Can you be too good to your Tangs?

[seth the wine guy]

I have recently added 3 tangs to my tank. A Kole about a month ago and a Powder Blue and a Spot Face this weekend. I got the Kole because of its reputation for working the reef and picking away algae. For a whole month I never saw the Kole take prepared food. He just picked the reef clean and was happy and healthy. I didn't expect much from the other two from a cleaning aspect, but to my surprise they are very active workers on the reef as well. The Powder Blue and Spot Face will eat anything offered like pigs. The Kole watched them eat Nori and started at it himself for the first time.

So, here's my question. If I provide a constant supply of Nori and other food will all the Tangs get lazy and stop working the reef? I want to keep them as active cleaners in the tank but also want to make sure they are fed and healthy. I know the tank alone can't produce enough algae to sustain all of them plus the turbos. I keep my water params too in check for any substantial algae growth.

 

[cr500_af]

I feed pretty heavily, and no matter how much I feed my tangs graze all day long. I don't think you can feed enough to make them quit.

 

[grouper therapy]

cr500_af;643459 wrote: I feed pretty heavily, and no matter how much I feed my tangs graze all day long. I don't think you can feed enough to make them quit.

same here

 

[elfloyd]

Yep... Pick all the time, except for "feeding time", then they are right back at it.

 

[bruce 1]

I have a yellow one and I never see him eat anything but what I put in there.

 

[shadow]

You can't over feed a tang. Mine are so fat, they look like big breasted geese waddling towards you when they swim face on towards you. The also leave behind the same quantity of droppings.

 

[enderg60]

my 5 get a sheet of nori a day, pellets twice a day, and frozen once a day. and they all still graze non stop.

and yes they are tear drop shaped from the front.

 

[rbredding]

I had a bout with GHA a couple months ago.. and 3 tangs in the tank.. they pretty much ignored my GHA...

but I was also giving them nori every couple mornings..


when I stopped.. it took them about a week/10days to start on the GHA (but never fully went after it..)

 

[smallblock]

Mine used to eat cheato like noodles

 

[snowmansnow]

i think its just an inborn thing with them... not sure we CAN make them stop grazing