Kole Tang not eating

[Ryan22]

Hi all,

I bought a new Kole Tang on thursday, and it hasn't eaten anything that I've tried to feed it. I tried flake, pellet, seafood selects seaweed, and some homemade food, that is a mix of scallops, shrimp, clams, cod, fresh garlic and soaked in Kent Zoe. it is, however, eating micro algea. It is constantly picking on the live rock and has done a great job of clearing out most of my red slime algea that was growing on the sandbed in one corner of the tank. I know the algea is from high phosphates and I am ordering an RO/DI soon. Should I be worried. Also, nothing in the tank seems to be bothering it and the tank is a four foot 72 gal bowfront.

TIA
Ryan

[ October 22, 2001: Message edited by: Ryan22 ]

 

[Ryan22]

Hi all,

it's been another day and i's still not eating, I hope your lack of responces means that I have nothing to worry about.

 

[danmhippo]

I sincerely hoped that you understand that is what kole & chevron tangs do, graze on micro algae all day long. I hoped you have done researches before you purchase the beutiful kole.

Unless it gets to be king of the tank, most likely, you will not see it eat meaty foods.

 

[Ryan22]

Thanks Danmhippo,
I just wanted to hear if other people had experienced the same thing or not. I hate to see anything not eat the food I try to provide. It makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong.

I've done research on it and I purchased it because it ate mostly microalgae and plan on it being the main source of alge maintance in the tank. However I was under the impression that it would also eat other types of food that were placed in the tank. Scott Michael's book states that it should be fed other things such as Zucchini, Broccoli, Spirulina and other herbivore rations. I was worried because it shows absolutly no interest in anything that I put in the tank. It's only interest seems to be the microalge, while I have read that they will eat and should be fed other things. I'm simply trying to reasure myself that I am caring for it properly and trying to catch a problem (if it was one) before it was too late.

Thanks again,

Ryan

[ October 23, 2001: Message edited by: Ryan22 ]</p>

 

[Len]

Ryan, try some live foods like Artemia (brine shrimps). That usually invokes any feeding response.

Ctenochaetus strigosus are like all Ctenochaetus sp. - microalgae grazers that primarily consume diatoms and short brush/turf algae (very rarely "hair algae"); it shouldn't touch "red slime" cyanobacteria. I can't say with certainty if a 72 gallon will provide it enough sustainance, so I recommend you continue to try feeding it.

 

[danmhippo]

One more thing you could try, is tying down a blanched broccoli to the rocks. That being said, I do not know how nutritious the brocolli is. Heck, its not my favorite food either!

I have kept kole before and mine takes on selcon soaked flakes on occassions. However, I was told that I am lucky to have that specimen.

Good Luck in finding the answers.

 

[Ryan22]

Thanks guys,

I'll try both things

 

[dbman]

My Kole ate Nori sheets voraciously. But he was also INCREDIBLY shy and it took him about a week or two before he would let himself be exposed in the open; give him time, he will adjust gradually.

 

[Dawlfandav]

I have had my kole for about a year now. He was a bit shy about eating at first but now he eats anything I put in the tank. I think his favorite is spirulina. But he eats all brine shrimp, frozen and live. He constantly is eating microalgae off the glass and rocks.

 

[EmilyB]

Ryan22, I agree live brine if he is not accepting any aquarium fare. Some other favorites of my Kole are spirulina wafers, and the OSI stickon spirulina tabs.

Oh, and for sure spirulina flake.

[ October 23, 2001: Message edited by: EmilyB ]</p>

 

[Ryan22]

Hi all,

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I think the main thing might be that my Kole is a bit shy right now. It picks at the rocks, sandbed, and the glass, but runs for cover when I first approach the tank. It comes back out and goes about it's business fairly quickly if I just stand there and watch, but when I put food in the tank it hides behind the rocks until all the food is gone. I think it's afraid of it's food. I'll be patient, try your suggestions, and keep an eye on it.

Thanks again,

Ryan

 

[Marty M]

Sometimes a new fish needs an established fish or two to demonstrate how the meal program works in your tank. You know like you are his friend. I'll put one or two of my sociable Occelaris clowns on the job if I have trouble getting a shy new fish to eat. They learn not to be afraid of you

 

[fusion]

I wouldn't worry to much about it. The last one I had took about a week before it even began to taste things and then spit it out.
As long as there is enough algea for it to graze on during this time, after a while I think it will eat anything you put into the tank.


Go heavy on the greens....

 

[Ryan22]

hi all,

I figured I should post an update since I saw some poeple replied over the weekend. I noticed on thrusday night(one week after the initial purchase), that the kole was scratching itself on the rocks as showing a few white spots. I tried getting it to eat for one more day, since I feed a homemade food with fresh garlic mixed in. It was still picking at the rocks, glass and sandbed and swimming normaly, it seemed happy except for the occasion sccratch and a few spots. Saturday I moved it into a hospital tank that I set up and began copper treatment it still looked pretty good, still swimming normally but a few more white spots, but I guess I waited too long. Sunday it was covered with white spots it died on Sunday evening. Thanks for your suggestions. All of my other fish thankfully still look happy and health, no scratching, no white spots, nothing that would lead me to believe that they have ick or anything else for that matter, but they all eat the food with the garlic like they might never be fed again.

thanks again

Ryan