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View Full Version : How to entice a Purple Tang to eat?


Ne0eN
08/19/2006, 09:20 PM
I rescued a very stressed Purple Tang (along with several other fish) from a crashed tank. All of the fish except the Purple Tang seem to have recovered nicely. It has been four weeks today, and I still can't get the Tang to eat anything. I have tried everything from live brine shrimp to a variey of frozen foods all soaked in garlic. I put a fresh clip with Nori in it everyday. Nothing seems to be working. He is in a 20 gallon long Q-tank with live rock. I do water changes from the main tank every other day. Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
-- Rob

affan
08/19/2006, 09:28 PM
IME, PT's don't do well in closed confinements. This may be attrributing to increased stress on the fish resulting in him not wanting to eat. Of course, the point is moot if the fish is in juvenile state. Still, moving him to a bigger tank may help.

HTHs.

vijaym85
08/19/2006, 11:05 PM
I have a purple tang in a 150g
here is a list of foods he eats perhaps yours may have smillilar taste buds
Hikari marine A for large fish
Life Spectrum for large fish
Ocean nutrition seaweed Green algae
Ocean nutrition formula 2 pellets
Mysis shrimp
I hope one of these foods works good luck.

Serioussnaps
08/19/2006, 11:24 PM
first get him out of a 20G

Ne0eN
08/20/2006, 11:18 AM
So you're saying I should move a fish that hasn't eaten in 4 weeks to a 260 community tank with aggressive eaters like blue throat triggers, imperator angel and tangs (hippo, naso & kole)?

-- Rob

TWallace
08/20/2006, 11:37 AM
You can try romaine lettuce or broccoli. I've had yellow tangs in the past that loved both of those.

liquidlunch
08/20/2006, 12:57 PM
This could not hurt. I used a bottle of this stuff when I nursed a baby picasso trigger back to health.
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=KM3631

Ne0eN
08/20/2006, 01:02 PM
Nope, one of the first things I tried. I soaked all kinds of food in Garlic Xtreme, Selcon, etc... He almost seems as if he doesn't see what goes on around him. (blind?) when I resuced him, the tank had a huge ammonia spike, and the water was at 92F.

-- Rob

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7976173#post7976173 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by liquidlunch
This could not hurt. I used a bottle of this stuff when I nursed a baby picasso trigger back to health.
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=KM3631

cb9tunerguy
08/20/2006, 01:08 PM
if you keep him in the 20g confined and he doesnt eat. he will die. if you move him to the 260g with agressive eaters. he may not eat and die. either way he is doomed. you know he is not eating in the 20g. you dont know if he will eat in the 260g. you have nothing to loose by moving him there. only to gain. if he doesnt eat in the 260g take him back out. or you gould put a .38 snubnose to his temple and say, eat or you'll get a lead salad! J/K. good luck! i hope he turns around for you.

davocean
08/20/2006, 01:20 PM
As long as he's not diseased you have nothing to loose by putting him in your big tank, that would be my main concern.
You do stand a better chance of him nibbling growth off your live rock, and being less stressed.
I'd give it a try.

docmenace
08/20/2006, 03:27 PM
Usually if they aren't going to take Nori eventually, there just not going to eat. One thing, some fish don't like the Nori still in a sheet form in a clip. Try pinching it between your fingers to turn it into Nori Flakes. Good Luck

Ne0eN
08/20/2006, 05:06 PM
Here's the poor guy...

http://static.flickr.com/67/220433537_ff6db02c44.jpg

davocean
08/20/2006, 05:23 PM
He looks pretty clean from pic, and he doesn't look all sucked in.
As long as there's no blotches, fins are clear and no obvious signs of disease, I think I'd put him in display where he may have a hiding area to relieve stress and maybe he'll get comfortable enough to eat.
I find that even really picky tangs will start eating growth off live rock, and may soon develop more of an appetie.

yoboyjdizz
08/20/2006, 06:30 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7977361#post7977361 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ne0eN
Here's the poor guy...

http://static.flickr.com/67/220433537_ff6db02c44.jpg

Put him in the big tank he looks big enough and healthy enough to very well hold his own with the big boys...

CW from the OC
08/21/2006, 10:09 AM
4 weeks? He appears to not have any diseases, so you should definately put him in the big tank.

thor32766
08/21/2006, 10:14 AM
yeah throw him in there, he can hang. Make sure and feed him his nori!

carman9941
08/21/2006, 10:33 AM
I would not put him in my main tank, if you cant get him to eat mabey a LFS might be able to put him in a bigger QT, and get him to start eating, Any med in that QT?

benray4fun
08/21/2006, 10:52 AM
Give'm pizza & a coke! j/k

Tangs eat macro-algae, like the small grape ones and others. Try to get a hand full at your lfs. Also, scatter the food at feeding time, so he doesn't have to compete as much in your BIG tank.

Ne0eN
08/21/2006, 02:01 PM
I haven't put him in the main tank yet. I do think that he's way to weak and will not be able to compete for food. He does not eat Nori - believe me I tried. The other issue is that the main tank (260g reef) already has a yellow tang and I think he's gonna beat the shi out of him.

I may just return him to LFS and hopefully they can get him in bigger QT. No meds in the QT.

-- Rob

vijaym85
08/22/2006, 05:03 PM
If you have expendable income you could get a larger QT. Do you use UV or ozone they could potentialy help prevent the spreading of disease should you place it in the main tank.

jimbo045
08/22/2006, 05:57 PM
Romaine lettuce stuck onto the tank glass with the tank magnet.

Ne0eN
09/08/2006, 11:21 PM
Update...

It's been 7 weeks and poor Tang is still not eating. I did put him in my reef, (at night after lights went down). Cleaner shrimp immediately tried to clean him - he freaked out, started swimming like crazy, bumping into corals and rocks. My majestic angel started messing with him, and he tried to jump! I was able to get him out after 10 min. He's back in the QT recovering from the bruises. He looked really bad for about a week. Now he's starting to look better again. Could he be eating Nori off the clip when I'm not looking? (I have some snails in my QT that I know for sure been munching on Nori)

-- Rob

antonsemrad
09/09/2006, 07:55 PM
Fresh greens like Red Gracilaria would be best IME. I put a PT in my 6x2 and he chased my yellow to death. I wouldn't mix the two ever again in the future.