Best way to "fatten" up a fish?

[chrissreef]

I bought a somewhat skinny tang... how do I "fatten" him up? (he's in a QT tank with a rabbit fish - no algae in the QT tank)

He will not eat Spectrum pellets or frozen mysis

He will eat:
Nori
Omega 1 veggie flakes
Spirulina enriched brine/mysis
Emerald Entree

I've had him about 2 weeks now and give him and a rabbit 1 cube of one of the above and a 2" piece of Nori daily. I want him fatter b4 introducing my fat hippo tang to him.

Thanks!

 

[thor32766]

nori everyday as you have been doing along with romaine. Romaine has worked wonders for me.

 

[Kolognekoral]

Chris,

you feeding the right foods, but go light on the protiens, such as mysis and artemia. I feed a lot of vegi flake food to my Zanclus and he fattened right up.

 

[chrissreef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12671201#post12671201 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kolognekoral
Chris,

you feeding the right foods, but go light on the protiens, such as mysis and artemia. I feed a lot of vegi flake food to my Zanclus and he fattened right up.

Why light on the proteins? Every vegitarian I know is skinny... =P

I'll start soaking everything in Selcon today as well

 

[Kolognekoral]

Hey, I'm a vegetarian! Well, yeah, I'm not fat. But that aside, Acanthids are very vegetarian, about 90% of the diet is algaes, and their digestive systems are not designed to handle large amounts of protiens. Also, although many people do feed it, land vegis are not advisable for the same reason, the digestive system has trouble with them. Different structures. of course, an occaisional bit of banana doesn't hurt, it just shouldn't be more than a supplement to the main diet.

As to vitamin supplements, I find them overrated. I rarely use them and have extremely healthy and long-lived tank inhabitants. I'm not knocking them totally, but they are far from a magic bullet and are hard on the liver. Yes, fish have a liver.

 

[sjj80]

I've gotten my tangs to fatten up by adding Vitachem to the tank, it's good for them and it seems to stimulate their appetite. I also add it to algae sheets and then feed once it's dried.

 

[LargeAngels]

Key is as many small feedings as possible. Most fish we have in our aquariums graze all day long. They don't eat one or two big meals. So the more smaller meals the better.

 

[SDguy]

IME I've had terrible luck fattening up tangs of various species using only nori. They can come in very skinny after all that shipping, with no fat reserves at all. If it eats flake, get some good quality flake food and feed it small amounts VERY often throughout the day.

 

[snorvich]

+1 with Peter. Yes flake is very nutritious.

 

[LisaD]

if he is eating well, including nutritious flake, and stays skinny, he may have internal parasites. consider prophylactic deworming.

 

[cl2ysta1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12676031#post12676031 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
IME I've had terrible luck fattening up tangs of various species using only nori. They can come in very skinny after all that shipping, with no fat reserves at all. If it eats flake, get some good quality flake food and feed it small amounts VERY often throughout the day.

i second that

 

[Kolognekoral]

If you suspect worms, crush a garlic clove into the flake before feeding. Works very well against most internal parasites.

 

[SDguy]

Curious, do you all suspect that tangs may be more susceptible to getting internal worms while in holding facilities since they, let's face it, like to eat other fish's poop? Something that just crossed my mind.....

 

[Kolognekoral]

Peter,

that may well be a correct conclusion! I have purchased many Tangs and Centropyge that wouldn't gain weight until I treated them for worms. As they obviously survive on the reef, they must get infected during the capture-sales period. Would make sense, as shipments of fish are often quarantined together in large tanks. The chance of a fagovore getting infected are extremely high.

 

[sunfish11]

The best way I have found to fatten up a new fish is to feed them a lot, LOL. When I add a new fish I feed 3-4 times per day. For tangs and other algea eaters including angels etc, keep some kind of nori or other seaweed available for them. I haven't had any worm issues that I am aware of, but I also feed new fish fresh garlic to help with internal parasites. I don't feed garlic much once fish are established. I don't think it is good to feed it every day because it may cause possible liver damage if you over do it.

Lisa

 

[chrissreef]

will that seachem garlic guard work just as well or does it need to be actal garlic?

does this method work as well as meds?

 

[LisaD]

does garlic really work against intestinal parasites? I thought that was an old-wives tale. I know it can help stimulate appetite, but not sure about any true medicinal value.

Chris, I think the Seachem product would be fine. I believe it is equivalent to actual garlic (it's garlic extract = juice).

 

[Kolognekoral]

Lisa,

I've been using it for some years and found it can work wonders, especially for newly imported fish. There are a few active compunds in garlic that boost the immune system and are toxic to parasites. This said, there are a few onion varieties marketed as garlic, but not all belong to the species Allium sativum, which, in fact, is a selected form of A. longicuspis, a wild onion. The origin is now lost, but it has been cultivated for at least 10,000 years.

The reports that garlic helped cardiovascular ailments is incorrect. This has led to many disregarding its additional benefits.

This does not mean it is a magic bullet, by any means, but it can be very helpful and is easily obtainable. I don't know a kitchen without it....but then, I live in Europe!

 

[sunfish11]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12685210#post12685210 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrissreef
will that seachem garlic guard work just as well or does it need to be actal garlic?

does this method work as well as meds?

I like actual garlic best because many think that one of the main beneficial chemicals (allacin sp?) loses it's benifits after only a day once garlic is stored. If I don't have fresh then I use the juice from the minced garlic that you get in the produce section at the grocery store. Cheaper...

Lisa

 

[zuzecawi]

As an alternative to constant nori, you might want to check out your local asian market for fresh ogo (gracilaria) and for other varieties of dried kelp and seaweed. I've had great luck with dulse and wakame alternated with nori, and a seaweed I don't know the name of, but it comes packaged as a giant disc (a seaweed frisbee). I also have a good couple varieties of ogo growing in my sump and main tank. You can never underestimate the power of live, fresh food... eating nori might well be the equivalent of subsisting on beef jerky and dried apples all the time.