Tang hasn't eaten yet!

[littlej2455]

I got a Sohal Tang over a week ago. He is about 5 inches long. I added him into my tank and my

[hr]
trigger "attacked" for a couple of days. I thought it was normal until I saw the sohal tang's rear fin starting to get eaten up with bits on it missing. The trigger fish has been leaving the tang alone now ever since the two days has passed. My tang still hasn't eaten though. He stays at the top of the tank and avoids all of my fish. If a fish gets near him, he will defend his territory and go after them. However, when I add food into the tank, he acts like he doesn't even recognize it. I have tried live mysis shrimp, frozen mysis shrimp with and without garlic, rods, veggie pellets, and seaweed. Does anyone have any suggestions to get him to eat? Am I doing anything wrong?

 

[kjr_trig]

I would find out what they were feeding him where you got him from. My Sohal adapted quickly to my captive diet, but there are picky Tangs out there. My Achilles took a long time to take to Mysis, he always preferred Brine Shrimp unfortunately. How big is the tank? Nobody is bothering him anymore? DO you have live rock and if yes is he picking at that?

 

[littlej2455]

I have a 125 gallon. No fishes are picking on him right now. I do not have any live rock, but I do have fake corals. He does not even get close to the corals to even look like he is trying to get algae off of them. He really just stays at the top and swims around, usually in front of one of my power heads.

 

[mantisman51]

That's pretty common behavior for any tang. My 5-6" blue hippo was the same way for a day or two until he got settled in. Now he eats just fine. Don't sohals have a spong-heavy diet?

 

[juniors04]

Originally Posted by littlej2455
http:///forum/post/3051279
I have a 125 gallon. No fishes are picking on him right now. I do not have any live rock, but I do have fake corals. He does not even get close to the corals to even look like he is trying to get algae off of them. He really just stays at the top and swims around, usually in front of one of my power heads.
Keep trying the seaweed both green and brown. Also you might want try and get a decent size piece of live rock with good life on it. He could nibble on it and hopefully get him eating.

 

[littlej2455]

Yeah it just worries me because it has been over a week and he has even knowledge that their is food in there.

 

[jackri]

Originally Posted by littlej2455
http:///forum/post/3051309
Yeah it just worries me because it has been over a week and he has even knowledge that their is food in there.
Took my blue hippo about 3 weeks to eat anything but seaweed... but he was fat to begin with and needed an eating partner -- my yellow tang. He wouldn't eat without his partner.. now 2+ months later he's a pig.

 

[littlej2455]

Thats good to hear that sometimes it takes a little longer. Now did you blue tang even recognize that there was food in the tank leading up to the three weeks? Because right now it seems like my tang doesn't even realize that I am putting food in the tank. Maybe if I add another fish into the tank, that might help.

 

[littlej2455]

Any other ideas? All of my water conditions are good, and I have been keeping up with my water changes. (10% every week)