New tang in QT, more questions

FishyFish · Apr 24, 2019

I got a white tailed bristletooth tang from Liveaquaria on Friday, he's about 3" long and currently hanging out in my 10g QT. He's very shy but seems healthy. I haven't medicated or FW dipped him yet because I want him to start eating well first. I haven't seen him eat but I leave a 1" strip of nori on the clip when I go to work and it's gone every day when I get home so I guess he's eating something. This seems like not nearly enough for a fish his size though. I've been offering pellets, two different kinds of flakes with garlic, and reef frenzy but I haven't seen him touch any of it. I think he's just too shy to come get it when I'm around, though he is coming out a little more lately. Is the 1" nori per day enough for him? Anything else I can try? I rubber banded some more nori to one of his pipes this morning too.

I'm also wondering how often I should water change a tank that small. It has no rock/sand, only PVC pipes. It was cycled with DT water and bottled bacteria, I also add more bacteria after each water change. It has an ammonia alert badge and I'm also checking for nitrites daily. They've been at 0 every day since I added him but the tank is probably being overfed while I try to get him to eat. Is a 30% weekly water change enough? Or should I go to biweekly smaller changes?

New fish are so stressful!!

JumboShrimp · Apr 24, 2019

10 gallons is small, but since you used DT water, have only the 1 fish, and are checking your ammonia badge, 30% weekly should work. Just be careful not to ‘food dump’ hoping he will eat. Maybe crack open a mussel and see whether he goes for it— but pull it out (don’t foul the water) if he ignores it. Eating the Nori is good at least; at the very worst, he should be good until you get him into your DT where he can watch other fish eat. Keep us posted!

FishyFish · Apr 24, 2019

Thank, @JumboShrimp I'm offering him a lot of options, but only tiny bits at a time. I'll try the mussel thing, I didn't know tangs would eat those!

He will be moving into a bigger QT within 3 weeks if all goes well. Just waiting on the rest of the pieces for my new DT to come in, then I'll be converting my 30g DT into a QT.

JumboShrimp · Apr 24, 2019

Nice! A 30 gallon QT should be good for practically any fish you buy in the future; even quarantining multiple fish. (This is my 20 + two 5s... lol.)

LynzieS · Apr 24, 2019

I had a wrasse that was also very shy and nervous about eating. I put in a firefish with him (the firefish is surprisingly brave and active) and when the firefish would eat, the wrasse would join in. I think having another fish, who is eating well, with shy fish can help them realize it's okay to eat. Not sure if this would work for you or your situation, but it works for me. The one firefish has been through QT 3 times now. Once himself, and 2 times with other fish that were shy.

-Edit: I like your profile picture.

FishyFish · Apr 24, 2019

@LynzieS That's a great suggestion and one that I haven't heard before so thanks! Unfortunately I don't have any fish currently that I can put in with him but I will definitely keep that in mind for the future!

And thanks!! I like your profile pic too, is he/she a sheltie or a collie? Mine's a mix of both, we think.

FishyFish · Apr 24, 2019

Update: When I got home today, both pieces of nori were gone! Even better, I got him to take some reef frenzy, I just had to drop it into his pipe with some tongs.

I guess I was worried for nothing, but thanks everyone for the tips and encouragement!