Powder Blue

tango · 07-02-2003, 10:06 AM

I just added a new addition to my tank, a powder blue tang.This is my first one ,he gets along great with the clowns,damsels, and mimic tang,but what should I try feeding him .He doesn't seem to like flake or frozen food yet like the rest of the fish in the tank.He has only been picking off the gravel bed ,don't think thats going to be enough?But maybe it's because he's only been in the tank for 12hours or so.What do you guys think.Thanks!

Geoff · 07-02-2003, 10:18 AM

PBT's are notorious for not getting to eat. it is a good sign that it is interested in something in the tank. all i can say is through anything that could resemble food into the tank and see what it likes to eat. nori is a good thing to try. also try the gambit of live foods.

see if you can see what it is picking at on the gravel. maybe that could give you an idea on food.

good luck,

G~

Dipstick · 07-02-2003, 11:08 AM

I'd say stick with Nori and other marine alga products!!! You might also conseder soaking the food in Selcon or other vitamin mixes.

Dipstick

MyReef · 07-02-2003, 11:18 AM

I feed my PBT mysis, frozen brine plus, nori, and a number of other things...he eats everything.....here is a pic of him about a month ago or so.....fat and happy!

tango · 07-02-2003, 11:24 AM

Thanks guys ! I'm going to go shopping tonight.

I'm sure to find something he likes.

PaintGuru · 07-02-2003, 11:37 AM

Good luck, I tried one and failed. He did like mysis and nori quite a bit. Watch out for the ich outbreaks.

MammaDuck · 07-02-2003, 12:42 PM

I heard that garlic can stimulate a fish's appetite. . .

Stoney Reef · 07-02-2003, 02:25 PM

They are very hard to get eating, but once they start, they never stop. I actually built my tank around one. I had a tank crash early on. So when I got it running again, I left it completely empty except for some surviving corals clams and some inverts. It was getting to the point that the algae was taking over, and the pods were going to mutiny from over crowding. I then added my PBT and my leopard wrasse. Neither ate prepared foods for a week. But I could see them picking at the rocks and eating. I tried every frozen food, prepared food and live food you could imagine to stimulate their feeding. Finally one day they ate mysis. From then on, they would take anything frozen. Took another month or two before he would take nori. He will only eat green nori, he will not eat any other kind. He will not eat macro etc etc.

I did initially run a UV for 3 months afterwards. He has had two spot of what I thinki was ich one day, but never really did know. He nibbles on frozen cube right out of my hand now.

He has been a real challenge, because they are very aggressive, harrassed my poor lawn mower blenny for weeks before he would let me be out in the open. He will harass ANY fish I try to put in there!

Keep trying, but really I think you have to have a tank free of other inhabitants and high natural food population to get him adjusted to the tank so he will start eating.

rcassidy · 07-02-2003, 05:13 PM

Andy - Good to see the PBT is doing so well. He looks GREAT!!!

I feed my PBT Nori in the morning, Kent Marine Pellets in the afternoon (All my fish love that stuff for some reason) and a combination of Formula One, Two, Mysis Shrimp, all soaked in Garlic in the afternoon. He looks great too 1.5yrs old.

I actually cut back is food about 8 month ago as it was starting to look as wide as a cow fish. He's just a plain old PIG. If I put 5 sheets of Nori in a day, My money is on him eating it all.....

Cheers,
Ryan