algae sheets

[eric b 125]

i have a hippo, a yellow, and a vlamingi tang, but when i have yet to see them eat algae sheets when i clip one up. in the morning the sheet is gone, but it could just be getting torn from the flow in my tank and finding its way behind my rock. do you think these fish will eventually find the sheets when i hang them?

 

[eric b 125]

i should note that my water parameters are super good, which i'm proud to say. last test: ammonia, trites, and trates were all 0, so if the sheets are getting lost in my tank, they havent raised my levels. also, how often should i hang these sheets? i've been doing it nightly.

 

[1990jpyj]

do you hang it from the glass or let it go to the bottem?
i have seen to different ways. i clip mine to the wall where my foxface likes it, he will then rip off a huge part of it and bring it around to all the others, hippo and damsels to pick off of with him.
my dad clips his in and drops it to the bottem where his yellow tang likes it. but no other fish will touch it. the only thing that will is the tang and the CBS so its kinda nice.
if they wont touch the sheet try some garlic on them to see if it helps. if that doesnt work i would try some of the frozen omnivourse food. my hippo loves that stuff. i have herd but, never tried letuce. my LFS told me that they feed there tangs that cuz its more benifical to them(tangs) + its a whole lot cheaper.
hope you find a way to get the tangs to eat there "greens"

 

[1990jpyj]

Originally Posted by Eric B 125
http:///forum/post/2933903
i should note that my water parameters are super good, which i'm proud to say. last test: ammonia, trites, and trates were all 0, so if the sheets are getting lost in my tank, they havent raised my levels. also, how often should i hang these sheets? i've been doing it nightly.
this depends on how often you feed. i do mine 3 times a week. my father does it during the week but not on weekends. so he does it 5 days, i guess

 

[shyfish]

Hi,
I feed my Hippo frozen life line he like it just fine. The sheets are a pain. I offer it and they eat it but mostly it just gets tore up and I have to fish it out as it floats around.
There is plenty of algea for my Hippo to eat off of the back and sides of my tank. Thats why I don't scrub my tanks clean.

 

[calvertbill]

Okay, I'm about to expose my deep dark secret! I stopped using clips six months ago! When the Desjardinii took the first bite he was always sufficiently violent that he ripped the sheet from the clip anyway so I figured I'd eliminate the middleman!
The reason, I guess, that clips are recommended is that the algae or nori or whatever becomes water saturated more quickly?
It's still kind of cool to watch the behavior change when a new sheet is floating. All inter-fish squabbles are set aside and everyone starts schooling, waiting for someone to become bold enough to take the first bite and drag it beneath the surface. It reminds me of a shark feeding frenzy.
Anyway, to get back on point, could it be that you're just a bit impatient and that they're eating after you leave the room? As I said mine are voracious chow-hounds but timid about beginning. Are your Tangs ignoring the clip completely of can you see that they're aware of the foods presence?
I feed 0 to 5 times a day.

 

[jimmy40741]

I had the same thing happen, my tangs were scared of the clip because it was something new as was the algea sheets. I started putting a piece of a sheet on top of a rock then another rock on top of the sheet in order to hold it down. The tangs soon found it (since they are grazers). I did this for a couple of days then switched back to the clip. The tangs were then used to the algea sheets and looking for it so it didn't take but a few minutes before one of them got brave enough to pick it from the clip, and once one did it the other figured it was safe and followed suit.
Personally I don't like putting the sheets on the bottom because the clean up crew will get to it, and by putting it on the clip the tangs get first shot of it. The clean up crew still get their share of what sinks to the bottom after the tangs rip up the sheets.

 

[aquaknight]

I use a mesh/grate to hold the algae sheets like this one. Most LFS's should have it. My Blueface eats nori but also like to only pick right from the base of the nori so he always rips the entire sheet off.

 

[oldandtired]

Unless I have previously fed my Picasso, he shreads my sheet algea and eats none of it! Maybe a jealous brat? I end up trying to net parts before they go into the overflow.

 

[sean48183]

Just keep putting in there everyday. I promise you sooner or later they will eat it. In fact when they see you grab the clip they will come racing to the spot your going to put at. Mine are tearing at it while I'm trying to put it on the glass. Also something you can do is put small peices in several times daily. Keeps them from tearing it up and feeds them several times.
Another thing you can try is Turnip greens. This stuff is incredibly nutritious, easy to digest, and cheap to buy. Every grocery store has it. They will go absolutely mad for it. I have had incredible growth in my tangs since I started feeding it. Here is a link to its nutritional data. To compare it to seaweed and romaine lettuce type them in the search categories and see for yourself.
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/v...roducts/2703/2
IMO dried seaweed loses some of it's nutritional value in the drying process. I have fed it for years and saw very little growth in my tangs. Started feeding this stuff and they exploded in growth.

 

[jackri]

My yellow tang rips at the algae sheet non-stop until he's too full or it's gone. Doesn't last more than a part of a day regardless.

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by sean48183
http:///forum/post/2935868
Just keep putting in there everyday. I promise you sooner or later they will eat it. In fact when they see you grab the clip they will come racing to the spot your going to put at. Mine are tearing at it while I'm trying to put it on the glass. Also something you can do is put small peices in several times daily. Keeps them from tearing it up and feeds them several times.
Another thing you can try is Turnip greens. This stuff is incredibly nutritious, easy to digest, and cheap to buy. Every grocery store has it. They will go absolutely mad for it. I have had incredible growth in my tangs since I started feeding it. Here is a link to its nutritional data. To compare it to seaweed and romaine lettuce type them in the search categories and see for yourself.
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/v...roducts/2703/2
IMO dried seaweed loses some of it's nutritional value in the drying process. I have fed it for years and saw very little growth in my tangs. Started feeding this stuff and they exploded in growth.
Its amazing how many herbivores were raised on greens; like romaine, turnip, spinach, etc; before the algae sheets were around. I still use some once in a while, it just doesn't get all shredded and wasted. If you separate the leaves, freeze them, then store in a plastic bag; they'll last for ever. The freezing softens the stuff, making it easier to eat.BTW,I AM NOT SUGGESTING USING GREENS AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR ALGAE/SEAWEED.

 

[aquaknight]

I will also add, if you plan on feeding terrestrial greens, make sure you wash them extra, extra good. Bit of fertilizer to you or me might not do anything, but to a fish could have serious repercussions.

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/2935927
I will also add, if you plan on feeding terrestrial greens, make sure you wash them extra, extra good. Bit of fertilizer to you or me might not do anything, but to a fish could have serious repercussions.

 

[sean48183]

Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/2935927
I will also add, if you plan on feeding terrestrial greens, make sure you wash them extra, extra good. Bit of fertilizer to you or me might not do anything, but to a fish could have serious repercussions.
Yeah I always do. As for the freezing it is necessary for lettuce, collards and stuff like that but not for turnips. That is why I switched from collards which is what I started with. Collards would be crapped out the looking the same as what it went in which I figured meant they weren't digesting much. The turnips come out looking the same as seaweed. Fully digested.

 

[mantisman51]

Like Sean said, they will start to eat it, particularly after there is little or none growing in the tank. I use a zip tie on a clam shell.My yellow tang took a good week before he started to eat it, but now he devours the sheets as soon as I put it in the tank.

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by sean48183
http:///forum/post/2936086
Yeah I always do. As for the freezing it is necessary for lettuce, collards and stuff like that but not for turnips. That is why I switched from collards which is what I started with. Collards would be crapped out the looking the same as what it went in which I figured meant they weren't digesting much. The turnips come out looking the same as seaweed. Fully digested.
I tried some turnip greens, about the only green stuff I've never used. Fish, that had never seen any land grown veggies, took to it instantly. It doesn't crumble and is really easy to use. I'll go slow with it and it won't replace algae for me but I think you've passed on a good idea...thanks!