Help with getting my new Achilles Tang to eat....

ETORRES477 · May 27, 2014

I got an Achilles tang on Friday, when I was in the store they fed him flake food in front of me and he was eating like it was his last supper. I get him home, acclimate him for almost 3 hours on a slow drip and put him in to his new home. When he didn't eat the first day I figured he just needed to settle in. In the past 3 days I have fed him everything at my disposal live black worms, frozen Mysis shrimp, frozen multi pack cubes that includes brine shrimp, algae, clam and squid, Ocean View Formula 2 cubes that are for surgeon fish, tetra granules, tetra marine flakes, and green seaweed on a veggie clip. He ignores all of it but picks at the rocks and the algae that has accumulated on some parts of the sand bed. He is not hiding or swimming up and down in the corner of the tank like most fish do who do not take well to tank life and eventually end up In fish heaven. He is swimming around freely, is not being bullied by any tank mates, has laid claim to his own territory where he retires to each evening, and seems well adjusted other than his lack of eating. What am I doing wrong, and how to do I get this guy to eat? Anyone have experience with getting this type of tang to eat, and if so what did you feed it? Any advice would be much appreciated friends.

Daniel@R2R · May 27, 2014

ETORRES477 said:
I got an Achilles tang on Friday, when I was in the store they fed him flake food in front of me and he was eating like it was his last supper. I get him home, acclimate him for almost 3 hours on a slow drip and put him in to his new home. When he didn't eat the first day I figured he just needed to settle in. In the past 3 days I have fed him everything at my disposal live black worms, frozen Mysis shrimp, frozen multi pack cubes that includes brine shrimp, algae, clam and squid, Ocean View Formula 2 cubes that are for surgeon fish, tetra granules, tetra marine flakes, and green seaweed on a veggie clip. He ignores all of it but picks at the rocks and the algae that has accumulated on some parts of the sand bed. He is not hiding or swimming up and down in the corner of the tank like most fish do who do not take well to tank life and eventually end up In fish heaven. He is swimming around freely, is not being bullied by any tank mates, has laid claim to his own territory where he retires to each evening, and seems well adjusted other than his lack of eating. What am I doing wrong, and how to do I get this guy to eat? Anyone have experience with getting this type of tang to eat, and if so what did you feed it? Any advice would be much appreciated friends.

Do you know what they were feeding him at the store that he ate so well? I'd try that.

revhtree · May 27, 2014

Can you try rubber banding some algae strips to the rock?

ReefFrenzy · May 27, 2014

Here is a thread from this weekend from a fellow Reef2Reef member who went through the same dilemma:

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/fish-discussion/160816-pulled-trigger-achilles-tang.html

There may be some parallels in what he tried and worked for him.

Good Luck!

Larry

kb3777 · May 27, 2014

Sometimes it just takes them time to acclimate to a new tank. Have you tried live brine?

jen2828 · May 27, 2014

Mine took about 3-4 days until he started to eat, shredding nori in the power heads sent him into a feeding rampage. Just keep an eye on him if he starts stressing out to much, you're taking a gamble adding him directly to your display without a QT.

Kworker · May 28, 2014

The thread I created about mine was posted by Reef Frenzy.

I brought mine home when he was noticeably sick, however he started to eat right away but he is in a QT by himself. I honestly would recommend QTing everything especially this fish, mine came with flukes (all I know about at the moment)

Mine took to algae sheets red/purple/green right away. Also ReefFrenzy frozen.
I suppose you can try different types of sheets, even try live red macro since mine devoured it.

How long have you watched him? Are you sure he is not grazing on your scape?

Irod72002 · May 28, 2014

How big is your tank and what kind of power heads do you have?

Get live calurpra and all live veggies. Mine ate Calurpra and green veggie sheets. After QT and all ich gone, he was like a new kid with shoes, playing all over the tank like there is no tomorrow. Started eating PE Mysis with Garlic Extreme and Selcon. Happy Ever since.

smoothie · May 28, 2014

Turn the lights off to calm him down a bit. Put a little food as often as you can by his sleeping spot tied or rubber banded to a rock.

Gonzalez0324 · May 28, 2014

imo this fish is a hit or miss, i used to have a powder brown and nothing worked. garlic, brine, flakes, and he was acting the same way that urs is acting now. it would have been better to place him in a qt tank. i made the same mistake with a powder brown and he killed all my fish. now i have a 180g hoping to stock soon with a brown, blue and a yellow tang. good luck!.