Yellow Tang wanting to eat carnivore

[Damsel13]

food.

I asked you Lee before about feeding veggies and not letting my Tang (yellow) eat too much meat. Would you think I should look for "live macro algae in different colors" stuff that is marine algae? Could you suggest a flake food that is based all on vegggies? This is only until I can provide my Tang with live marine macro algae.

Thanks in advance,

 

[The Apprentice]

Nori

Hi Deb have you tried going to a Asian food market and bought some Nori This is used in wrapping up certain sea foods Its cheaper than buying it from a LFS and It seem to work very well they have 3 different kinds of sea weed we buy locally red, brown & green my tangs love all three I just change it up for them..

food.

I asked you Lee before about feeding veggies and not letting my Tang (yellow) eat too much meat. Would you think I should look for "live macro algae in different colors" stuff that is marine algae? Could you suggest a flake food that is based all on vegggies? This is only until I can provide my Tang with live marine macro algae.

Thanks in advance,

 

[leebca]

Deb,

Unfortunately, our captive marine fishes learn what to eat from what is provided. It becomes harder and harder to 'convince them' to eat different foods the longer they are eating the foods we serve.

Have you tried different presentations? Moving the sheet algae around on the bottom, on the rocks, on the decorations?

Depending upon the age of the fish and how much it remembers its life from the wild, will determine whether it will respond to live macro algae. If the fish currently picks at the rocks and aquarium side walls as if scraping off algae or micro lifeforms, then there is still hope to convince it to eat macro algae.

Almost all 'herbivore' flake foods that I know of contain land products and some animal products. Sorry about that. Many begin with fish meal, salmon, and/or krill as the main ingredient. But you can get a flake food that says it is for herbivores, that is at least green to help in transitioning the fish.

Probably the most 'veggie' of the flake is Julian Sprung's Mixed Seaweed Flakes. After this, it is a grab bag. Still, those with fish flesh (and land products) can perhaps get the fish used to eating some foods with veggies in it. You can try spirulina flakes (made by about anyone, like Omega One or Ocean Fresh).

Have you tried different brands of the dried macro algae? I would try everything, in different presentations, just to get the fish started. I would only avoid nori. As a human food it sometimes contains preservatives, flavor enhancers, flavorings, and/or additives and unfortunately, these may not be listed on the package ingredients list (or if it is, it may be written in another language). Still, anything goes when trying to get the fish to eat. It's just that some of what you offer will be temporary.

 

[Damsel13]

Julian Sprung's Mixed Seaweed Flakes. Spirulina flakes. I was wondering if I dried the Two fishies veggies were dried, not cooked maybe they would stay together better?

 

[leebca]

Sorry Deb. I don't understand your question. Some typos maybe? What are you having trouble keeping together? The sheets of algae? Have you tried others? like Ocean Nutrition sheets?

 

[Damsel13]

I have been feeding dried seaweed by Two Fishes but it keeps falling apart. Seems like a better product than Nori but at least nori does not fall apart in 5 minutes.

Sorry about the other post I was trying to hurry and my keyboard is acting up .

 

[NaH2O]

Deb - I feed the Sprung's SeaVeggies (alternate between the green and purple), and what I've found to work well is to fold the sheet up into a small square and clip it. It doesn't fall apart as easily. Are you just clipping the sheet and letting it flap in the current? If you are, then try folding it up.

Hope this helps!

 

[scytale]

I also use Julian Sprung's sheets (not stocked by my LFS-es, but found at a Petco)....it is a very durable product--does not dissolve into bits.

I attach small strips of the "veggies" around a small cube of clear acrylic (bought at my LFS).

The cube hangs in the middle of the tank via a short piece of monofilament (yes, I use "fishing line"--deliberate attempt at irony ).
Anyways, the cube/seaweed sheet sort of swings around in the currents--the motion of the sheet really jazzes up my shy yellow tang...

Maybe "hunting" veggies is more fun for lapsed vegans???

 

[Damsel13]

Thanks for the ideas. Great! I will try them.

 

[blind1993]

also can we feed our yellow tangs romaine lettuce.

 

[leebca]

Of all the land-based lettuces, Romaine lettuce is the best choice for our marine fishes. I want to be clear. It is still not nourishing enough. However, Romaine does contain the fats that the fish needs, just not in a high enough percentage. It's too low on the proper nutrition. If the fish will eat this, then it is far better to get it to eat the macro marine algae.

 

[blind1993]

well that is my game plan intill i get a refugium and then i can grow my owm macro alage so taht i can feed them with it. and that will be probably a year. so for now it is sea weed and romaine lettuce and if it wants to eat the flakes it can eat those also.

 

[DonW]

Of all the land-based lettuces, Romaine lettuce is the best choice for our marine fishes. I want to be clear. It is still not nourishing enough. However, Romaine does contain the fats that the fish needs, just not in a high enough percentage. It's too low on the proper nutrition. If the fish will eat this, then it is far better to get it to eat the macro marine algae.

Pesticides are another issue and most cannot be just rinsed off. If youve ever lived on a farm or seen how romain fields are maintained you woudnt be puting it in your tank. My tangs are not very fond of the clip. I use a scrap piece of acrylic. I rubberband the the nori to the acrylic and hang it by fishing line. There is one at each end of my tank so all the tangs can eat without agruing. Its in the center of the tank away from the glass so they dont have to be bothered by people.

Don

 

[blind1993]

i just use a small pipe and rubber band it to that and let is go to the bottom and my tang eats all the sea weed in 5 min it is amazing it eats like a horse.

 

[kevin1000]

Some tangs have grown used to eating "meat" and won't readily accept veggies ... when I have encountered that problem I have started to soak the meat in selcon and then after the fish start to associate the selcon smell with food I have followed up with nori soaked in selcon. I am pretty sure that you could soak the food in garlic or just about any other nutrition enhancing supplement.

 

[leebca]

Good information about the pesticides. I just never use Romaine because it is not as nutritious as it 'should be' for marine fishes.

You really can't get the pesticides off? What about prepared/packaged marine fish foods that say they contain Romaine? Do you think then those foods have pesticides in them? Do you think the same would apply to carrots they put in? (The carrots are below ground and not coated with pesticides?), and peas (they are protected from pesticides being in pods)?

I work with a lab that analyzes my water when I want/need it. They do work for many of the aquariums west of the Mississippi. But the lab says all these aquariums ask for is analysis for pesticides in their source water.

 

[leebca]

blind1993,

It was also my plan to raise my own macro algae. The problem is I have 8 herbivores (Tangs and Rabbitfish) and a couple of omnivores (Moorish Idol, etc.) that eat the macro algae.

They eat the algae it takes me to grow in a month, in about 2 days. I love giving them 'fresh greens' but I can't produce nearly enough. :|

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Lee, time for a monster fuge!

 

[leebca]

Don't think I haven't thought about that. I wonder if it would grow in a kiddie pool outside? So. CA sun is pretty strong. I wonder if it can handle 40F during the winter?

 

[DonW]

Good information about the pesticides. I just never use Romaine because it is not as nutritious as it 'should be' for marine fishes.

You really can't get the pesticides off? What about prepared/packaged marine fish foods that say they contain Romaine? Do you think then those foods have pesticides in them? Do you think the same would apply to carrots they put in? (The carrots are below ground and not coated with pesticides?), and peas (they are protected from pesticides being in pods)?

I work with a lab that analyzes my water when I want/need it. They do work for many of the aquariums west of the Mississippi. But the lab says all these aquariums ask for is analysis for pesticides in their source water.

Think about it this way. If you could just rinse of the pesticide so would the rain and even the irrigation sysem. Of course the surface is only part of the plant. Absorbsion is another issue. Leaves will absorb the chemicals and the roots uptake the ferilizers. Phoshates and nitrogen of course are another set that get added by the fertilizer. I guess you could go in search of pure organic veggies. Its a loose loose when we are trying to be so careful. Pestisides are probably a big issue down south with all the ground cover type farming (peanuts, watermellon .......) Not to mention ocra that is very prone to pest infestation and is grown all over the south.

Don

Don