Seaweed Sheets Question

[crzyfshygy]

I just purchased a clown tang, he is a juvi. About 2in long, a beautiful fish. This was his first full day in the tank. he has not eaten yet and I am afraid he will die due to being so young. He kinda hides which I know is normal at first. I was wondering if anyone uses the seaweed sheets with the clip that suctions to the tank for feeding and if anyone uses this method for tangs or even the clown tang. I really want him to be ok.. :help:

 

[tizzo]

I think pretty much everybody who has a tang (or other algae grazer) uses algae sheets. Either on the clip or rubberbanded to a rock...

 

[crzyfshygy]

I placed the sheets in there about 3 hrs ago and Neither one of my tangs touched it......the clown and a hippo. They are both very young! Should I leave the sheet in there over night so they can try in the morning. Or should I take it out and put a new one in tommorow morning. I wanted to leave it in there for when I go to work. Also will these sheets degrade water quality?

 

[tizzo]

So, I just checked out your "profile" and it says you have an 11 gal and a 37 gal...PLEASE tell me you have another tank you forgot to mention!!
Even though your fish is a juvi, it still requires swimming space!! Lack of space is a big issue with tangs, even small ones. Your's is predicted to grow...pretty much the length of your tank!
Your fish is "very active; needs lots of unobstructed swimming room and clean, highly oxygenated seawater. Young, emanciated specimens are most commonly available but are difficult to revive."
ref.Marine Fishes by Scott W. Michael, p376

 

[angelofish]

Itll should do ok after adjusting to the tank surroundings and avoiding harrasment. Tangs need a good amount of plant matter in their diets. After getting comfortable the Tang will associate the clip with food and will eat whatever you put on it.Try to keep the clip in the same spot so the little guy will no where to eat.
EDIT: I agree.Tangs need swimming space .Two Tangs in a small space might fight and cause each other stress. With stress comes health issues.

 

[tizzo]

Oh and yeah they will degrade water quality if they remain in the tank long enough to decay. I'd say about 16 hours is good before you should remove it. The package says 24 hours, but have you ever smelled those things after 24 hours!! YUK!

 

[crzyfshygy]

You might be right...in fact you probably are....but I was hoping to try and control the growth. There is only 3 fish in the tank...8 months or so from now I will go to a 100gl but I think he will be fine. The LFS guy asked me how big my tank was he said it was good that it wasent a big tank because he said I would probably never see him again. I can hold 17 inches of fish in my tank. The max this one gets is 11 and he will not grow that in 8 months...if he does I will find a better home for him. He seems happy and swimms and gets along well with the others, he just has not eaten yet.

 

[tizzo]

ummm...somebody lied to you...
Your fish can grow to potentially 15 inches, and where in the world did you get your tank can hold 17 inches of fish?? LFS guy?? Since you are getting a new tank, shoot for a 180, cause that's what that fish will need. I hope he does OK for you, but just cause he's a tang, I don't think he will. But I hope he does!! Tangs are my favorite fish!

 

[crzyfshygy]

2 inches for each 4 gallons. 17 is an estimate bit that is in every aquarium book I have read! Are the experts wrong???? Where do you get your info?

 

[crzyfshygy]

These things are funny....I wish there was a policy and procedure manual on this hooby ya know. So there was no opinions just good great facts. All tanks are different all fish and corals are different. Some people love sally light foots and say they are reef safe and some say the exact opposite. Mine attacted fish and tried to munch my coral.

 

[teal93]

for what bit of knowledge I have, I seem to have good luck with soaking seaweed sheets in Kent Marine's Garlic Xtreme. My tang seems to like it, and eat a lot better, also suppose to help in preventing HLLE.

 

[tizzo]

Originally Posted by crzyfshygy
2 inches for each 4 gallons. 17 is an estimate bit that is in every aquarium book I have read! Are the experts wrong???? Where do you get your info?

I have about a million books and not one of them says 1 inch per 2 gallons.
'Cept in my freshwater ones...
I wouldn't call whoever wrote those books "experts", I would call them lucky that their brother was a publisher.

Ah, this could go on forever...yet another "great debate". You do 1 inch per 2 gallons, I'll do 1 inch per 7, somebody out there will do 1 per 10...
If your fish are happy and your filtration can handle it then were all good!! :joy:

 

[vtecbro007]

Originally Posted by Tizzo
You do 1 inch per 2 gallons, I'll do 1 inch per 7, somebody out there will do 1 per 10...
If your fish are happy and your filtration can handle it then were all good!! :joy:

i like that and i agree ive seen 8 tangs in a 55 and 6 5''ers in a 100

 

[vtecbro007]

all happy too

 

[mishelly00]

I am still new at this but I have learned not to listen to my LFS. I saw a beautiful clown tang and manderine......I was told they would be great and they are easy to take care of.....Well I brought the clown tang and Manderine home and went online and I almost died when I read about both of these fish.....YEAHHHHH great fish for a beginner.. I started reading about the clown tang and wow.....most sites said they are very difficult and many said they are for experts only...... My water quality was great he seemed happy the first day....Day 2 came and he still wouldn't eat never mind it was acting weird...Well I lost that poor fish. I don't know if it was the oxygen in the tank or what...My manderine lived for 3 months off of frozen food then stopped eating and also passed on... Now I have 2 tanks and research everything and all has been great.......People on this site have helped me very much so you should listen to them(well a lot of them)

...I don't know what books you are reading but I think you should burn them. Sorry :happy: I hope your clown does well...I wish mine did. Good luck. If he starts not looking well bring it back to the store fast. Good Luck

 

[oreo12]

Ok once again they go from answering a ? with talk about tank size. Yes my yellow tang loves the sheet stuff after reding on another site about some from my food store in the oreanal section and My Tang likes it the best starts eating it befor I can get it in the clip. Hope this helps and you get the tang eating.

 

[porcpuf]

Originally Posted by crzyfshygy
These things are funny....I wish there was a policy and procedure manual on this hooby ya know.
Saltwaterfish.com message boards

 

[mr_bill]

I was told 3" fish for every 10 gallons, however I'm only looking at 3x3.5" fish for my 55gallon. Going for simplicity here, and less headaches.

 

[jjlittle]

Tangs love those sheets and I hear they should be given them at least twice a week unless there is alot of vegatation in the tank for them to feed on. I feed mine twice a week and he is doing awsome :joy: :joy: :joy: :joy:

 

[tizzo]

Originally Posted by oreo12
Ok once again they go from answering a ? with talk about tank size. .

You don't think that if a fish is not happy in his environment, that not eating would be a way for him to express that?? You think that the fish just decides to stop eating for no appearant reason at all and we shouldn't even TRY to troubleshoot why? Fish stop eating for a reason. Stress! Finding the cause of that stress can be as simple as "the move" or as difficult as a bacterial infection" but it shouldn't be ignored and a specific tank size is recomended on pretty much every species of fish for a reason.
"Yeah, tangs love algae sheets." Would that have been the correct reply?? Everybody knows tangs love algae. Crzyfshguy said his wasn't eating, so tank size would be worth mentioning in this case.