Questions on Achilles tang?

[duke62]

My tang turns bright white when my cleaner wrasse is cleaning him is there a reason for that? Also it eats algae sheets and algae growing in my tank like a champ and is getting nice and fat but will not taking meaty foods? Wont touch any food other then algae. I usually feed my tangs algae twice a week algae sheets but I have to feed him everyday. Besides garlic which I am using anyway what can I do to get him to at least try mysis and other meaty foods

 

[xxxAngeloxxx]

Looks like you have VIF type fish that watches it figure when it comes to eating. Doesn't like no fatty frozen food just it's greens only lol

 

[thirty6]

i feed mysis all the time and accidentally bought jumbo mysis, if you were nearby i would give you some to try out. I dont think its worth the tolls though. I have recently been using blood worms too (frozen) everything in tank goes nuts for them

 

[marrone]

It's common for fish to turn colors, or even white, when they're being cleaned. This is them sending a sign that they want to be cleaned. I wouldn't worry about it and actually if you have a camera it's a good time to take some pictures, as when fish are usually being cleaned they show off some wild colors.

I wouldn't worry about the Tang not eating meaty foods, as the bulk of their diets consists of usually greens and other algae. I would try feeding him Spirulina flakes and Formula II, as it has a lot of algae in it. Also, try feeding Spectrum pellets, I use Thera A+, and all my fish eat it like crazy.

 

[duke62]

Tried the flakes and pellets it does not even look at them. It just chases my hippo away from them LOL. Yeah its amazing how pale he turns. It actually starts to look like a powder brown

 

[marrone]

When my Neon Gobies where cleaning my RS SailFin tang it actually start to change colors and some times the colors then started to pulse in a wave type pattern. I could never get a good picture or video of this happening.

As for the eating, I wouldn't worry too much about it, especially if the fish is fat and is eating algae sheet and the algae off of the rocks. In time it will start to eat other things.

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

Does he pic on any fish? Thinking of buying one as the last tang

 

[duke62]

He is picking on my hippo. I had the hippo for a year and a half yet he bullies him. Not damaging him just chasing

 

[Dre]

Come on guys tangs eat mostly algae. You never watch the discovery channel? If not you should start you will most certainly learn alot about the fishes we love so much. And btw i've never seen a fish feeding on garlic in the sea or anywhere for that matter..

 

[duke62]

Ive never seen a human munching on mold yet we use it in pill form to make us healthy

 

[lnevo]

Man if we all thought that way we'd never have discovered eating lobster and shrimp..its no wonder fish like garlic soaked food...I'm sure if they could get some butter in their food, they'd be in fish heaven!

 

[Mattl22]

I bought a beat up clown tang he won't eat nori or flakes or mysis tried garlic is there something I can try he's just eating the algae in tank but there's not alot I hate adding the seaweed cause eventually breaks up it tank and only my volricks wrasse picks at it!

 

[jcdeng]

Have you tried selcon or vitchem? My tang eats anything that has been soaked in those.

 

[Mattl22]

No Im gonna try some new food tomorrow he doesn't show any interest in food at all not even swimming up to it!

 

[marrone]

It's very common with Clown Tangs to not to eat. It's a good sign that it's picking on algae in the tank. I would try Spirulina Flakes or nori sheets, if you don't want to use the nori sheet, as you stated, then get some romaine lettuce and use that instead. slightly freeze the romaine, that way when the fish eat it the will be able to digest some of it, otherwise they usually poop most of it out.

 

[edd]

Ive never seen a human munching on mold yet we use it in pill form to make us healthy

and we love blue cheese.

 

[Mattl22]

Marrone I will try it it's not that I don't wanna put the nori in I just don't like putting it in just to have it break up make a mess in tank

 

[prattreef]

Years ago Terry Siegel had all manner of finicky tangs in his tank and swore by OSI spirulina flakes as one of the secrets to his success.

 

[Dre]

Years ago Terry Siegel had all manner of finicky tangs in his tank and swore by OSI spirulina flakes as one of the secrets to his success.

Funny, i still have a half can in my fridge, forgot all about it.

 

[marrone]

I buy it in bulk and go through a big container in about a month. Basically that, Spectrum Threa A+ pellets, small Daisy Shrimp and some Nori sheets make up the majority of what I feed my fish.