Feeding terrestrial greens to tangs

[Eric the half-bee]

What herbivores are you guys talking about? I am struggling to think of a single marine herbivore that I have ever owned. Sorry... had to get that off of my chest - tangs, as well as most other fish, are omnivores.

Very true jda. I pick up a dozen gulf shrimp live from my local bait shop and drop them in. My tangs devour them.

 

[baldwinaquaman]

true, but since wer'e talking about feeding herbivorous foods, to fish which mainly need herbivorous foods, it's clearly easier to just say herbivorous, although not technically true, let's get back on the topic. Why do most aquariums feed lettuce and suchness if it doesn't have hardly any nutritional value, to occupy the fish? I always thought that aquariums would only offer the best foods to their fish, but I guess this isn't true.

 

[MrTuskfish]

true, but since wer'e talking about feeding herbivorous foods, to fish which mainly need herbivorous foods, it's clearly easier to just say herbivorous, although not technically true, let's get back on the topic. Why do most aquariums feed lettuce and suchness if it doesn't have hardly any nutritional value, to occupy the fish? I always thought that aquariums would only offer the best foods to their fish, but I guess this isn't true.

I'll bet a lot of replies will say "the cost"; but I doubt that is a factor. I raised a lot of fish on veggies before all the algae & seaweed products were around and they did extremely well. I've gone back and now use about half marine products and half veggies (broccoli, turnip greens.) Like i said earlier; I believe most of the spiulina algae used in SW foods is grown in FW, same with mysis shrimp.

 

[baldwinaquaman]

So give me a list of some of the veggies you try, and i will go get some of them, and try half and hafl as well, to see what results I get.

 

[MrTuskfish]

So give me a list of some of the veggies you try, and i will go get some of them, and try half and hafl as well, to see what results I get.

I use turnip greens, broccoli, and occasionally; some zucchini. All softened in the freezer or blanched a little in water. (microwave)
BTW, Scott Michael recommends these foods for many fish (mostly tangs & rabbitfish) in his book 'Marine Fishes. I have a 2001 edition, there may be newer ones; but there were plenty of the nori-type foods around in 2001.

 

[baldwinaquaman]

do you feed the brocolli with the heads on it? seems like the it would get everywhere in the system?

 

[jefathome]

Someone told me to blanch the greens (Very quick dip in boiling water) to soften them up and not lose any vitamins. Anybody else do this?

I've been feeding my yellow tang and my SailFin tang Broccoli for quite a while. More nutrition than lettuce!!

I boil a little water and dunk the top of the "flower" in there for about 30 seconds then rubberband it to a feeding clip. The fish seem to love it.

 

[jefathome]

do you feed the brocolli with the heads on it? seems like the it would get everywhere in the system?

That is what I do...
Just take a small piece off the big "head" that you get in the store. Parboil it and then tie the stalk part to the clip or hang from the edge. The tangs will nip off just the little green balls from the ends of the flowerette. Hermits seem to love it as well, which is why I keep it off the bottom of the tank.