Convict tang

[Shawna Solomon]

Hello everyone,

We recently bought a convict tang from a fish store he or she is pretty small maybe 1.5-2 inches and I have not been successful in getting him to eat. The first five days he was eating seaweed and that’s it but at least he was eating. And today he seems to be just floating there not active at all. I put some more seaweed in and he took one bite and just went back to floating. He seemed fine until today minus the not eating part. I tried brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, krill, shrimp from the store, some emerald entree food, and assorted pellets and flakes and he just lets it hit him in the face he doesn’t care. Anything I can do?

Thank you !

 

[mcbdz]

You may need to post on the disease fish thread and post a pic.

 

[Shawna Solomon]

You may need to post on the disease fish thread and post a pic.

Okay thank you.

 

[dugthefish]

I bought a convict last week as well, same deal. He'll eat sheet seaweed all day and has yet to touch any frozen or pellet food.

 

[jsvand5]

They are definitely tough to get past the initial acclimation stage. I think slightly larger ones are a bit easier. I have two now but it definitely took a few failures to get these good ones. I try to have nori available at all times until they start on other foods. Sadly they usually come in already emaciated and past the point of saving. After a few online order failures I had my LFS pick me out some from the wholesaler that still had a bit of mass to them. He showed me a pic of the tank full of them and it was a very depressing sight. I’m sure only a handful out of probably around 50 in that tank survived.

 

[ca1ore]

They really do require some concentrated TLC. I’m 5 for 5 (including one overpriced Mauritius convict) but you’ve got to give them an uncompetitive environment and feed than almost continuously. My current tiny convict came in paper thin and needed 6 weeks in his own QT to get to the point where I thought he could compete for food.

 

[jsvand5]

They really do require some concentrated TLC. I’m 5 for 5 (including one overpriced Mauritius convict) but you’ve got to give them an uncompetitive environment and feed than almost continuously. My current tiny convict came in paper thin and needed 6 weeks in his own QT to get to the point where I thought he could compete for food.

Nice job saving them. I’ve had some arrive so weak that they could barely stay upright. They have been by far my hardest tang to get healthy. Much more difficult than achillies and powder blues for me at least.

 

[Whisperer]

Same experience, I had two small ones (less than 2 inches) that did not make it past QT. They were picking on nori but continued to waste away. I really like the black and white pattern. Maybe I will try one more time.

 

[jsvand5]

Same experience, I had two small ones (less than 2 inches) that did not make it past QT. They were picking on nori but continued to waste away. I really like the black and white pattern. Maybe I will try one more time.

Definitely best to wait till you see one eating at the LFS. I’ll never order another online for sure.

 

[Whisperer]

Definitely best to wait till you see one eating at the LFS. I’ll never order another online for sure.

Not planning anytime soon.

 

[ca1ore]

Nice thing about the convict, and the zebra, is that they are algae eating machines. My favored tang for algae control. My little guy is busy working his way through a bunch of Ulva in mynfrag tank.

 

[jsvand5]

Nice thing about the convict, and the zebra, is that they are algae eating machines. My favored tang for algae control. My little guy is busy working his way through a bunch of Ulva in mynfrag tank.

I was down at WWC a few weeks ago and noticed they have giant ones in their display tanks.

 

[ca1ore]

Yup, I’d not run a big reef tank without one. Got a zebra in my current tank.

 

[jsvand5]

Yup, I’d not run a big reef tank without one. Got a zebra in my current tank.

That’s thing is definitely sweet. Just wish they weren’t so much more than normal convicts. I’m plenty happy enough with my cheap version. This one seems crisper white with less yellow tinge than most I’ve seen but I imagine it will get more yellow with age.

 

[ca1ore]

That a mag in the background?

 

[jsvand5]

Yea. This is a pic from before it got moved to the big tank.

 

[dugthefish]

Since we're on the topic....I'd like to add my convict to DT next weekend. Should I hold him back in QT until he starts eating something besides sheet seaweed? DT has plenty of hair and other algae for him to graze on.....

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I was down at WWC a few weeks ago and noticed they have giant ones in their display tanks.

You didn’t happen to notice a price on them did you? I’m going down there Friday!

 

[jsvand5]

You didn’t happen to notice a price on them did you? I’m going down there Friday!

They weren’t selling the big ones out of their displays of course but they had a handful of small ones for sale. I think they were around $50. One of the few things in the store that’s price I found pretty reasonable.

The corals all looked amazing of course but I was a bit disappointed in the fish. Quite a few were not in the greatest shape. Not terrible or anything but I guess my expectations may have been too high.

 

[ca1ore]

Since we're on the topic....I'd like to add my convict to DT next weekend. Should I hold him back in QT until he starts eating something besides sheet seaweed? DT has plenty of hair and other algae for him to graze on.....

My rule is that if I can see ribs .... not ready