Powder Brown Tang Will Not Eat - Need Suggestions

[BeaverLakeAndy]

I've had a 4-5 inch Powder Brown Tang in my 125 for almost a week now, it's the only tang, and largest fish in the tank. It appears happy and healthy, but it literally will not eat. I've tried frozen LRS Fish Frenzy, three different freeze dried foods, two different pellet foods, and nori sheets. All the other fish are eating everything, but this PBT just completely ignores all food every time I feed the tank. He swims all over, doesn't bother any other fish, goes in and out of rocks, but just refuses to eat. What can I do to get this guy to eat?! It has to be starving at this point.

 

[lapin]

Live black or white worms

 

[piranhaman00]

Was it QT before adding to DT?

 

[BeaverLakeAndy]

Was it QT before adding to DT?

It did come from Diver's Den, so I guess you could say it was partially in QT. They say they run a two week QT there. Not sure how effective that really is though.

 

[piranhaman00]

It did come from Diver's Den, so I guess you could say it was partially in QT. They say they run a two week QT there. Not sure how effective that really is though.

Im wondering because its easier to get a fish to eat if its by itself.

This link shows what DD feeds their fish. Besides that I would just wait, if hes acting normal I would think he is just acclimating yet.

 

[CindyKz]

My powder brown took a long time to eat too. Live blackworms finally did the trick. I had to offer them multiple times.

 

[BeaverLakeAndy]

My powder brown took a long time to eat too. Live blackworms finally did the trick. I had to offer them multiple times.

Do you have a link to the live blackworms that you feed them?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Try spirulina brine shrimp as well as LRS herbivore diet
Seachem Entice is a good additive as is garlic to its' food.

 

[BeaverLakeAndy]

Try spirulina brine shrimp as well as LRS herbivore diet
Seachem Entice is a good additive as is garlic to its' food.

I'll check out the LRS herbivore diet food. I've already tried brine shrimp.

 

[BeaverLakeAndy]

My powder brown took a long time to eat too. Live blackworms finally did the trick. I had to offer them multiple times.

Just realized that the LRS Fish Frenzy has blackworms in it.

 

[CindyKz]

Do you have a link to the live blackworms that you feed them?

I get them at my LFS, so no unfortunately.

Just realized that the LRS Fish Frenzy has blackworms in it.

Yes, but they aren't alive and wiggly. Live food seems to be very enticing. Live brine is useful too.

 

[nereefpat]

Live brine is useful too.

I was going to suggest this. Some local fish stores have live brine. That's usually irresistible.

 

[AcroNem]

It did come from Diver's Den, so I guess you could say it was partially in QT. They say they run a two week QT there. Not sure how effective that really is though.

DD quarantine is completely worthless, to be honest. I agree trying live foods, live brine or black worms.

 

[BeaverLakeAndy]

DD quarantine is completely worthless, to be honest. I agree trying live foods, live brine or black worms.

I'm going to the LFS tomorrow to see what they have for live foods. I imagine Diver's Den QT is likely not up to standard. So far so good as far as health goes though. I'll be setting up my own QT soon hopefully. Either that or purchasing from a reputable seller who only does fully quarantined fish.

 

[jreefier]

Im wondering because its easier to get a fish to eat if its by itself.

This link shows what DD feeds their fish. Besides that I would just wait, if hes acting normal I would think he is just acclimating yet.

For me its been the opposite. Had a yellow tang that just picked on rocks in qt and hid from me every time I approached the glass, so I never saw him eat while in qt for 72 days. When he went into dt, he picked up on the others in their feeding frenzy and seemed to be much more comfortable and less skittish around the other more calm fish and I finally saw him eat and he now stays out all the time.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Just an FYI

QT has absolutely nothing to do with getting a fish to eat.

The feeding frenzy method is often the best way to get finicky eaters such as pbt’s eating.

However, with any powder brown or blue they are the more difficult tangs time get eating, if you don’t see it eating at the vendor, I would never buy. Almost always they perish.

good luck!

 

[Luis1992]

I had a similar issue. What I started doing was mixing allot of different foods. Mysis, Rods, reef roids, herbivore mix and nori. Then I add garlic extreme and let it soak. I haven’t seen a fish resist it yet

 

[Luis1992]

I had a similar issue. What I started doing was mixing allot of different foods. Mysis, Rods, reef roids, herbivore mix and nori. Then I add garlic extreme and let it soak. I haven’t seen a fish resist it yet

And I recently got a powder brown tang that I got to eat using this mix as wel!

 

[BeaverLakeAndy]

Someone in another thread where I shared pics of my PBT suggested I rubber band some nori to a piece of rubble and put it in the tank rather than on the clip stuck to the glass. I tried it this morning and he's been grazing on it all morning! I posted a quick video here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/pretty-powder-brown-tang.697474/post-7181061

 

[BeaverLakeAndy]

Just another update on the PBT eating. He most definitely ate the LRS Herbivore Frenzy this evening. So in addition to the nori on a rock with a rubber band he'd ate twice today. Baby steps, but I'll take it!