Chocolate Mimic Tang eating, but...

[ClaptonsGhost]

I recently added a Chocolate Mimic Tang to my tank. He's never been stressed by the other fish, swims around the tank normally, eats whatever I put in the tank, and grazes. His stomach isn't pinched, but his body is slowly getting emaciated. I can't figure out why. Could there not be enough algae for him to graze on? Is something missing from his diet? I feed frozen mysis shrimp, brine shrimp soaked in vitamins, Nori sheets, spinach, Angel cubes (which he also eats), and Sea Veggies. I put in what should be enough food to take them 5 minutes to eat, but they usually mop it up in a minute or so. I got a lot of fish but it's a 180 gallon and everyone has plenty of swimming room.

Any ideas?

 

[silverado61]

Do you keep a steady supply of nori sheets and spinach for it to graze on throughout the day? How do you prepare the spinach?
And what exactly are Angel Cubes? I don't think I've heard of them.

 

[ClaptonsGhost]

If you mean 24 hour access to the Nori sheets, no. None of the fish will eat it clipped to the tank, they all seem afraid of it. I usually fill a small cup with tank water and soak a sheet, then tear off pieces (otherwise it's the floatiest food on the market and always floats towards my overflows) and throw in pieces, which get consumed instantly by the chocolate and my two yellow tangs and the Queen Angel. Should I constantly have Nori in the tank for him?

By Angel cubes I mean food specifically for Angels, containing sponge among other things. They come in frozen cubes. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, I may have just confused you by calling them Angel cubes.

 

[silverado61]

All tangs, as far as I know, are grazers and feed throughout the day. Sure, there are things to eat in the tank but it might not be enough for them. So yes, I would keep a nori sheet, spinach, thin slices of zucchini, broccoli or romaine lettuce available on a veggie clip. Blanche or just freeze the veggies so they soften up a little for them. In time they should get used to the clip.
But thats just me.

And yes, I get easily confused sometimes.

 

[honu808]

I offer my tangs 3" pieces of nori at all times on clips. Since they are all day grazers, it needs to be available. Even my clowns chew on it a bit. If it sets on clip long enough my snails climb up the glass and enjoy a snack too.
Are you feeding several times a day or just once? I feed twice a day in small amounts and offer the sheets all day replenish them as needed.

 

[bang guy]

I would suggest skipping the brine shrimp and increasing the Mysis for the Tang. If you wash broccoli really well in hot water and then freeze it you'll have a good supplement for your Chocolate.

 

[ClaptonsGhost]

I've tried the clip route. The nori flapping in the current just scares them. Ridiculous, I know, but for some reason I have a tank full of cowards. So I have to tear off a piece and let it drop down and they'll usually attack it before it hits the bottom. I've found if I thoroughly soak it in saltwater it isn't quite as bouyant.

I feed the fish 3 or 4 times a day, usually they'll finish everything in less than 2 minutes. Unfortunately, it appears the chocolate tang has stopped eating altogether. Oddly enough he had some fin damage that healed itself nicely in only one day, but, while he still swam around yesterday, today he's hiding in a cave so I don't hold out much hope for him. He stopped eating completely yesterday. Then again, my LFS has gone pretty downhill lately. The last 5 fish I tried to buy didn't eat at the store, not to mention the other inhabitants of those tanks, so I won't be buying fish for a while. They seem to be exhibiting cyanide poisoning. The chocolate tang was extremely healthy and eating ravenously at the store so I don't know what happened with him. All other fish are healthy and eating and my water quality is excellent.

 

[jay0705]

It could be aggression from the yellows. My yellow and fox have posturing moments from time to time. Both are equally sized so neither really gets intimidated but tangs can get aggressive w eachother

 

[ClaptonsGhost]

No, they leave him alone. Nobody bothers him, not even my PITA Queen Angel. Some good news. Not that the two should be related but I bought two sponges today, along with coral food, and calcium and alkalinity booster since I now have a pretty impressive collection of mushrooms, button polyps and, now, sponges for what was supposed to be a FOWLR. Since I put them in and squirted in the coral juice, he's been swimming around the tank like nothing's wrong. Didn't eat the mysis, but I'm hoping for more improvement tomorrow.

 

[jay0705]

Ah good good. Sometimes fish are just weird

 

[ClaptonsGhost]

Sometimes? I'm running a regular asylum over here!!!