Tomini Tang - Dietary requirements

[CasperOe]

Hi Reefers,

I feed my FOWLR tank a fairly varied diet consisting of liquid mysis, liquid brine, pellets, flakes, nori as well as a selection of frozen food and all my fish seem entirely happy with this diet apart from my Tomini tang.

As per my understanding, Tomoni tangs are omnivores and will eat meaty foods, but they also need a large amount of plant-based food and algae for best health.

When I am feeding the tank, he doesn't really seem interested- but all day long he is munching away on rocks, sand and the back wall.

Is he just full? Not interested in yummy yummy mysis?

Any experience share would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers

 

[EagleEye121]

Offer nori / dried seaweed on a clip 3-4x a week. Forms of algae should be the staple for tangs.

 

[CasperOe]

Offer nori / dried seaweed on a clip 3-4x a week. Forms of algae should be the staple for tangs.

As per by original post, nori is already offered as a part of the diet all my fish are getting The Tomini tang is not touching it - he's quire happy eating leftovers off the clip and magnet but not the nori it self..

 

[ilikefish69]

How long have you had your tomini? My fish all have learned when feeding time is, and it doesn’t really matter what I dump in there, it’s getting eaten. 17 fish destroy a 5x5 square inch chunk of mysis, happens too fast to see if everyone gets fed. As long as your fishy is putting on weight, it is ok with what you’re feeding it. Nori clips just scare my fish away, I’ll chop the nori into 0.5x0.5 square inch and throw them in with the mysis and fish vitamins while it thaws, and that nori gets eaten

 

[bert236]

As per by original post, nori is already offered as a part of the diet all my fish are getting The Tomini tang is not touching it - he's quire happy eating leftovers off the clip and magnet but not the nori it self..

My tomini took a while before it started eating nori from a clip. For some reason if I busted it up into small pieces and just let it float around it would eat them. Now it eats from the clip no issue.

 

[CasperOe]

How long have you had your tomini? My fish all have learned when feeding time is, and it doesn’t really matter what I dump in there, it’s getting eaten. 17 fish destroy a 5x5 square inch chunk of mysis, happens too fast to see if everyone gets fed. As long as your fishy is putting on weight, it is ok with what you’re feeding it. Nori clips just scare my fish away, I’ll chop the nori into 0.5x0.5 square inch and throw them in with the mysis and fish vitamins while it thaws, and that nori gets eaten

The three tangs have only been in for about a week, so changes are that he is trying to find he's role- and place in the pecking order.

I am also feeding liquid nori from Aquaforest- not touching it..

 

[ilikefish69]

The three tangs have only been in for about a week, so changes are that he is trying to find he's role- and place in the pecking order.

I am also feeding liquid nori from Aquaforest- not touching it..

If only a week or so, they might still be getting used to their new environment. Sounds like you have the correct feeding regimen, keep that up and you’re perfect!

 

[CasperOe]

If only a week or so, they might still be getting used to their new environment. Sounds like you have the correct feeding regimen, keep that up and you’re perfect!

Yeah, I'm not too worried- they all seem to be getting along just fine and he is eating. A lot; just not any of what I am feeding

Thanks, will keep it up! Healthy and happy fishies are the main priority..

 

[nereefpat]

Any tangs in the genus Ctenochaetus aren't typical algae eaters. They eat slime, film, and detritus in nature. The don't always take to nori right away.

Sounds like the tomini isn't eating any prepared foods at all? Try frozen spirulina brine, frozen mysis, and if you have to, live brine from a fish store. Find something that it will take, and feed it a lot.

I haven't heard of liquid brine/mysis.

 

[jhadaway]

My tomini has never touched the nori in the food mix or a nori sheet. The bad thing is if that nori breaks loose and goes uneaten it will add some nutrients to the water (phosphates are high as I understand it). I mix in some veggie flakes every now and then and hope he gets some. I think he is getting enough algae off the rocks and glass. Maybe if there where a few other fish eating the nori he would figure it out. I wouldn't be so concerned.

 

[CasperOe]

Any tangs in the genus Ctenochaetus aren't typical algae eaters. They eat slime, film, and detritus in nature. The don't always take to nori right away.

Sounds like the tomini isn't eating any prepared foods at all? Try frozen spirulina brine, frozen mysis, and if you have to, live brine from a fish store. Find something that it will take, and feed it a lot.

I haven't heard of liquid brine/mysis.

I'll give the frozen brine a go, haven't tried that yet!

The liquid food that I use is Aquaforest Liquid Mysis and Liquid Artemia (Brine)

 

[jhadaway]

I use a mix of formula 1, formula 2, blood worms and oyster eggs with a few drops of vitamins. He tears it up. Good luck!

 

[CasperOe]

I use a mix of formula 1, formula 2, blood worms and oyster eggs with a few drops of vitamins. He tears it up. Good luck!

I might just give that a go as well, I am nothing but adaptable Which vitamins do you use? I used to be able to get Fish V from Aquaforest but I think they might have discontinued the stuff..

 

[jhadaway]

Ill check tonight for you. I cant temember the name. I add 3-4 drops in 4 cubes. Thats about 5 days of food for my tank.

 

[EagleEye121]

As per by original post, nori is already offered as a part of the diet all my fish are getting The Tomini tang is not touching it - he's quire happy eating leftovers off the clip and magnet but not the nori it self..

Whoops, glanced over that maybe try soaking in selcon vitamins and/or garlic to entice a response?

 

[CasperOe]

Whoops, glanced over that maybe try soaking in selcon vitamins and/or garlic to entice a response?

Will give that a go- who doesn't love garlic? Cheers!

 

[jhadaway]

Here ya go. Vita chem

 

[CasperOe]

Here ya go. Vita chem

Smashing, thanks! I'll have a browse round for this

 

[vlangel]

My tomini tang eats everything as well as picking all day in macroalgae and coral, except nori sheets. I give it frozen spriralina brineshrimp, emerald entree, seaweed delight and spriralina flake food to supplement greens in its diet. He also loves mysis, krill and carnivore diet in frozen. He is a fat beautiful fish so I guess it will be fine without nori.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

As per by original post, nori is already offered as a part of the diet all my fish are getting The Tomini tang is not touching it - he's quire happy eating leftovers off the clip and magnet but not the nori it self..

While my tomini did eat frozen AND nori from the clip, he also really enjoyed the film algae that builds up on the glass now and then. Used to see his little "kissy marks" all over it. If you can stand not cleaning the glass for a while, yours may enjoy this as well.