Tang nibble on clam and coral..........

[Petrie Lim]

I've been feeding my Hawaii, purple and blue tang more frequent than suppose to be 4 ~ 5 times a day .......end up they start to nibble on clams when they are hungry . Why ?......... Do they feed on clams and coral in the ocean !. Managed to capture the 3 tangs and kept in my quarantine tank . It has been it the tank for almost 3 weeks now. What should I do ?. Please help ......

***** 3 of my clams suffered and died... ***** :roll:



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250 gallon glass tank , 1 powder blue tang, 1 Brown Tang , 1 Hawaii Tang , 1 Naso tang , 8 Green Chromis , 1 Percula Clown , 2 African Clown ,1 Blue-knuckle Hermit crab, 1 Comet ,1 Yellow Watchman Goby, 2 Cleaner Shrimp, 2 Cardinal Cleaner Shrimp, 1 Green Mandarinfish, 1 Red bar Anthias , 1 Longnose Hawkfish , 5 Clams , 12 Hard coral , 3 Soft Coral. ( Removed from main tank - Hawaii , Purple and Blue Tang.)

 

[EmilyB]

I've kept many types of tangs and some of mine are seven years old now. They have never nibbled corals or clams. What, and how much are you feeding? Do they have nori each day?

 

[Petrie Lim]

I use to feed them with Cyclopeeze flake, Spirulina and Tetrabits granules food......... usually consumed every feeding ...

 

[Anonymous]

You need to include seaweed in their diet. Nori from an oriental market does the job. Just make sure to get the unspiced or unseasoned types.

And

:welcome:

 

[Unarce]

Sorry to hear about the clams.

A majority of the time when tangs bother clams, it's to sample the clam's mucus or expelled zooxanthellae. If it was excessive, the clams may have already progressed to a deteriorating state before the nibbling started to occur.

 

[Petrie Lim]

How long do I have to change their diet and start feeding with seaweed so that they get use to it before placing back to the main tank ?.How can I be sure that they will not bother the clams and coral anymore !.
Frankly speaking , I was a bit worry and miss the beauty of both Hawaii and purple Tang which is not able to display in my main tank.