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ReefTank1
08/25/2009, 08:54 PM
I currently have a 220 gallon 72x30x24 reef tank with:

1 "personifer" angelfish
1 magnificent foxface
1 yellow tang
1 purple tang
1 potters angelfish
2 dispar anthias
4 blue damsels
1 red mandarinfish

Pics:

Meredithi
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x83/ReefTank1/20090810CRW_1562.jpg

Rabbit
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x83/ReefTank1/20090825CRW_1543.jpg

Yellow hiding
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x83/ReefTank1/20090825CRW_1567.jpg

Purple hiding
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x83/ReefTank1/CRW_1563.jpg

The little Potters that is the most outgoing fish in the tank
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x83/ReefTank1/20090825CRW_1566.jpg

I have had the yellow tang and purple tang for 3 years. For 2 of those years they were in my 175 gallon fish only tank with triggers, wrasses, etc. What worries me is that these fish have not grown at all. Maybe 1 centimeter for the yellow tang. They are always hiding or shying away from anyone who walks by. When I feed, the angels, rabbitfish, and little fish come and eat while these two hide in the cave and hyperventilate, dashing out on occasion to get a little food. They are not as fat as I would like them to be and their faces are a little gaunt. The yellow tang chases the purple away a lot. Whats worse is they used to get along and swim together!

I was wondering what I can do to help them come out and be active. I am not able to enjoy them and they are not as healthy as I would like them to be.

Parameters:
Temp 80-81 summer 78-80 winter
pH 7.95-8.05
Nitrate low enough for sps
Phosphate low enough for sps

They can eat 4 times a day. I feed them green SeaVeggies soaked in zoe, selcon and KZ Immun Stabil, and also mysis and formula 2. NLS pellets are autofed twice a day.

The fish in my 175 are so active that some of them never even enter the rockwork. That tank is in a high traffic area while this reef is in a low traffic area (maybe this is the cause?). The other thing I was thinking was to add a PBT or Blue tang that may coax them out.

sedor
08/25/2009, 08:57 PM
Could be that the lower traffic has made them lazy because they don't have to work as hard for their food? I know its a bit of a stretch...

ReefTank1
08/26/2009, 07:13 AM
Maybe... They seem to just be surviving off the bare minimum of food, and they are either too scared/have no desire to eat enough food to grow and be healthy. It would be unusual for an animal to not want to eat as much food as it could, so I'm guessing its because they are scared.

tcmfish
08/26/2009, 08:06 AM
I would feed with your hand or a tongs or something (don't get stung by the foxface) so the fish will learn to associate you with food. They might dash away at first but eventually they will come up and eat out of your hand. If you just dump in food and walk away they will probably be scared of you.

ReefTank1
08/26/2009, 01:08 PM
I do stand in front of the tank and feed with a turkey baster slowly. With seaweed I just drop in the clip. All of the fish except the two tangs have associated me with food.

I will try and get a video soon - the tangs act like newly added fish...

ReefTank1
08/27/2009, 09:30 AM
Any long term tang keepers have any opinions?

Do you think a Blue Pallette or Powder blue tang will harass these two or bring them out? The purple is especially shy/vulnerable.

Thanks for your replies so far, I think I will walk by the tank more.