Do Tangs Eat Feather Dusters??

[sorcha]

We have a yellow Tang that I noticed the other day poked the feather duster a little bit, but then seemed to leave it alone. Then suddenly last night the first 1/3 of the (large sized) feather duster is completely gone without a trace!
Sadly we have no other fish in the tank as the rest died when we bought a Pseudocromis from a well known LFS in Clifton, NJ that has Ick. Being on the new side still, we didn't recognize the signs until too late and the others were infected as well. Feeding them food soaked in garlic seems to have saved the Tang...but it was too late for our beloved Midas Blenny.

Anyway I digress...the point is either the Tang ate it or we have an evil rock dweller.
Any input??

 

[alyssia]

My yellow tang sometimes picks at my dusters but he's never done any harm. Is the tube gone, or just the worm and feathers? If just the worm is gone he may have jumped ship because of stress and/or placement.

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

Nope! They're not really inerested in anything meaty, they're herbivores.

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by ocellaris_keeper
Nope! They're not really inerested in anything meaty, they're herbivores.

They are herbivores, but they still accept meaty foods.

 

[emperor11]

However, keep in mind, there are exceptions to every rule. About a year ago, I had a Hippo Tang who took an extreme liking to my Christmas Tree Worms (a type of fanworm, like a featherduster) and ate the WHOLE rock, before I finally found out who had done it. I never would have guessed him.

 

[supalupa]

My Naso picked at mine a lot when he was first introduced into the tank. He has since left it alone and doesn't go near it anymore.
I've been to Aqua Tropics in Clifton when I lived back east. They have an awesome store but I didn't have much luck with their fish. Paid $50 for a flame angel and lost it 3 days later. They didn't care how my water tested and they wouldn't do anything for me.

 

[connor]

my yellow tang does not touch my dusters but it looks like it tries to host my huge branching hammer LOL acts just like the clowns

 

[techrider6]

I have two dusters in my tank and both have lost head or whatever they have. But they grow back.
Techrider62

 

[merredeth]

Originally Posted by techrider6
I have two dusters in my tank and both have lost head or whatever they have. But they grow back.
Techrider62
I believe it called the crown.
Denise M.

 

[evanwv19]

I've heard a few times before that Yellow Tangs will nip at or eat feather dusters

 

[scoobs]

My purple tang loves meaty food

 

[sorcha]

Thanks so much everybody. We did find "him", he had retreated so far back into what was left of the tube we thought he was gone. The feathers are still there, but now there is so little tube left that they are sticking out a little anyway.
Poor thing.
Yeah - the LFS in Clifton REALLY ticked me off. Beautiful displays, but the staff was ignorant and on the rude side. The Goniopora piece in their frags tanks is doing fantastic, as is the orange tree sponge..but the fish are gone but for the Tang.
As a note - we read alot about using garlic for Ick. Scientists saying nothing is proven, but too many posting that they'd had luck. We get the minced garlic in the jar and use the juice to soak the food for a few minutes. All signs of Ick are gone from the Tang for 2 weeks now. It was too late to save our Midas Blenny - which was by FAR the coolest fish we've had.