New tang competing with mandarin

[Solarfall]

So I recently added a blue eyed kole tang to my tank. At the LFS he was eating frozen food without a problem, but since he came to my tank he's taken a liking to my pod population and doesn't seem to care for frozen foods or seaweed sheets.

My mandarin has been in there for about 2 months and has plenty of poddage, but I'm starting to worry that the tang will out compete him for food. I have buttloads of pods as of now, but I always see the tang picking at the rocks and sand. And as far as I can see, there's no algae to eat.

Should I be worried? Or do you think my pod population will be okay with just the 2 fish eating them? I also have two clowns but they don't seem to eat pods very often.

 

[Melosu58]

I personally think he was picking at some algea on the rocks and sand. They are herbivores and was micking at some micro algea. BTW do you have a blue eyed Kole tang? I thought they were yellow eyed kole tangs.

 

[motorcyclereefer]

Blue Eyed Tang (Ctenochaetus binotatus)

First time I have ever heard of the blue eye.

 

[dcantucson]

I bet it was algae also. Thats a cool looking fish Solarfall.

 

[Bifferwine]

I don't think the tang will out-eat your mandarin. They occupy two totally different niches in your tank.

 

[Solarfall]

Alright cool, just making sure.

And yeah, that was the first time I ever saw a blue eye too. I guess they're a little less common?

 

[dcantucson]

Solar you can also supplement your Tangs food. Seaweed strips and frozen foods. He won't be as hungry to eat the pods.

 

[Solarfall]

Well that's the thing. He doesn't seem to eat any frozen foods or the algae sheets at all.

I'm gonna pick up some PE mysis today or tomorrow and see if he goes for that.

 

[dcantucson]

That's strange. A Tang that doesn't eat algae sheets or frozen foods. Hum....
Try getting some Garlic and soak the food in that first.

 

[yote]

That's strange. A Tang that doesn't eat algae sheets or frozen foods. Hum....
Try getting some Garlic and soak the food in that first.

Neither one of my tangs will go for the seaweed sheets,even if their soaked in garlic.But their always picking off the rocks.

 

[winyfrog]

kole tangs are bristlemouths and are constantly grazing algae that you and I can't even see. The fact that he is picking at your rocks is a good sign that he is comfy in your tank. Give him sometime and he will adjust to other foods. No worries about him eating your mandarins pods.

 

[sen5241b]

Damsels, dottybacks and 6lines will decimate your pod population. I feed my mandarins Ocean Nutrition Marine Formula 1 Small Pellets. Mandarins will gobble these down. He also goes for orange flying fish roe or 'sushi roe'. I get it at a local Asian market. The whole tank goes nuts when I drop those in. Mandarins will also eat live brine shrimp.