Unicorn Tang Help

[UnderwaterExotic]

I have had a unicorn tang for about the past year! He is growing, but............ He is very skinny! Super skinny! He eats like a pig! I am wondering what I can feed him to fatten him up! All of my other fish are super healthy, but he always looks sick! He eats a variety of food from frozen, to flake to pellet, Nori! I am wondering if there is something I can soak the food in to fatten him up! Any help I would appreciate! Thanks

 

[Amphiprion]

They must have brown algae in their diets. Without it, they will show signs of malnourishment like you describe. Find a fellow reefer with a dictyota/sargassum problem and let the tang have at it. Also, if you can get the tang to eat it, the dried "nori" brown algae works, too.

 

[UnderwaterExotic]

The thing is he eats like a hog, just never gets fatter!

 

[Amphiprion]

How often do you feed?

 

[UnderwaterExotic]

About 5 times a day, trust me they are not underfed! I just did a search and it appears to be a Naso hexacanthus!

 

[Amphiprion]

Ah. I thought you were talking about Naso unicornis, which is 'the' unicornfish or unicorn tang. hexacanthus has no rostral spine--so yours does not? If it is hexacanthus, they are going to need large amounts of plankton like foods, heavy with fatty acids, etc. Have you tried enriched mysis?

 

[UnderwaterExotic]

I have tried Mysis, just that though!

 

[Amphiprion]

Like I said, try enriching it in Selcon or something similar. What brand of mysis? (THere is a significant difference here).

 

[UnderwaterExotic]

Um not sure, i think SFB! What is the best for these? and where to get it!