feeding those little buggers - how much is too much?

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

Ha gee that's bad! I rescued a yellow tang that was as skinny as they get because the store did that exact same thing and kept them hungry so that they would eat when people would want so see them eat. That poor fish was so skinny that it took a month to fatten it up to decency.

This is BAD practice!

I'm sure if Ken noticed his fish were skinny he would increase feeding, most of the time every two days is fine, I've done this many times while watching over other tanks. Also a skinny fish doesn't always mean they are underfed and if it does it could have come in that way and it can take time to for it to become healthy again.

Technically speaking it's bad practice to purchase fish in bad health so who is really bad?

[Rbacchiega]

I guess it would also depend on how much food they are getting every second day. And just because there is no live rock in a display does not mean there cannot be things for the tangs to pick off of. I guess this is one of those agree to disagree situations. But I have heard nothing but good things about BWA so I would assume everyone can't be wrong

[daniella3d]

If you think that's fine, then why don't you do the same and feed your own fishes just every other day then??

Sorry I don't buy that, especialy for tangs who need to feed many times per day on nori. The tang I got did have plenty of time to get to the skin and bone condition and took nearly a month with nori all day long and many feeding per day to get back to health! It did not starve like that in one day, but the LFS had them long enough it seem.

the fish when I got it, absolutely no fat what so ever...just skin and bone. It was a rescue to buy it:



then after a month with good constant food..now a very different fish!:



that's sad to see a fish so skinny and I see them very often at LFS. You see them get in a nice batch of yellow tangs and after a few weeks they all look very skinny. And yes they do keep them that long often.

Originally Posted by reefwars

I don't think Ken means he starved fish so they eat for customers he's merely saying like all of us he feeds lightly and when someone asks to see it eats then it is happy too I think you do fine ken and have been there for feeding time and know they all eat the best they can

[sphelps]

Maybe before jumping to the conclusion that all LFS are the same perhaps you could ask people that have visited the LFS in question how healthy the fish within the store look.

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

If you think that's fine, then why don't you do the same and feed your own fishes just every other day then??

Sorry I don't buy that, especialy for tangs who need to feed many times per day on nori. The tang I got did have plenty of time to get to the skin and bone condition and took nearly a month with nori all day long and many feeding per day to get back to health! It did not starve like that in one day, but the LFS had them long enough it seem.

the fish when I got it, absolutely no fat what so ever...just skin and bone. It was a rescue to buy it:



then after a month with good constant food..now a very different fish!:



that's sad to see a fish so skinny and I see them very often at LFS. You see them get in a nice batch of yellow tangs and after a few weeks they all look very skinny. And yes they do keep them that long often.

Well if the lfs ou bought your tang fom is underfeeding or starving and you see a tang that you think needs " rescuing" then you've just placed a second order of tangs to be shipped in , rescuing fish from a lfs only drives them to get in more because you've created a demand Instead bring it to their attention butnever rescue fish , I'm sorry but it only makes problems worse. Personally I'd never buy a stressed starved tang it's asking for trouble and you got lucky as alotnof people don't who buy them in that state

Tangs don't get really anything fro
most of our rocks , they don't munch on the long stuff and don't get enough of the small stuff, they need a green diet like nori cnstantly to keep their energy hi as grazer they also do better with some red seaweed in between but can't rely on red alone they need green. Most tanga who eat nori all day quickly get fat it's just most aren't in lfs long enough and I one is there for a long time it's likely unhealthy and shouldn't be purchased. It's all part of selecting a healthy specimen and if you don't do this you have a ticking timebomb that will eat you alive cheers

[daniella3d]

Yes many lfs underfeed around here either so that the fish will eat in front of people or they will cut the cost of food or they will not have as much trouble keeping their system free of nitrates whatever.

The tang is very very healthy, it was just starving.

I rescued him because that fish had a great personality. Not something I would do again but I am still against the practice of feeding less just so that the fish will eat in front of people.

That's for me, your mileage may vary.

Originally Posted by reefwars

Well if the lfs ou bought your tang fom is underfeeding or starving and you see a tang that you think needs " rescuing" then you've just placed a second order of tangs to be shipped in , rescuing fish from a lfs only drives them to get in more because you've created a demand Instead bring it to their attention butnever rescue fish , I'm sorry but it only makes problems worse. Personally I'd never buy a stressed starved tang it's asking for trouble and you got lucky as alotnof people don't who buy them in that state

[Doug]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

Yes many lfs underfeed around here either so that the fish will eat in front of people or they will cut the cost of food or they will not have as much trouble keeping their system free of nitrates whatever.

The tang is very very healthy, it was just starving.

I rescued him because that fish had a great personality. Not something I would do again but I am still against the practice of feeding less just so that the fish will eat in front of people.

That's for me, your mileage may vary.

I,m with you on the feeding. Not lfs related but just on the topic of feeding our fish. I have always fed several times per day and always will. I doubt they eat once every second day in the wild. Esp. as you say, fish such as tangs and other grazers. I may not be the best sps coral keeper, but my fish have been something to behold.

I say, if you're going to keep fish that require more food then make sure the filtration process can handle it.

If not, then keep fish that can find much of their food in our tanks.

IMO, of course. :LOL:

[banditpowdercoat]

Once a day,sometimes 2 days for me