Naso eating problem

[pandora32]

I bought a large 10-12" naso tang last thursday and i havent seen it eat anything since i put it in my tank. Ive tried various seaweeds from Rods Food as well as mysid shrimp and flakes and pellets. He seems interested in the seaweed and curious about the pellets. But never eats any of it. The mysid shrimp and the pellets he just ignores all together. How can i get him to eat? Hes a beautiful fish. Am i doing something wrong? All my other fish eat everything i put in. He just swims back and forth and protects my little yellow tang from my sailfin tang.I really need help with feeding him.

 

[leebca]

Getting a new acquisition to eat does sometimes pose problems. The simple truth is this: A new fish doesn't eat when it is stressed. All captive fish are stressed of course, but if this fish can't handle a little stress it may never eat. But, most fish do handle a little stress. The new fish is under extra stress. That is one reason to quarantine new fishes -- so they are not 'distracted' by other tank mates and can be targeted to settle in and eat.

Was the fish eating before you got it? Use the foods it was eating. Contact those you got it from.

One big stress on a fish of this size is tank size. This fish belongs in a 500 gallon aquarium. It needs major space. It travels more than 25 miles a day feeding in the wild. The next big stress is tank mates; then comes water quality. After this it is how the fish was acclimated. A fish of this size means it's an older fish. Old fish tend to just feed on a 'favorite' food in the wild. They are more picky in captivity and if they don't recognize their fav food, they don't eat. It's like, "You can't teach an old 'fish' new tricks."

At this point in time, getting the fish to eat anything is a plus, however in the future, stop feeding pellets and flakes except maybe for once every 21 feedings. Keep offering macro algae. Try a different brand. A Tang this size is almost a total herbivore -- only interested in eating algae. It will eat alot of algae and do major pollution! You might find some ideas in this post for getting your fish to eat: http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f15/my-new-fish-wont-eat-tips-36331/

Check water quality and improve it. Do a huge (over 80%) water change. Sometimes refreshing the water can get a fish eating. If the problem was how the fish was caught, handled, transported, or that it was incorrectly acclimated, there isn't much to be done, as is also true if the fish just refuses to acclimate. The fact that the fish is showing some interest in things around it, implies it isn't an acclimation issue.

Good luck!

 

[pandora32]

Everything i readhave said this fish need a tank @ 180-200 gallons, so ithe thought mine at 215 would be good. I drip acclimated him for 5 hours. He was eating a sheet of seaweed when i first saw him. Ill change some more water. Ive done 90 gallons so far. Maybe i should sell him then? You kept saying "algae". What kind are you speaking of? He looks healthy. Fat nothing visibly wrong. No nips on his tail or fins. Eyeys and gills look healthy. Just doesnt want to eat anything i put in.

 

[leebca]

By "algae" I mean macro sea algae. More info on what I mean is found in these two posts:
Macro Algae for Tangs

How to Feed Macro Algae to Marine Fishes

I'm afraid that seller's misleading the hobbyist regarding tank size is a given in this hobby. Other problems are those who give such recommendations (Internet and books) who may never have even kept such a fish, let alone one of this size. Fishes of that size are found in public aquariums of 500+ gallons and doing fairly well. The Tangs of that size, keep in mind, are food fishes. Locals eat fish of the size you are keeping in your tank. They are just too big for the hobby when reaching those size limits. I don't mean to discourage or appear to be judgmental. Just sharing information. In addition, if fed properly, that fish will continue to grow, pushing well beyond the limits of the aquarium it is currently in. Some things to consider regarding sizing is found in these posts:
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f15/what-size-tank-marine-fish-35511/

I'm not trying to start an argument, either. It's just that in the above linked post I hope to share why so much mis-information is spread around about 'the right' tank size. In this post, I try to give guidance:
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f15/fish-stocking-limit-fo-fowlr-29287/

Just take some time to read the above posts to get a bigger picture. The fish you have is regarded in some circles to be a 'show fish.' 'Show fish' comes from the tropical freshwater hobby mostly, and refers to (to some extent) a fish in its own tank, alone, displaying the grandeur of the species. From your description, I'd say the fish is a great looker. In the saltwater hobby though, these larger = older fishes are usually very set in their ways and not generally desired for the community tank. Have you tried feeding the exact same type of algae it was seen to be eating?

Good luck though with this guy. Hope things work out.

 

[pandora32]

Oh no. Dont misunderstand what im saying. Any REAL information is much appreciated. I read about the tank sizing in a book, looked around on the internet, couple "other" forums. I am goin to read ALL the links youve posted tonight when i get home. I wondeer if the seattle aquarium would want him...hmmm. I have seen and heard of people soaking their food in garlic. I know garlic helps their immunity but will it entice the fish to eat as well? Should i try that?

 

[leebca]

The use of garlic regarding feeding has been found to be inconsistant. It works -- sometimes. It's worth a try. What happens is that the main ingredient in garlic juice gets the fish 'excited.' Sometimes in this excited state, the fish will eat. But, it isn't a guarantee and doesn't always work like this. Sometimes the fish becomes aggitated or nothing happens. A down side is that the ingredient I'm referring to has a very short shelf life -- optimally, you'd make your own garlic juice and use it immediately.

 

[pandora32]

Thats what i was thinking about doing with one of my cloves of garlic. Just a little to see what happens.