Help With My Tangs

[Huggyjd]

I recently aquired 2 baby tangs. one is a naso and the other is a yellow. They are the best of buds and are inseperable. The problem is they are both chicken fish. They hide everytime i feed so they are not eating anything but junk off my live rocks. They are so skiddish that if you even go up to the tank they both run for cover!! Just the quick movement of my other fish during the feeding period just freaks the two tangs out and they hide.What can i do to get these two to eat? I have had them both for two weeks now. Ive tried differant kinds of food but the fish are just chicken and hide. All i have are 2 blue chromis, 1 royal gramma and a lawnmower blenny so there is nothing in my tank that bothers them.

 

[jeffbrig]

Throw in a decent amount of food all at once, and step away from the tank. A skittish fish will normally hide from you when you walk up, but a hungry fish will quickly emerge to eat once the threat (you) is gone. In time your fish will get over that, and start to recognize you as a source of food. After that, they will be more comfortable at feeding time.

After the first few weeks, my achilles would eat nori out of my hand when I was trying to put it in his feeding clip.

 

[ShipMate]

Jeffbrig is right.

 

[Huggyjd]

I PUT A CLIP IN WITH DRIED SEAWEED BUT THEY ARE BOTH CHICKEN TO GO NEAR IT OR THEY ARE IGNORANT TO THE FACT THAT ITS FOOD.

 

[ShipMate]

frozen foods, flakes ...then clipped seaweeds.

 

[montana]

Have you tried mysis or brine shrimp if you have try turning off your filtration add the food then step away for 30 min.

 

[Huggyjd]

even when i leave , just the fast action of my other fish feeding scares the crap out of the tangs. They finally come back out after the other fish calm down and of course, all the food is gone then!

 

[hopper]

I agree with turning the pumps off and stepping away after putting the food in. Also try a full dropper of selcon in the food and this should entice them to come out and eat. Also take some garlic and put it on the dried seaweed that you hang out for them. I use a little small spray bottle and spray the garlic on the seaweed just before putting it into the tank. Supposedly the garlic will help entice them to eat and also is a preventative for ich. Never had ich so it must work.

 

[Huggyjd]

Thanks to all .Sure hope something works . otherwise its a slow death of starvation!

 

[The_Reef _Man]

How big is your tank?

 

[JENnKerry]

In my personal opinion I feel that younger fish tend to be more skittish. My powder blue was a little less than 2" when I got him and I would get really ticked off when I would go up and try to look at him. All he would do is hide. Now he comes up to me every time I look at the tank and literally begs for food. He's now about 5 to 6 inches.
Also, keep in mind that most fish, in time will learn to know that you hold the food

 

[Huggyjd]

My tank is a 150

 

[Mandolynn]

Try slowly putting a turkey baster filled with frozen food up to their mouths. You have to do this slowly, or at least try to get it in the general vicinity. That is what I do for my skiddish and bottomfeeders. Hope this was usefull.