Yellow tang have seen an explosion in their popularity over the last couple of months with a huge number of fish keepers choosing to add yellow tang to their tanks.
Thankfully, yellow tang are relatively easy to keep as far as tang go but we have seen some people having problems with getting their pet yellow tang not eating!
There can be a number of reasons why your yellow tang is not eating. One of the most common reasons is that the yellow tang may be stressed.
This can often happen when you first add the yellow tang to your tank. If you have a tank that is too small, this can also lead to stress and a refusal to eat.
Although less common, internal parasites can also cause a yellow tang not to eat. This is why it is important to quarantine all new yellow tang before adding them to your main tank. The last thing you want is your new yellow tang to spread internal parasites to all of its tank mates.
If you have ruled out stress and parasites as the reason for your yellow tang not eating, then the most likely reason is a change in water quality. Yellow tang are very sensitive to changes in water quality and even a small change can cause them
Why Is My Yellow Tang Not Eating?
The more common reasons that a yellow tang may not be eating include stress, poor water parameters, internal parasites, and being new to its aquarium.
In some situations though, your yellow tang may be focusing on eating the natural foods growing in its tank rather than the food you feed it.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to confirm the cause in your fish so you may have to put some time and effort into investigating what is actually wrong with your yellow tank.
If you are new to keeping the species or new to the fish keeping hobby in general then try to focus your efforts towards poor water parameters and issues with the yellow tang being stressed.
Symptoms of a yellow tang being stressed include a loss of appetite, decreased activity levels, the fish hiding often, and a change in coloration.
If you notice any of these symptoms in your yellow tang then it is important to make sure that the water parameters in its tank are correct and that there are no other fish bullying or harassing it.
If you think that poor water parameters may be the reason your yellow tang is not eating then the first step is to check the water parameters in its tank.
Ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are common issues but the pH of the water can also be difficult to maintain at a steady level in some tank setups too, especially if you are new to keeping fish.
How Do I Get My Yellow Tang To Eat?
The best way to get your yellow tang to start eating again is to mimic its natural environment as much as possible.
This means making sure that the water parameters in its tank are correct and stable, providing plenty of hiding places, and ensuring that there are no other fish bothering or bullying it.
If your yellow tang is still not eating then you may need to try a different food. Yellow tang are known to be fussy eaters and they often prefer live or frozen foods. This means that you may need to try a few different foods before you find one that your yellow tang will actually eat.
We have seen people on social media pushing a vegetarian diet for yellow tank and although they are omnivores and can live on nothing but plant based food, they definitely tend to prefer meat based foods. This is especially true if you are trying to get a yellow tang that is not eating to start eating again.
What Do You Feed A Yellow Tang?
Yellow tang are omnivores and therefore their diet is not limited to one type of food. In the wild, yellow tang feed on a variety of small marine creatures, including zooplankton, shrimp, and crabs.
They also consume a fair amount of plant matter, such as algae and seaweed and there are many commercial fish foods on the market that are suitable for yellow tang.
Although live food can be expensive for a yellow tang diet, it is often the best way to get a yellow tang that is not eating to start eating again.
This is because yellow tang are attracted to the movement of live food and they are more likely to eat it than they are to eat a piece of frozen food.
If you cannot afford to feed your yellow tang live foods then there are many alternatives available with freeze dried and frozen marine creatures being a great choice.
The suitable flake and pellet based fish food are also available with most yellow tang eating them if nothing else is available.
Some yellow tang will also eat nori seaweed sheets that are cheap but others won’t even touch them. This are packed with vitamins and minerals though so it is definitely worth offering them to your yellow tang to see if they will eat them as they are a great way to keep your yellow tangs colors bright while also offering some natural parasite protection too.
How Often Should I Feed My Yellow Tang?
Yellow tang should be fed once or twice a day depending on what you are feeding them and the amount of food you intend to offer.
Although they will often graze on algae and other food sources in their tank if they are available. It is important not to overfeed yellow tang as this can lead to health problems, such as obesity, and it can also pollute the water in their tank.
If you are new to keeping yellow tang then it can be difficult to work out how much you should feed your fish as well as how often. A good rule of thumb is to offer them as much food as they can eat in 3 minutes and then remove any uneaten food after this time.
Not only does this simple and easy to follow rule help prevent your yellow tank from gaining weight but it also works wonders for your water parameters too.
How Long Can A Yellow Tang Go Without Eating?
Although yellow tang are tough fish, they can only go without food for a maximum of 3 days before they start to experience health problems. This is why it is so important to get your yellow tank eating again as soon as possible if they stop eating for any reason.
The longer your yellow tang goes without eating, the more serious the problem can become and the more likely it is that the fish will perish. If you can get your yellow tang eating again within three days then it has a high chance of making a full recovery with minimal long term problems.
If it takes longer than three days to get your yellow tang to start eating again then the odds can quickly stack up against your fish.
