New PBT taking pellets within 4 hours?

[kpiotrowski]

got some livestock in today from live aquaria and must say they all arrived very active. 12 clowns, diamond watchman, 3 purple firefish and...a PBT! I was amazed to see how fast they all aclimated and that the tang went straight to grazing on the brown algae all over the pvc and glass walls of the quaratine tank. because the tang was so active and feeding I put in a veggie clip with nori and he was nipping at it in a few minutes ( I should add he looks pretty healthy and not starved). So then I get the bright idea to drop a few NLS pellets in and he took them and swallowed without even sampling.

My question is, is this peculiar ( in a good way) or are PBT's not fussy? regardless I am extatic that I at least know I can feed him!

 

[leebca]

PBTs are generally difficult to keep alive for more than a year. Many die to get the one to you, that you now have. They are generally difficult to acclimate to captivity and slow to get acclimated. Most are sensitive to water quality, needing the best to extend their life.

I'd say you are very lucky so take advantage of that -- stop feeding pellets and get it eating large quatities of macro algae and sea foods!

 

[kpiotrowski]

Thanks Leebca. The pellets are New Life Spectrum Marine formula and the first 2 ingrediants are krill and herring...what are your thoughts on this brand and variety?

 

[leebca]

Pellets and flake foods require a binding agent to hold them together when they enter the water. Most of these products use wheat, wheat gluten, gluten or other land products as the binding agent(s). What else does it contain? Does it contain any of these? If it does, don't use it regularly. I put these kinds of foods into the one feeding every 21 feedings category (like gut loaded brine shrimp). If all it contains is items found in the sea, then use it.

I encourage all hobbyists to read the label for ingredients. There are no laws or controls over fish foods. The advertiser can write anything they want on the advertising -- so read the ingredient list. If one isn't available, ask for one and don't use it until you have one.

In many of my posts I repeatedly warn: Fish don't digest wheat products. These just pollute the tank and add to the potential the fish will develop intestinal disorders. Further, the bacteria the wheat does feed robs oxygen from the water that should be used by and saved for the good bacteria and the desireable marine life. Also, the wheat is part of the protein analysis. The hobbyist is being 'fooled.' This part of the protein percentage reported is not available nor is it utilized by the fish.

I have yet to read in the papers where a school of marine fishes have attacked a wheat field for food. I don't feed my tangs lettuce and I don't feed rabbits seaweed.

 

[Bosco83]

Are we talking about a Powder Blue or Powder Brown tang?

 

[kpiotrowski]

Powder blue...but the same prob applies to the Brown.

 

[mcoomer]

Pristine water, nori sheets for grazing, a varied diet of quality food, and a tank large enough for this fish to stretch its legs then you have a good shot of keeping one happy. As noted above, if it didn't come from the ocean don't feed it to your fish. I have an Achilles tang but the Powder Blue is one of my all time favorite marine fishes. Very exotic looks, very active in the tank. Beautiful creature.

Good luck,
Mike

 

[kpiotrowski]

Thanks, yeh I have a 50g macro display fuge with sea lettuce and gracarillia and plan to add many more species of edibles. Funny how the tangs would rather graze by scraping rock rather than taking chunks of marcos form veggie clips. I bet they get more protien from all the critters they pick up when grazing....should prob be classified as omnivores, just saying.

any suggestions for brands and varities of high qualtiy foods for tangs? how about macros? TIA!