The Tang Debate
- Thread starter ewaldm
- Start date
E-A-G-L-E-S
New member
i've never had any of my tangs pick at anything.....although i hope you aren't putting any in your "current tank"
Funny how everyone say stangs will eat the alage. I've got several large tangs along with a scribbled fox face in my large tank and they do nothing to the alage that's growing in there. Guess they are too well traind to only eat what I feed them. I alos have a 15" across toadstool and a pearl bubble the size of a soccer ball in the tank and they don't bother them at all.
In my other tank, I have a yello tang and he too bothers nothing including the alage.
In my other tank, I have a yello tang and he too bothers nothing including the alage.
Amphiprion
Premium Member
Some individuals will show aberrant behavior. Ones more likely to do so tend to be the tangs that feed upon detritus and organic debris (of which coral slime is part of).
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That's probably true. I have a 13" vlamingi, 11" male and 9" female naso and a 9" sailfin. I've only had them for a year and the guy I got them from had them for over 3 years in a FOWLR setup.
Because of the behavior I've seen in these fish as well as some 5+ year old fish I've had in my other tanks, I beleive that they are/have been "conditioned" to only eat certin things. In other words they have come to know that I am the one they get food from and I only feed certin types of foods.
What brings me to beleive this is the large tank with the large tangs that I aquired. The tank was a FOWLR, no corals at all and little to no alage on the rocks. The fish were fed for years nothing more than sinking pellets and sheets of nori.
When I got the setup and had everything settled in, I tried to feed the fish frozen cubes of food that I had used for years with my other tanks. The fish would not even take a second look at teh food floating on teh surface. As soon as I put in some sinking pellets or defrosted the frozen food so that it would sink, they would eagrly eat it up. If I placed a sheet of nori in the tank which floated on the surface of the water, they would eargly eat it even though it was floating on the surface. This is what has me to beleive that fish in our system are "condition" to eat or behave in certin manners.
In my other tanks, I've always just dropped in a frozen cube and the fish would eargly eat it as it floated on the surface. Another thing of note is that since I would feed my fish, usually 3-4 times a week, they never ate or even sampled any of my corals. Again these are just my observations and experiences.
Because of the behavior I've seen in these fish as well as some 5+ year old fish I've had in my other tanks, I beleive that they are/have been "conditioned" to only eat certin things. In other words they have come to know that I am the one they get food from and I only feed certin types of foods.
What brings me to beleive this is the large tank with the large tangs that I aquired. The tank was a FOWLR, no corals at all and little to no alage on the rocks. The fish were fed for years nothing more than sinking pellets and sheets of nori.
When I got the setup and had everything settled in, I tried to feed the fish frozen cubes of food that I had used for years with my other tanks. The fish would not even take a second look at teh food floating on teh surface. As soon as I put in some sinking pellets or defrosted the frozen food so that it would sink, they would eagrly eat it up. If I placed a sheet of nori in the tank which floated on the surface of the water, they would eargly eat it even though it was floating on the surface. This is what has me to beleive that fish in our system are "condition" to eat or behave in certin manners.
In my other tanks, I've always just dropped in a frozen cube and the fish would eargly eat it as it floated on the surface. Another thing of note is that since I would feed my fish, usually 3-4 times a week, they never ate or even sampled any of my corals. Again these are just my observations and experiences.
sarahkucera
New member
Still pretty new at this.....
Still pretty new at this.....
I've got two Frogspawns in a 100 gallon with two hepatus tangs and two yellow tangs. The yellows ignore the froggies completely, but the larger hepatus (about 7 inches or so) has figured out that sometimes there will be mysis shrimps on the froggies during feeding time and he goes over there and bothers the froggies.
He's learned that if he swishes his front fins at the corals that sometimes some mysis will float away from them and he gobbles it up. Kind of annoying, but doesn't seem to hurt the corals at all. By that point the froggies have already gotten a bunch of mysis grabbed up and they're pulling it in anyways.
He's also the one that aggressively fans the floor of the tank trying to swish up food on the bottom to eat. He's a pig.
Still pretty new at this.....
I've got two Frogspawns in a 100 gallon with two hepatus tangs and two yellow tangs. The yellows ignore the froggies completely, but the larger hepatus (about 7 inches or so) has figured out that sometimes there will be mysis shrimps on the froggies during feeding time and he goes over there and bothers the froggies.
He's learned that if he swishes his front fins at the corals that sometimes some mysis will float away from them and he gobbles it up. Kind of annoying, but doesn't seem to hurt the corals at all. By that point the froggies have already gotten a bunch of mysis grabbed up and they're pulling it in anyways.
He's also the one that aggressively fans the floor of the tank trying to swish up food on the bottom to eat. He's a pig.
Lazyreefer
Premium Member
I have a sailfin tang in 1 month he went after 2 open brains. I had to remove both. He left the rest of the LPS alone. Which include a mertelli, wellsi , 2 lords and 2 candy canes
ScotchMaster
In Memoriam
I have a yellow eyed kole tang that sometimes pics at my acan lord....It doesnt seem to hurt the coral but I moved it to a different spot and I dont think he has found it again 
JenDub
In Memoriam
I have had several tangs go after lords/micros. They usually start out fine, but then figure out lords are tasty. This usually happens in tanks where the owners feed heavily and feed mysis to thier corals and other things that the tangs have been conditioned to eat.
You are what you eat and it is a short time before the lords start to look, smell and taste like mysis...then it's snack time! This usually becomes an obsession for the tangs who will keep eating until the coral is nuked
You are what you eat and it is a short time before the lords start to look, smell and taste like mysis...then it's snack time! This usually becomes an obsession for the tangs who will keep eating until the coral is nuked
I had a pacific blue tang that picked on my open brain. I covered the brain and got it to heal and as soon as I removed the protection the tang went to town again. I finally had to get rid of the fish. I think that once they aquire a taste for the coral they might not stop.
My sailfin has figured out that the corals catch food and will pick at them if there is food there but no other times.
My sailfin has figured out that the corals catch food and will pick at them if there is food there but no other times.
I have a purple tang that bothers nothing. Two yellows that pick only at coral with food on them and at wellsophyllia (I traded a yellow for this reason.) My sailfin is also a wellso fan, as is my Kole. However, the Kole appears to be eating things off the coral rather than eating the coral. Unfortunately it has the same effect of making the coral recede into its skeleton. I've decided that the next major renovation of the tanks will mean the Kole will have to move in with the Sailfin and the Yellow in order to remove the "coral condoms" from my three wellsos. The bottles are a bit of an eye sore as it is.
I have almost every other type of LPS and have no problems with them. It's unfortunately just the wellsos and they are some of my favorites.
I have almost every other type of LPS and have no problems with them. It's unfortunately just the wellsos and they are some of my favorites.
enitnelaVeyaF
In Memoriam
my purple tang is 5-6" or so and bothers nothing in my LPS/soft coral tank. I have a huge sarcophyton he never bothers. he will eat food out of the polyps of my faviids, but it doesnt hurt them.
the tang will flick water out of the tank when im there in order for me to feed it. it's an open top-tub tank so, yeah, he gets me pretty wet. he also lets people 'clean' him (yeah, he actually lets people pet him. he will not leave you alone when your hand is in the tank. he postures like youre a cleaner and will let you touch him. he's wierd. i'd rather him not do it b/c it makes my roomate want to stick his hands in the tank. Doh!)
the tang will flick water out of the tank when im there in order for me to feed it. it's an open top-tub tank so, yeah, he gets me pretty wet.
he also lets people 'clean' him (yeah, he actually lets people pet him. he will not leave you alone when your hand is in the tank. he postures like youre a cleaner and will let you touch him. he's wierd. i'd rather him not do it b/c it makes my roomate want to stick his hands in the tank. Doh!)
Diatome
New member
Scopas Tang is a yes. Started when on vacation and he didn't get enough to eat. When I got back from vacation he was making the rounds of the tank and nipped at a green torch as I was looking at the tank and unpacking. Lost half of it but he leaves it alone now and the other corals except the xenia that he nips when he gets mad. Keeps it trimmed back and the xenia is healthy otherwise.
