For those of you with fat tangs

[EdKruzel]

Thanks for the kind words

Although he is no longer in my care, I'm proud to be able to get such a difficult fish to such a healthy body size.

Well here comes the flames. While you wouldn't want an emaciated fish, an obese fish is not healthy. It was to your credit that you maintained that species and got it to eat so well, but in that picture it is simply fat and no longer in prime condition.

All tang species have a high metabolism and can cover tremendous areas of the reef grazing for their food. However in our tiny boxes of water they seldom get the exercise needed to burn off the high protein foods and especially that which contains elevated levels of HUFA's.

Unlike humans, fish grow their fat towards their innards, so when you see them as plump, it is really much fatter than what appears. That fat will begin to crush the organs and cause health issues.

 

[elegance coral]

Well here comes the flames. While you wouldn't want an emaciated fish, an obese fish is not healthy. It was to your credit that you maintained that species and got it to eat so well, but in that picture it is simply fat and no longer in prime condition.

All tang species have a high metabolism and can cover tremendous areas of the reef grazing for their food. However in our tiny boxes of water they seldom get the exercise needed to burn off the high protein foods and especially that which contains elevated levels of HUFA's.

Unlike humans, fish grow their fat towards their innards, so when you see them as plump, it is really much fatter than what appears. That fat will begin to crush the organs and cause health issues.

I'm not gonna flame. Just respectfully disagree. I've never seen an obese fish. I assume it may be possible, but it would be very very rare. Fish do store energy as fat, as you explained, in the upper portion of their internal organ cavity, but they also store vast amounts of energy in muscle. Right now you can see my tangs spine. Eventually, I'll fix this and you won't be able to see the spine. This will be due to muscle mass. Not the accumulation of fat. I can't see the stores of fat, inside the organ cavity, getting large enough to cause problems for internal organs. Do you have a link to show that this takes place?

Tangs, and most bony fish, have to have very elastic internal organ cavities. They often live a life of feast or famine. When food is plentiful, they must take advantage of it. To do so they must be able to take in large quantities of food at one time. They must be able to do this without causing damage to internal organs. Tangs also ingest sand or gravel of different sizes, depending on what's available in the environment. If it's larger grain size, they must be able to ingest it without causing damage to internal organs.

I've never seen, or heard of, a health complication from a fish getting to much to eat. I have seen many complications, illnesses, and death that stem from malnutrition, though.

I have seen no evidence, and have no reason to believe, that a well fed, and thick, tang is an unhealthy tang.

 

[EdKruzel]

EC,
For a better explanation you'll need to speak with Fenner or Michaels on this, but we're not talking about food expansion or a thick fish, the tang I observe in this is obese. There are numerous articles on obese aquarium specimens on the net. Some of the most notable diseases due to an excess of fat affects the liver and heart. Please think of any photo or documentary on wild tangs that appear as thick as a grouper; I doubt you can find one. Evolution has designed this animal for life in the wild and to be healthy. Take out predators and confine its ability to properly exercise and then hand feed it prepared foods. Excess weight will be gained and common sense dictates that's simply not healthy.

 

[ENTMogul]

That Powder blue needs the ocean equivalent of a treadmill

 

[Amoore311]

Have you seen the size/girth of powder blue tangs in the wild? My fish looks no different from the natural counterparts I have seen.

And it's funny you mention Bob F. when referencing my "obese" fish, since Bob has seen the exact picture posted here and had nothing but great things to say about how well he looked.

I've never seen, or heard of, a health complication from a fish getting to much to eat. I have seen many complications, illnesses, and death that stem from malnutrition, though.

I have seen no evidence, and have no reason to believe, that a well fed, and thick, tang is an unhealthy tang.

Big +1 to this.

 

[chercm]

i am trying to boost my powder blue too ....

 

[davelin315]

I feed Dainichi pellets and nori and have a unicorn, 2x dussumieri, powder blue, pacific blue, 2x yellow, and purple. I occasionally will feed PE mysis or fresh seafood. They graze all day long on the rock and I feed them 1x per day, sometimes every other day if I'm lazy. They are all healthy except for the zebrasomas which all have HLLE from a previous owner (purple) or a carbon accident (yellows from me). The unicorn has an issue that has been with it since it was about 1.5" in its head, but never diagnosed it and never bothered to treat it as it comes and goes and doesn't interfere with it at all. FYI, my largest tangs are all in the 8-10" range (dussumieri and unicorn) and all with the exception of the purple were grown from juveniles.

Curious, why do you say don't overfeed nori?

 

[JoshuaG]

Feed nori couple times a week, NLS pellets, mysis and flake day to day.

 

[elegance coral]

EC,
For a better explanation you'll need to speak with Fenner or Michaels on this, but we're not talking about food expansion or a thick fish, the tang I observe in this is obese. There are numerous articles on obese aquarium specimens on the net. Some of the most notable diseases due to an excess of fat affects the liver and heart. Please think of any photo or documentary on wild tangs that appear as thick as a grouper; I doubt you can find one. Evolution has designed this animal for life in the wild and to be healthy. Take out predators and confine its ability to properly exercise and then hand feed it prepared foods. Excess weight will be gained and common sense dictates that's simply not healthy.

Here's a tang in the wild. Is it obese? Sure ain't skinny.:beer: 43 seconds in
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RzAd1aregOI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Check out the fish in the center at about 42 to 44 seconds. It's facing the camera, at approximately the same angle that Amoore311's pic was taken.

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ylccIN-FnFg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Stanley-Reefer]

If you were a pbt in a world with a 14" sohal....you'd be advised to beef up too:beer:
I bet my pbt dreams of that against the sohal!!! LOTTA MONEY IN THAT PIC IF YOU HAD A BIG ENOUGH NET!!!!!

IME--if you pbt wants to eat--let it eat. It's when they stop problems begin.

My sohal is a good 1.25" wide if looking head on.

 

[ryanrid]

heres my lil achilles (2-2.5" in length) who is developing a pot belly

after 4 months of QT i give current diet.

7:30 AM - enricned frozen brine + small green nori sheet for the day
12:00 - NLS pellets (auto feeder)
6:00 PM - frozen mysis + small purple nori sheet for the day
9:00 PM - frozen brine spirulina

on weekends when i am home during the day i give additional 2-3 feeds of frozen

current tank mates - c.rosefacia (4") majestic angel (2.5") and female percula clown.

 

[Stanley-Reefer]

Good looking fish!

 

[curlykid]

wow!!! all these fat fish make me so jolly, idk why.

 

[Stanley-Reefer]

curly is that a 280z in the pencil sketching?

 

[curlykid]

i believe so, all i know is that it's a fairlady.

 

[coralreefhq]

Fat tangs are so awesome, definitely entices other tank mates to swim around more frequently. Knowing once the king is fed, so will their peasants!

 

[stewartms]

Remember, The camera adds 10lbs...

 

[Curious George]

^LOL

You guys might want to put on "10 Minute Abs" while you are gone during the day. These guys look like submarines. Great pics.