Out of ideas.

[tony_3a]

Ok so i picked up a goldrim tang and a sailfin tang about 2 weeks ago and they were doing well but now the sailfin has really bad ich and the gold rim has a couple spots.

The big problem is, they wont eat anything i try to feed them other than this weird plant stuff i got from my lfs where i bought the fish from, problem is she is out of it! I have tried everything, nori, lettuce, different types of flake food even pc mysis. They will eat nothing. The swim around the tank grazing on the rocks and such but the problem is my tank is only about 3 months old so theres not a lot for them to eat. I think the ich was kept at bay for the first week cause they were eating a lot now they are not getting as much food and starting to break out.

I really need some ideas on what to feed them or how to get them to eat.

Thanks a lot
tony.

[marie]

Have you tried a fresh clam? you can get them at the grocery store(crack it open for them first). You can also wrap some Nori around some small rocks

[Leah]

Have you tried soaking the food in Garlic Extreme.

[Zoaelite]

Originally Posted by Leah

Have you tried soaking the food in Garlic Extreme.

+1
Garlic additives (and selcon) will entice the fish a bit more towards eating, I'm a little confused as to there pickyness though usually tangs are pretty good.

You might have an undersized tank which could be causing stress, if you're only at 3 months in a 69g with your bioload I'm not surprized to see Ich. Any way you can return the sailfin, a 70g will be to small for the little guy when he is full size. I also read that you will be adding a regal to the bunch, IMO 1 tang in a 69g is to much let alone 3. Naesco where aree yooouuu?

[tony_3a]

hey sorry i should of stated i upgraded to a 90 reef ready, i know thats not a whole lot better. Also i am soaking all the food in garlic extreme and they are still not interested. I know the 90 is a bit small but in the future after my wedding and all that **** is paid for wife said i can put whatever size of tank i want in the basement, so this tank is only for the time being. Also I took about 30 pounds of lr out of the main display and put it in the sump to make more swimming room for them while they are growing and as for the regal, im going to be holding off for a couple months to let everything stabilize.

I have tried everything you guys have said so far and im just at a loss. I dont understand why they wont eat anything other than this weird plant stuff i got from the lfs.

[Zoaelite]

What sort of frozen foods are you feeding? The problem with Ich is that it really only effects fish with a compromised mucous coating. Once the parasite and any other extraneous factors cause the fish to stop eating it's very tough to turn it around. Have you tried soaking regular nori in selcon? If that doesn't work I would try brine shrimp or some other frozen.

Also put the rock from your sump back in the main tank, fish will be less stressed with more hiding places. Plus if there not eating your food the extra live rock makes for good snacking.
Levi

[naesco]

Originally Posted by tony_3a

hey sorry i should of stated i upgraded to a 90 reef ready, i know thats not a whole lot better. Also i am soaking all the food in garlic extreme and they are still not interested. I know the 90 is a bit small but in the future after my wedding and all that **** is paid for wife said i can put whatever size of tank i want in the basement, so this tank is only for the time being. Also I took about 30 pounds of lr out of the main display and put it in the sump to make more swimming room for them while they are growing and as for the regal, im going to be holding off for a couple months to let everything stabilize.

I have tried everything you guys have said so far and im just at a loss. I dont understand why they wont eat anything other than this weird plant stuff i got from the lfs.

It is never a good idea to add a fish with the idea that you are going to move up in the future. Things change, marriage, divorce, unemployment, a move etc.

If you have a gold rim tang A. nigricans (it does not have orange on it like the powder brown tang A. japonica, remove it and take it back to the lfs. They should not be available for sale. For some reason this specie of tangs are almost impossible to keep (often refusing to eat).

Your tangs are algae eaters. Do as has been suggested.
Do not feed macro algae until the fish are treated.
Feed only garllic extreme or garlic extract soaked food as the idea is to get as much in the fish as possible. Feed very often. Dry food like spirulina disks or pellets and nori is best as more garlic is absorbed.

In the future only stock one fish at a time one month apart. It avoids many water, cyno and algae issues.

[George]

You keep mentioning this weird plant stuff. What is it exactly? Do you still have the package? Can you call up the LFS and ask them what it is? Maybe other stores have them.
Tangs need constant feeding. Your new tank may not have enough algae to feed them. They need additional feeding.

[tony_3a]

ok, the plant that i got from lfs was called calupra or something. Im trying mysis shrimp or whatever. I put some rock back into the tank but theres like 70 pounds in there and ive made tonnes of places for them to hide. Im going to try calling around to get some of that plant i really dont wanna lose these guys. I also am going to set up a hospital tank but i have no clue how the hell im going to catch them in my tank.

[fsjman]

add garlic to the tank and turn your heat up to about 81 or so I have two yellow, sailfin ,regal,miki,and brown tang in my 150 and had a ich outbreak at the first. I poured a full bottle of garlic in the tank and turned up the heat and have not had a sign of ich ever since .... ich hate the garlic . also my tank stunk of garlic till my first water change but they all lived also buy some Ocean Nutrition seaweed select with garlic added the tangs I have liked the brown algae the best Good luck