2nd post on skinny sailfin

goldfish

goldfish

Member
This is my second post since for some reason my first one got deleted. Not sure why, but in any event I'll explain again....
I have a sailfin tang that is starting to get a little skinny. There are no signs of ich or other disease in the tank and water readings are fine: ph 8.3, ammonia 0, trites 0 trates <10. He seems to be sinking in on his sides and near his face. I feed the tank every other day with squid, krill, bloodworms, frozen brine, formula 2 and seaweed selects all soaked in zoe.
Earlier in the post Beth pointed out to me that tangs love to graze which I am aware of, but whenever I put the seaweed selects into the lettuce clip my triggers devour it in 3 seconds flat! Is there a way to keep another sort of vegetation in there that will allow the tangs to eat better? Could there be a veggie that the triggers will turn their nose up at??
I know that romaine is of no nutritional value, but what about fresh spinach? Someone mentioned frozen broccoli at one time as a good food source as well. I'm just trying to find ways to keep my sailfin fat and happy!!
Any thoughts on this would be extremely helpful.
 
T

the new guy

Guest
I replied to you first post and am not sure if you got to read it.
If you do not have a lot of algea in your tank you can take a piece of rock and put it in a glass container with saltwater, set it outside in direct sunlight and let some algea grow on it. I dont think the triggers will eat that but I am not sure.
You can feed them carrots, if they will eat them and I am pretty sure you can feed them broccoli if they will eat it...
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Are you suggesting that she grow green microalgae? That really has little value for fish, and you probably don't want to cultivate that in your tank.
Rommaine Lettue isn't the best, but it does have vit A and C. It was the only veg that my tangs would graze on [they didn't like SWSelects for grazing] and believe me they fattened up! Carrots...kinda hard to "graze" on that and you would have to cook them. Broccoli, need to soften them up. I'd go with the lettuce.
 
pufferlover

pufferlover

Active Member
Not to start a heated discussion again as happened a long time ago when I recommended romaine lettuce and some said it has no value but I will say again according to my ---- Mills book (sorry Beth here comes a quote lol) The Marine Aqaruim page 50 Romaine Lettuce has the following Vitamin sources; a, c, b2, b6, b12, c, e, k. Spinach has a, b2, b6, c, e, k; Algae a, b12, c, e: I still personally feel that romaine is a good source of food if tender or if blanched, steamed, or frozen first. I now grow my own in my wife's garden and it this year is so soft that it needs only rinse and attach and the fish go nuts for it. I have nothing reapeat nothing against seaweed selects except my fish (none of them) will touch it, but put in the romaine and get out of the way, the angels, tangs, and even my clown trigger are the first ones there followed by some of my wrasses (including the cleaners).
 
T

the new guy

Guest
Thanks Beth for correcting me. I just figured if he was not getting anything to eat that would be better than nothing??
Pufferlover, I am glad to hear that lettuce is good, I was told not to use it because it had no value, my naso loves the stuff.
 
pufferlover

pufferlover

Active Member
New Guy; It has been a debated topic but I am set in my ways regarding it. One thing I did find that might cause people to wonder about it is that most of what you get at the market is so rough feeling and tough looking that the cellulite can make it hard to digest unless as I said above steamed, blanched, or frozen. When my wife said she bought some seeds and would grow me some I said why bother (Don't we know by now to not argue with the household boss) but the crop last year was good and this year just perfect it is soft like silk. I tried seaweed selects 3 different times getting annoyed each time and giving what was left away before I realized either my fish are used to romaine or they just don't like the selects (at 6 bucks a pack).
 
T

the new guy

Guest
I like the lettuce because you can put it in the tank and it doesnt crumble up and end up in the filter. I have been using Nori and they love it but it breaks up and half of it ends up in my prefilter. They dont sell Seaweed Selects here so I have never tried it.
 
goldfish

goldfish

Member
Thanks everyone for your help!! I certainly did not mean to start a heated discussion on what veggies are good/bad.
My lfs guy (very knowledgable and reputable) always puts romaine in his tanks and suggests it to me as well. Some people on this site have suggested against romaine--that is why I brought it up last night. I am still willing to put it in along with maybe some spinach too. My sailfin does like the romaine, but my hippo could do without it. The triggers love it too (man, they are such pigs!). I keep the seaweed selects in there because they all seem to like it, but as I said before the triggers get it and devour it.
I was always concerned about daily feedings because when I did so in the past my nitrites went up. I guess by feeding every other day I'm starving my tang! AHHH! I can't seem to win...well I will give the romaine/spinach thing a shot and we'll see how he does.
Thanks again everyone! :)
 
pufferlover

pufferlover

Active Member
I to used to use spinach but the fish didn't seem to care for it. Broccili was tried but crumbled up and fell everywhere. The Romaine holds together and what breaks off my fish go after and clean up. I have to say the clown trigger is always first to the feast. One of the 2 tanks that I use it on is by the door to the back laundry room and I swear when I get the lettuce out and wash it off and turn around all the fish in that tank (135) are in the corner nearest me waiting for me to bring it to them. They can see the fridge and what I take out (food and the lettuce container) or maybe it is just habit on their part but I find it cute. I use the greens on the 2 tanks that hold angels and tangs. The only exception is the 120 that houses the Rock Beauty (who could use it the most of any angel) and the BIG Porks, as the Porks take it all anyway so I use a lot of sponge based food for the Rock. Goldfish, trust me this is not heated about romaine you should have seen the last time we discussed it.
 
goldfish

goldfish

Member
My fish know when I'm coming into the room with food too...isn't it funny?
I hope I didn't sound like you were arguing about romaine. I just know there are differing opinions on it and I don't want it to get heated. I think I do remember the last discussion about it.
I am going to continue to use romaine and seaweed selects and see how he does. Guess I just need to get the right balance of daily food/doses. Don't want my nitrites and ammonia spiking just for the sake of fattening up my tang!
thanks again for the help puffer. I'll keep you all posted!
 
aquaman2

aquaman2

Member
did you say you that its a clown triger? Anyhow i am sure you already know this but if your tank is 75 gallons, all those fish you have are going to outgrow your tank.
 
goldfish

goldfish

Member
Aqua,
It's a sailfin that I'm concerned about, but yes there are triggers in there with him. So far there is plenty of room for everyone.
Thanks for the heads up though! :)
 
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