Can't keep tangs alive

[ktsdad]

I had a Yellow Tang in my LRFO tank. He lived in a fake rock, fake coral tank for a year or so then we set up a new tank with live rock. After 2 month of live rock acclimation and general tank set up time we moved Mr. Tang to the new digs. He seemed fine for the first 3 months. He ate the spirolina in the morning, munched on the dried seeweed all day and more veggies at night. Occasionally I would feed shrimp or worms for the other meat eaters in the tank and he would eat that also. We noticed he started to get real skinny, you could see his guts and bones. Then one morning he was gone, crabs and shrimp had a good overnight meal. All other fish (Damsel, Chromis and Clown) are fine. We tried another Yellow Tang from a LFS, same fate after 1 month. We got a Mimic Tang from a OLFS, same problem after a month or so. Meat eating fish are very happy. I feed many veggies and they all ate the veggies. It has been suggested an internal parasite is killing the tangs. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[beth]

So you are saying that you fed the tang spirolina and seaweed daily and then occassionally all fish got shrimp and worms? What shrimp and worms?
Tangs need about 40% meaty foods daily, and most fish need to fed meaty foods daily.

 

[ktsdad]

Every morning they got flake spirolina and a piece of dried seaweed on the veggie clip. The afternoon feedings would alternate every other day between frozen veggie gum drops and either brine shrimp or blood worms frozen gum drops.
Everything I read on Tangs says they eat algae and veggies, not meaty foods. Do you think I killed them with the wrong diet?
I introduced a Koran Angel in my FOWLR tank tody. I will make sure he gets spirolina every morning and brine shrimp and/or blood worms every afternoon.
Thanks for the information

 

[beth]

Yes, that diet is definately for anorexics. Tangs are primarily vegetarian but also eat meaty foods, about 40%.
Take a look athe receipe in the FAQ Thread. You might want to try something similiar to that and also add in the greens for tangs.