellets and i feed that twice a day. He is eating like a champ and behavior is great ... not fattened up yet ... beeen a week today

thanks!

[dragon_slayer]

it's like people, you don't get fat or skinny overnight :)

kc

[platax88]

lol .... I DO!

Fat, not skinny :(

[dragon_slayer]

well you could possibly try feeding him/her a double quarter pounder with cheese and a super sized fries, but water quality might be a bit hard to keep in check :)

give it time and keep the feedings up, the weight will start to show in no time.

best of luck
kc

[platax88]

thanks again for all your help, kc

[navipro1]

I had a naso like that before, ate and ate but would never get fat, died 5 months later, think its some kind of internal parasite or malfunction in the organs from possible cyanide, not sure.