Help Sailfin Tang not eating

[EmilyB]

If there are other fish eating in the tank, it will catch on. If not, I just put an OSI spirulina stick on in the tank for a few days, even if the tang doesn't nibble, the stuff flakes off and you will see it catching it in the water flow. Some spirulina flake. Garlic on the mysis, and away you go. Nori is foreign unless someone else in the tank is eating it, so may take a while for it to catch on.

[tranvictor]

Originally Posted by Ruth

A couple of other things to look for:
- are there other aggressive tank mates that might be scaring him away from the food or intimidating him into not eating?
- have you got him in an appropriate size tank with good water quality? Either of these can make a fish feel not so great and they don't want to eat.

He is in a new 40 gal, just finished cycling 2 weeks ago, he and a small yellow tang are the only inhabitants. The yellow isn't picking on him, and the yellow is eating all foods offered. I will try garlic tonight.

[niloc16]

personally i would say that he is not eating because the tank is too small for him and the yellow tang and the yellow tang is probably keeping him from eating. just my opinion though

[phillybean]

I agree, with-out trying to sound like the Tang police, in a 40G even the yellow is too much, the poor salfin is most likely to stressed to eat. Return it to the LFS and getting something smaller asap, sooner or later you'll have bigger problems then him just not eating.

[naesco]

Originally Posted by phillybean

I agree, with-out trying to sound like the Tang police, in a 40G even the yellow is too much, the poor salfin is most likely to stressed to eat. Return it to the LFS and getting something smaller asap, sooner or later you'll have bigger problems then him just not eating.

Good advice, Philly