Why won't my clown tang eat anything but nori?

[IansAquatics]

I've tried everything I can think of mysis,flake, garlic extreme, and still the only thing he will eat his nori, and still I have to rubberband it to the rocks. I'm getting really sick of getting my hands nailed daily from my clownfish. They're define fly don't get the whole bite the hand that feeds thing haha

 

[snorvich]

A clown tang is an expert level fish that is very very difficult and also very aggressive. Minimum tank size should be 250 gallons but from experience a larger tank is desirable. Since they are a herbivore, you must feed nori unless you have a very large mature tank that will provide natural grazing.

 

[scubaprashant]

How long have you had it. I once had a Kole Tang that was a very shy eater. As time passed, it would see the other fish eating pellets and other food and joined in on the party.

Give it time and keep it fat. Like snorvich said, that is an expert tang and if you aren't prepared to take care of it now, do yourself and the fish a favor and find it a suitable and healthy home.

Good luck

 

[triggreef]

I have a yellow tang that ate everything in my display, but an ich outbreak ended with everyone in QT. When he went to QT he stopped eating everything except nori, even though he was previously eating mysis brine and live black worms, and pellets. The entire 12 weeks (fallow) that he was in QT he only ate nori. First day back in the display, he ate everything and continues to. Moral is, he just wasn't happy as far as I can tell.

As for yours, who knows? But what are you attempting to feed him? I would try all of the above and make sure you try PE mysis prior to any other mysis. It seems like most fish IME don't like the other types of mysis until they are already used to eating the PE mysis.

Also try some live brine shrimp most fish can't resist. Not for nutritional value but just to get things started. And if he is alone in a qt or something, you can try adding a couple more boastful fish, that may teach him how to eat, like a couple green chromis or something.

Good luck.

 

[Holsteiner]

I've had my Achilles tang about 2 years now...for over a year the only thing I could get him to eat was nori, so I soaked it in selcon and fed him as much nori as he could eat. Finally he changed his mind out of the blue and now inhales NLS pellets as well mysis are still hit or miss and still working on Rod's. I figured in another 5 years he should be eating everything ;-) but he's 7" long now and about 5" thick! He grows at an insane rate, our 8ft is getting set up next month because of him.

 

[Palting]

I've tried everything I can think of mysis,flake, garlic extreme, and still the only thing he will eat his nori, and still I have to rubberband it to the rocks. I'm getting really sick of getting my hands nailed daily from my clownfish. They're define fly don't get the whole bite the hand that feeds thing haha

If the problem is that the clownfish keep nipping at you, there are several ways to solve the problem. You can get a feeding clip, or stick the nori in between the magfloat and glass, This should diminish the time your hand is in the tank and less chance for the clownfish to nip you. As to whether your tang will eat anything else other than nori, give him time. I have 4 tangs, and they all started just eating nori. Now they eat anything.

 

[snorvich]

If the problem is that the clownfish keep nipping at you, there are several ways to solve the problem. You can get a feeding clip, or stick the nori in between the magfloat and glass, This should diminish the time your hand is in the tank and less chance for the clownfish to nip you. As to whether your tang will eat anything else other than nori, give him time. I have 4 tangs, and they all started just eating nori. Now they eat anything.

Is one of those tangs a clown tang?

 

[IansAquatics]

First off id like to say thanks for all the replies. But that also I knew exactly what I was getting into with this fish I researched clown tangs for sometime before I got one. That being said I'm not really "new to the hobby" I just post in here out of habit haha.

But yes I have tried everything flake, pellets, mysis, and I even have a veggie clip which all the other fish readily eat from. As far as for how long I've had him. I guess it's been about 3 weeks now and he's been a great fish thus far. No aggression towards any of my other fish and most of the the time he is hanging with my 5 inch hippo, granted I know with maturity this could drastically change.

I guess this was more of a daily annoyance post rather than I cry for help. He's eating great and honestly I don't care to rubberband the nori to my rock at all, it's just dealing with my clownfish. They're are devils especially the biggest one I literally have to keep a net in my left hand trying to fend them off while I work with my right hand and even still I'll get nailed ,they are little devils!

I just think it's weird he will only eat it if it's rubber banded to the rocks. He won't even acknowledge it if the nori is in the veggie clip. And when I feed everything to the rest of my guys. He gets excited but doesn't seem to have a clue it's food haha. Oh and also he grazes constantly on the sandbed and rock too.

 

[ca1ore]

I have a yellow tang that ate everything in my display, but an ich outbreak ended with everyone in QT. When he went to QT he stopped eating everything except nori, even though he was previously eating mysis brine and live black worms, and pellets. The entire 12 weeks (fallow) that he was in QT he only ate nori. First day back in the display, he ate everything and continues to. Moral is, he just wasn't happy as far as I can tell.

I have the same experience with tangs in QT. People talk about QT as an opportunity to fatten up a fish prior to putting it into the display, and this works with some fish, but not for me with tangs. I can barely seem to get them to eat, so as soon as the meds are done its into the display ASAP. Recently had a Sailfin that would only eat brine in QT, and not a lot of that. As soon as it was in the display it eats everything.

 

[montiman]

Having a Clown Tang myself and working in an LFS where I feed Clown Tangs I will say this is not uncommon. Do not worry about all of those people saying clown tangs are hard. They are nothing like the true expert fish like Moorish Idols, Ribbon Eels, or Orange Spot File-fish. I would just wait. It may eat other stuff but it could take a month or more. I would also like to know what kind of setup you have. I find tangs hate the typical quarantine/swim tank environment. They do not like medicated low salinity water with no live rock. They do much better in an established reef system.

 

[Palting]

A clown tang is an expert level fish that is very very difficult and also very aggressive. Minimum tank size should be 250 gallons but from experience a larger tank is desirable. Since they are a herbivore, you must feed nori unless you have a very large mature tank that will provide natural grazing.

Is one of those tangs a clown tang?

LOL! I know what you're getting at, Steve. No, none of the 4 I have are clown tangs. A clown tang is indeed an expert level fish, and it wouldn't fit in my 6 foot 150 gallon. Still, I was trying to be helpful with the specific help the OP requested.

 

[Vrod2169]

My clown tang was the same way for two months. Putting the nori on the inside magnet with a rubber and definitely worked for me. He eats everything now and did mysis soaked in vita chem, selcon and garlic on alternating days. Great fish but definitely showing a bit of aggression towards the tomini tang and a fox face.

 

[Assasi]

I had a clown tank in my 300 gallon for about 5 years. Ate well at my LFS and started eating as soon as he got home. As he got larger and meaner (Tank ruler), I traded him in at my LFS for a smaller less aggressive one. This go round has been more challenging... My other weel established tangs harassed it to death so I got a larger one that is doing well. Why didn't I just leave well enough alone?