Tips to help get new Powder Blue Tang to eat

[cdnco2004]

I have a new about 4" Powder Blue Tang. Over all looks very healthy. Ordered over the internet so was not able to observe her prior to arrival here. Had her for 3 days now. She is in QT tank but I do not think she has been eating. I have not seen her eat any of the brine shrimp nor any nori. Its posisble they could have eaten the shrimp when I walked away, but I feel like its just getting sucked into the filter. I have some garlic guard that is arriving today (got delayed by amazon) and I am going to try to soak the food in it and see if that will help. I ordered it expecting it to have arrived the same day as the tang but it got lost and took Amazon 2 extra days to get here. I had ordered it because I was worried about this situation while reading a number of PBT care guides. So I do know how difficult it can be to get them to thrive at first. Bought this fish knowing it was going to be work, but does anyone have any other tips or advice to help get the PBT to eat? I have not started any meds in the QT yet, I wanted to wait until the PBT was eating for a few days before I started CP and General cure. I was also going to try mysis vs brine shrimp today.

 

[Dave1993]

My powder blue wont touch meat get some frozen algae in a bag defrost it and try that called "veggie feast"

 

[cdnco2004]

I will pick up frozen algae today. I have dried Nori in there but she has not touched it.

 

[Dave1993]

I will pick up frozen algae today. I have dried Nori in there but she has not touched it.

yea takes time to learn to eat the dried stuff

 

[bblumberg]

mine ate red ogo in the beginning. Not always easy to find but my tangs loved it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a new about 4" Powder Blue Tang. Over all looks very healthy. Ordered over the internet so was not able to observe her prior to arrival here. Had her for 3 days now. She is in QT tank but I do not think she has been eating. I have not seen her eat any of the brine shrimp nor any nori. Its posisble they could have eaten the shrimp when I walked away, but I feel like its just getting sucked into the filter. I have some garlic guard that is arriving today (got delayed by amazon) and I am going to try to soak the food in it and see if that will help. I ordered it expecting it to have arrived the same day as the tang but it got lost and took Amazon 2 extra days to get here. I had ordered it because I was worried about this situation while reading a number of PBT care guides. So I do know how difficult it can be to get them to thrive at first. Bought this fish knowing it was going to be work, but does anyone have any other tips or advice to help get the PBT to eat? I have not started any meds in the QT yet, I wanted to wait until the PBT was eating for a few days before I started CP and General cure. I was also going to try mysis vs brine shrimp today.

Many tangs are shy, intimidated and spend first few days nibbling off glass and rocks. PBT is a more aggressive eater.
How did you acclimate it and for how long?
Is QT tank medicated with anything?
Is breathing normal or labored?

Garlic is said to be an enticer to eat and rarely is the case as it helps the immunity system.
Is tang eating in your absence- set your cell phone on video mode for about 15 mins and drop a little food and walk away - YOU MUST walk away as they know youre there. Review the video after and see if its eating when youre not there. Some are bashful feeders and soon realize your are the hand that feeds them. Mine is a glut and has eaten since day one and hogs the food

 

[cdnco2004]

mine ate red ogo in the beginning. Not always easy to find but my tangs loved it.

Yeah I have fresh Ulva that my Lavender tang loves I forgot I put some in the QT as well and she ignored it. My Lavender also loves red ogo just as you said, not easy to find. My Lavender and tomini tang will not eat Nori. My Naso and Purple love nori.

 

[cdnco2004]

Many tangs are shy, intimidated and spend first few days nibbling off glass and rocks. PBT is a more aggressive eater.
How did you acclimate it and for how long?
Is QT tank medicated with anything?
Is breathing normal or labored?

Garlic is said to be an enticer to eat and rarely is the case as it helps the immunity system.
Is tang eating in your absence- set your cell phone on video mode for about 15 mins and drop a little food and walk away - YOU MUST walk away as they know youre there. Review the video after and see if its eating when youre not there. Some are bashful feeders and soon realize your are the hand that feeds them. Mine is a glut and has eaten since day one and hogs the food

I did 30 min temp acclimation then with the bag floating in the tank over the next hour I kept adding tank water to bag then netted out of bag into QT. NO medications in QT yet. I try to wait to start meds until I observe them eating first.

Recording video is a great idea. I have some Wyze security cameras laying around I will setup one up watching the tank. And I have Garlic guard that should arrive today as long as Amazon doe snot lose it again. I will be thawing food in the garlic guard once it arrives. I just to go find frozen algae. Just need to find some local first.

 

[ScottB]

I'd go with mysis over brine shrimp. Much better protein source.

 

[cdnco2004]

I'd go with mysis over brine shrimp. Much better protein source.

I was doing the enriched BS with Spirulina. But mysis is what I was planning to try tonight but I am going to also try to find frozen algae.

 

[Joj]

Tangs usually eats aggressively and I think only 2nd or 3rd to my triggers and large angels in hogging up the nori clip and any pellets/frozen food dropped into the tank. But I have a large clown tang (largest fish in the tank) I received from Dr Qt fish that hasn't ate anything in 4 weeks besides light nibbling on the glass & rocks. The smaller chocolate mimic tang i got from Dr Qt fish at the same time eats from the nori clip and pellets fine though...so I think it's a individual fish thing as all powder blues I've had or still have never had an issue eating from the start.

Hopefully yours isn't an issue with internal parasites - but general cure should help with that.

 

[cdnco2004]

My other tangs are very aggressive eaters. But what I read before I got my PBT is that they are known for issues like this when you first get them, so I was not surprised by this. I have 4 other tangs, a Naso and Purple in one tank and a Lavender in another and a tomini in another. I did not have any issues getting them to start eating on day 1. I also was able to observe the Naso, Purple and Lavender tangs eat before I brought them home. The Naso and Purple LOVE Nori. The Lavender and Tominni will not touch it. The Lavender loves Red Ogo and Ulva. The Tominni wont touch any algea I put in the tanks live or dried.

I wanted to start with CP for 14days then 2 days into that do first dose of GC then second dose of GC 7 days after. Followed by 2 weeks of observation (after 14days of CP total). I just don't like to start meds until I KNOW they have been eating since a lot of meds will suppress appetites.

 

[vetteguy53081]

My other tangs are very aggressive eaters. But what I read before I got my PBT is that they are known for issues like this when you first get them, so I was not surprised by this. I have 4 other tangs, a Naso and Purple in one tank and a Lavender in another and a tomini in another. I did not have any issues getting them to start eating on day 1. I also was able to observe the Naso, Purple and Lavender tangs eat before I brought them home. The Naso and Purple LOVE Nori. The Lavender and Tominni will not touch it. The Lavender loves Red Ogo and Ulva. The Tominni wont touch any algea I put in the tanks live or dried.

I wanted to start with CP for 14days then 2 days into that do first dose of GC then second dose of GC 7 days after. Followed by 2 weeks of observation (after 14days of CP total). I just don't like to start meds until I KNOW they have been eating since a lot of meds will suppress appetites.

I believe intimidation in part but on acclimation, did you verify ammonia and ph with bag and tank?
Fish in bags produce carbon dioxide and ammonia. The carbon dioxide lowers the pH of the water in the bag.

 

[cdnco2004]

I did not test the water but when I was doing the acclimation, I had first dumped half the bag water out then started to add qt water every 5 min to the bag after 30 min dumped out half and kept adding qt water every 5 min for total of an hour before I netted into QT. Just watching her on the camera remotely I see her grazing on the glass and pipes. When I do the mid day feedings for everyone I will watch remotely to see if she eats. But I think its more that she is not eating in my presence but eats when I leave. I looked into the filter, and it had some brine shrimp but not 3 days' worth it looks like. I think she very well might be eating just out of my presence. If I do see her eating on camera then tonight, I will start the medications.

 

[cdnco2004]

I got some frozen algae. I am not sure if he ate any or now. I have a camera setup and I had it record a 5-minute video after I left, think he may have been eating some in the video but not sure. But can see them grazing on glass and pipes a lot watching the camera feed.

Video in Google Photos

 

[cdnco2004]

I just finished my night time feedings to all of my tanks. I added 1 small cube of frozen algae mix. I dumped it next to the corner of the tank where I have the video camera then I set it to record for ten minutes, and I watched the entire time from the other room. At the ten minute mark I stopped the vid and went in and looked into the tank and I did not see any of the algae left in the tank except for the live ulva floating around the tank. I very often saw her graze pecking so since there was none left I am pretty sure she is eating ok. I will start CP tomorrow and General Cure on Monday followed by another dose the following Monday.

 

[cdnco2004]

Not so sure he actually is eating the food I try to give him. I see him graving on pipes and glass a lot but when I add the frozen herbivore mix soaked in garlic and turn off the filters for 20 minutes all the food I add is just sitting at the bottom of the tank, then when I turn the filter back on its gone in 5 minutes and looking at the camera I think the filter is just sucking up the food. I am considering switch form a power filter that has bio media in it to just a sponge filter. I have not started meds yet because I am just so uncertain, he is eating. Should I start meds in any case? I see no other signs of any issues, just not eating.