Fish Won't Eat Seaweed

[euphoria]

How come my fish won't eat much of the seaweed I put in the tank? I put about 1"x1" sheet of seaweed (I do red one day, green one day) on a clip and hang it inside, and they just pick at it a few times, but overall the sheet is left uneaten. After 2 hrs I just pull the seaweed out (about 95% still remaining) and throw it away.
I have a tang that I thought would enjoy this stuff, but he doesn't bother w/ it.
Is there anything I can do to make them eat more greens?

 

[dory36]

Have you tried putting some garlic on your sheets? That might entice them to eat it.

 

[slammy16]

It took my Purple tang about a week to eat my seaweed sheets. Now he loves em, he doesnt eat it all at once it takes him a few hours. I just rip off a small section about a inch wide and maybe 2-3 inches long and he comes a runnin for it.

 

[euphoria]

What specific fish eat this stuff?
I have a powder blue tang, clown, coral beauty angel, anthias, fiji blue damsel. They do pick at it a few times, trying to bite away pieces, but that's about it. They just leave it almost untouched.
I don't leave the sheet there more than 2 hours. Is that too short/too long?
And if I can't get them to eat this, are there substitutes I can feed? I do feed formula 2 also.

 

[slammy16]

Your Powder blue should definatley like the seaweed. Im not sure but, it sounds to me like he might reallly be the only one that really would eat it. I leave mine in all day if my purple tang doesnt finish it off my mexican turbos come over and have a gourmet feast.

 

[tizzo]

Another thing to consider is which brand are you using?? I have used, and am still til I get rid of it, the Julian Sprung Sea Veggies... The fish don't like it nearly as much as the Marine Seaweed selects and my snails don't touch it!! Another good brand, IMO, is Seaweed salad by San Fransisco Bay Brand. My clown eats it too. Not sure the diet of your other fish.

 

[euphoria]

I use Seaweed Selects. I feed them red ones one day and green ones next day. Is it ok to leave this stuff in the tank all day or will it cause problems w/ water quality?

 

[lion_crazz]

It should be fine to leave them in the tank all day. That is what I do with my lawn mower blenny when I feed him the sheets of nori. Also, I have found that the fish will eat it much more if you make it natural for them. My lmb never ate it off of a clip but once I started giving it to him under a piece of small rubble rock he eats it all the time now.

 

[blemmy_guy]

Your Coral Beauty should eat it also, both my coral beauty and flame angel love the seaweed. It also took mine about a week to coming around to it. Now they love it.
todd

 

[euphoria]

What if I break them into small bitesize pieces and feed it w/ their regular food. I think that way they'll eat it.
What u think?

 

[tizzo]

Does your tang graze on the liv rock?? Cause he may not even need that algae sheets. Those are usually a supplements for those who have no other algae in the tank. (Lucky me, I got a little hair outbreak. ) What else do you feed them?

 

[cbarnes]

I leave my sheet s in for the day---also my guys don't like certain clips.

They will only eat off the green clip and not the blue. But since most veggie eaters are "grazers" I have found that if I leave the SW in w/ them they will come and nibble all day on it. Just my experience. Good Luck
CMB