New tang not eating

[valley]

Hello, I purchased a small blue eye Kole tang and a clownfish 6 days ago. They were both acclimated and added to the same tank within an hour from buying them at an LFS.

The clownfish started to eat since day one, I do have another clown in the tank and I had bought this one to get them to pair; I’m not sure if that maybe helped the new clown feel safe and instantly start to eat.

However, the kole tang hasn’t eaten any of the food I’ve fed. The water parameters are good and there is no aggression with the other inhabitants. It’s been pacing back and forth and sort of aggressively picking at the rocks and glass. That algae is very short and I haven’t seen my foxface eat that algae so I’m not sure if this tang is actually eating it or just pecking at it. I don’t see any signs of disease.

Is this normal? Do I give it more time or do I take action? If so, what should I do?

For reference I’m feeding ocean nutrition flakes and new life spectrum pellets.

 

[TX_REEF]

try soaking the flakes in a shot glass with some tank water and garlic extract, this can help spur feeding for new additions. Frozen is also an option. Tangs should also be fed nori regularly. Recommended products below for reference..

Seachem garlic extract: https://amzn.to/403BsKo
Nori (seaveggies): https://amzn.to/4h7izNz
sea veggie clip: https://amzn.to/4jcKYny

 

[edsbeaker]

Do you know if it was eating at the LFS? Maybe find out what they were feeding. I agree with above that frozen is worth a try. My Tomini took a few days to get to eat. He also spent a lot of time pecking on the rocks. Sometimes it just takes time.

 

[exnisstech]

Try some frozen. Many fish will not eat pellet or flake or they have to be trained to do so. I feed PE mysis as a staple and all 10 tangs gobble it up as do all the other fish.

 

[valley]

I saw the tang eat the same new life spectrum pellets at the LFS and I’ve put nori on a clip but it’s not eating from it either. My foxface isn’t much of an influence because it just slowly pecks at the nori and isn’t as interested in the nori as others seem to be.

I’m going to try feeding some spirulina brine shrimp I have later and I’ll also give the garlic extract a shot. Thanks for the advice!

 

[exnisstech]

Don't go over board the garlic extract. A little goes a long ways learned by experience :face-with-hand-over-mouth: I just put a couple drops on the nori. It's more about the odor enticing them to eat. The garlic itself has no real nutritional value to our fish even tho the internet tends to say different.

 

[TX_REEF]

Don't go over board the garlic extract. A little goes a long ways learned by experience :face-with-hand-over-mouth: I just put a couple drops on the nori. It's more about the odor enticing them to eat. The garlic itself has no real nutritional value to our fish even tho the internet tends to say different.

100%, not for long term use, just to whet their appetite if they're finicky

 

[chip shop]

I’d put some mysis in