How long can a tomini tang last just eating algae off the rocks?

[Seansea]

Have had a tomini tang for 5 days now and he hasnt eatin anything i have put in the tank. He grazes on the tank and rocks all day long. Every time i get near the tank he darts for his hole. Question is how long can he live like this? Permanantly? Is he getting all his dietery needs just eating algae off the rocks? I have 10 other fish that eat everything i put in there.

 

[bobnicaragua]

Try nori on a clip, he should eventually find it. Especially if other fish eat off it.

 

[Garf]

Have had a tomini tang for 5 days now and he hasnt eatin anything i have put in the tank. He grazes on the tank and rocks all day long. Every time i get near the tank he darts for his hole. Question is how long can he live like this? Permanantly? Is he getting all his dietery needs just eating algae off the rocks? I have 10 other fish that eat everything i put in there.

He’ll be grand just eating off the rocks. If he gets hungry, he will join in and eat other stuff.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Have had a tomini tang for 5 days now and he hasnt eatin anything i have put in the tank. He grazes on the tank and rocks all day long. Every time i get near the tank he darts for his hole. Question is how long can he live like this? Permanantly? Is he getting all his dietery needs just eating algae off the rocks? I have 10 other fish that eat everything i put in there.

Grazing is a good first sign. What foods are you offering?
Any pics of fish, even video you can provide?

 

[Seansea]

Ill get some pics. Swims right around the clip while the other fish are destroying it.

 

[Seansea]

I feed fresh squid, fresh shrimp, mysis, brine with spirilina, hatchery pellets, and nori twice a day. Alot of ****

 

[Seansea]

Not the best pics cuz dude hides when i get near the tank. Tank also dirty cuz dont want to clean it until hes eating.

 

[o2manyfish]

It's a bristle tooth tang. Full Herbivore. While they may become or act like omnivores in our aquariums. They will live a full and complete life without anything but algae off the rock. When they are pulling the algae from the rock they are also pulling pods.

If you never see him eat anything but the rocks - You got a good fish who is doing his intended job in the tank.

Dave B

 

[Seansea]

It's a bristle tooth tang. Full Herbivore. While they may become or act like omnivores in our aquariums. They will live a full and complete life without anything but algae off the rock. When they are pulling the algae from the rock they are also pulling pods.

If you never see him eat anything but the rocks - You got a good fish who is doing his intended job in the tank.

Dave B

Ok looks its headin that way so not gonna worry about it. Def smashin at rocks all day long

 

[jda]

It will eat more eventually, most likely. They nearly all do. It will need to eat some meaty stuff to get Vitamin A, HUFAs and some Vitamin D or else it might get HLLE. The algae that these fish eat in the wild are covered with zooplankton that have all of these things - they are not equivalent to algae in our tanks. They also eat plankton from the water column and scavenge - no tang is a true herbivore that ignores zoo plankton or chum from a larger fish chewing something up.

It probably has never seen any of those things where it came from. Brine shrimp and mysis are from terrestrial lakes. Squid and shrimp were likely whole and stuff. They will eventually see the other fish eating it and join in - my fish always do. Sometimes they just need to grow a pair to join in when the other fish are going crazy.

If you can ever get it on high quality pellets or flake, then you are all set.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I feed fresh squid, fresh shrimp, mysis, brine with spirilina, hatchery pellets, and nori twice a day. Alot of ****

Mysis-brine -pellets, mine will eat readily. Also small plankton, LRS fish frenzy and formula 2 flakes
Is breathing normal or rapid ?

 

[reefie]

I’ve had my Tomini Tang for about 2 years and it eats the medium pellets from Reef Nutrition from the auto feeder twice a day as well as grazing on the algae.

 

[Seansea]

Mysis-brine -pellets, mine will eat readily. Also small plankton, LRS fish frenzy and formula 2 flakes
Is breathing normal or rapid ?

Breathing is normal and belly doesnt seem pinched.

I’ve had my Tomini Tang for about 2 years and it eats the medium pellets from Reef Nutrition from the auto feeder twice a day as well as grazing on the algae.

Maybe i should set up my auto feeder. Might eat if im not around

 

[Seansea]

Ok got him eating off the clip but still not eating frozen or pellets. Seems healthy tho going on 10 days of no other food than rocks and nori

 

[Seansea]

This dude is a rock cleaning machine. I have had many tangs in my years of salty tanks but this is my first bristletooth. All the other ones (2 hippos sailfin, naso, orange shoulder) pick occasionally but do little dent in algae. Lazy grazers. This dude straight picks rocks clean. Big fan of bristletooths now.

 

[Crabby48]

Hard to see in pictures but sounds and looks like a healthy happy fish. Give him time as he seems content graving. He will settle and join others. Had some tangs that chose to grave mostly but most barely graze and just want nori and frozen.

 

[BeanAnimal]

~6 years with a scopas tang and coral beauty in a 75 display with a 50 or so gallon sump. Fed a sprinkle of flake may 10 -15 times over tha entire period. No skimmer, scrubber or water changes.

Fat and happy.