Do Acanthurus Tennenti need meat in their diet

[Wes]

Hi all,

I have an acanthurus tennenti (lieutenant tang) and have been feeding him nori every day. He has the tank to himself right now. I know Tangs will eat meaty foods sometimes when you feed the other carniverous fish.

But since he is the only fish in the tank, his diet has been strictly vegetarian. Should I be adding meaty foods for a well rounded diet or will he be fine on just veggies until I add some meat eaters in a month or so?

Thanks ,

Wes


Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

 

[bizarrecorals]

with most tangs and this one, keep it mostly on a veggie diet, occsionally feed meaty food.

 

[Wes]

Yes I know. I am just wandering how occasional they need meat...if any at all

Liveaquaria lists this fish as herbivore...indicating that it will do fine on strictly vegetables. But I know tangs will eat meaty foods when feeding the other fish.

Just looking for someone with experience on this particular subject.
Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

 

[KathyC]

I was just reading about herbivores and the do not require any meat in their diet, though some may eat it anyway.
I assume you aren't strictly feeding nori sheets? Like all others they do need vitamins and whatnot in their diet as well, so it is importnat to add a 'staple' food designed especially for marine herbivores that contain those things on a daily basis.
Also suggested is that because they are grazers, that food always be avilable to them.

 

[bizarrecorals]

try 2-3 times a week, is really your preference, I don't think anyone can give you a pinpoint answer, just keep the diet balance. yes, It does require a little amount of meat.

 

[Wes]

I was just reading about herbivores and the do not require any meat in their diet, though some may eat it anyway.
I assume you aren't strictly feeding nori sheets? Like all others they do need vitamins and whatnot in their diet as well, so it is importnat to add a 'staple' food designed especially for marine herbivores that contain those things on a daily basis.
Also suggested is that because they are grazers, that food always be avilable to them.

Right now he has the never empty veggie clip with the ocean nutrition sheets. He grazes on that.

I have offered him some meaty food twice that he nibbled on a bit but not much interest.

I am just wandering if he really needs meat or he just nibbles it because it's there and tastes ok (garlic, etc)

Herbivore by definition means no meat. If he needed meat he would be an omnivore right?

Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

 

[marrone]

You really want to feed your Tangs a wide variety of foods, containing as much algae as possible. Personal I feed my Tangs the following things:

Nori Sheets
Spirulina Flakes
Spectrum Thera+
Formula I & II

Since I have some other fish, that require meat in their diets, I also feed shrimp, silverside and Krill. All my Tangs will also eat this too.

You want to make sure your Tang is fat in the body, you shouldn't see its spine, which runs through the middle of the body. If you do see it then your fish isn't getting enough to eat.

 

[Wes]

Excellent! That's what I was looking for. THanks for the food recommendations. I will pick up these foods tommorrow.

So with this variety of foods I don't need to worry about the meat until I add some carnivores?

He came in fat with a hardy appetite from divers den. I intend to keep him that way.

Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

 

[KathyC]

Herbivore by definition means no meat. If he needed meat he would be an omnivore right?

Yup

I like Mikes food list - he has it all covered there, nice diet.

I lean toward the Formula Two pellets (small size) my fish really seek those out when I add them to the tank and they do graze on them. It is designed for herbivorous/omnivorous, so it keeps them all happy. I add mysis and silversides as well.

 

[Wes]

Do you find the small pellets sufficient for large fish? This guy/girl is pretty big almost 8"


Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

 

[marrone]

I feed Formula I & II frozen. I get the cubes in the really large pack, I think it's 32oz.Some of my Tangs are so big they can swallow the whole cube in one shot, so I break it up into pieces and throw them into the tank, that way all my fish get a chance at it.

For the Spectrum ThremA+I use the smaller or Medium size pellets. They fall to the bottom and the fish can pick at them all day. The bigger size seem to float more, never reaching the bottom, and my fish eat them right away. The smaller sizes are fine, just feed more.

 

[KathyC]

Do you find the small pellets sufficient for large fish? This guy/girl is pretty big almost 8"

Much depends on mouth size and the orientation of the mouth.
Being that they are grazers, they tend to eat a lot of little meals (and I see they have down-turned mouths). My yellowtail coris who is almost 8" now enjoys the heck out of them and all of my fish and shrimp will happily pick them up off the substrate.
Then again, if they don't find them all, it's less dangerous for me to have smaller pellets lost in the tank than larger ones



Cool looking fish btw.

 

[House of Laughter]

I feed mostly meat and only once or twice a week I feed Nori - my tenneti eats everything and is very healthy (6")

House