Kole Tang Not Eating

[jtl]

I purchased a yellow eye tang last Wed at my lfs who I trust. The owner has had him for a week and said he was eating pellets. I put him in quarantine and before I started to dose Copper Power I let him settle in. He refuses all food. I have tried pellets, flake, a mixture of clams and mysis with garlic. I purchased a small clown at the same time and he is eating. It has been 3 days and I am getting concerned. Any suggestions?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Have you tried offering it any nori or algae sheets?

 

[jtl]

Have you tried offering it any nori or algae sheets?

I haven't but maybe I should get some. I guess it is hit and miss with nori but nothing else is working. I think I can get some at the health food store.

 

[UNCFAN]

It took almost a month before my yellow eye would eat pellets. I put Nori in a clip in the tank and he devoured that and he would constantly nibble at the rock to get some bites of whatever he got off the rock. I feed some mysis shrimp one day and he charged at it - love it. It took mine a few weeks to also know to go to the top of the water for some pellets as well.

 

[Mical]

The pellets that you tried (or any other foods) have algae in them? As Crabs mentioned Nori.. tangs are algae eaters.

 

[UNCFAN]

The pellets contain a little bit of everything from krill to spirulina. As I mentioned he spends the day dibbling on the rocks and any algae on the glass. But he won't turn down mysis or the pellets either if offered.

 

[Apotack]

Try some live food or algae covered rocks

 

[jtl]

I put in some nori and so far no go. He just looks at himself in the glass and acts agitated. He should be working up an appetite.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I haven't but maybe I should get some. I guess it is hit and miss with nori but nothing else is working. I think I can get some at the health food store.

Typically with Tangs Nori is a given and should be a staple of their diet

 

[nereefpat]

Tangs in that genus don't always go for nori. They are detritus and film eaters. It's still worth a try though, and rubber banded to a rock is better than on a clip.

If you can get live brine at your lfs, that almost always works.

 

[jtl]

Tangs in that genus don't always go for nori. They are detritus and film eaters. It's still worth a try though, and rubber banded to a rock is better than on a clip.

If you can get live brine at your lfs, that almost always works.

Not sure that brine and my copper treatment is going to work.

 

[nereefpat]

Not sure that brine and my copper treatment is going to work.

Bah! You don't have to breed them in copper. Just dump them in for your fish to eat.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Try some live food or algae covered rocks

This is a possibility, but keep in mind if you're running copper, rock has the ability to absorb copper and heavy metals and could pull your copper treatment out of therapeutic levels, meaning youd have to start your treatment all over again:)

 

[jtl]

Bah! You don't have to breed them in copper. Just dump them in for your fish to eat.

What I meant was I don't think they would be "alive" very long in water saturated with copper.

 

[jtl]

This is a possibility, but keep in mind if you're running copper, rock has the ability to absorb copper and heavy metals and could pull your copper treatment out of therapeutic levels, meaning youd have to start your treatment all over again:)

I put some rocks in for more hiding places and put the tied the nori to a rock yesterday. I checked the copper today and it is fine. I still don't see any signs of him eating.

 

[Rich1987]

Mine took 15 days to even pick at a rock. Refused all food got skinny to the point of death. Then on day 15 picked on a rock I rubber banded nori to....
I hope yours starts to eat soon!

 

[jtl]

Mine took 15 days to even pick at a rock. Refused all food got skinny to the point of death. Then on day 15 picked on a rock I rubber banded nori to....
I hope yours starts to eat soon!

That is encouraging.

 

[happyhourhero]

The key to get a kole eating are algae wafers.