Your opinion on using “dither fish?”

[Zionas]

I am particularly interested in this as I plan to have a Tomini in my setup and I heard Bristletooth Tangs are very hard to feed. Is that true?

This is what makes me interested in the idea of using a couple “dither fish” (to entice them to feed and for color in general) like a couple of small Chrysiptera damsels, Clowns etc. Maybe even a dwarf angel. Basically omnivores.

Would that be a good idea and do you think it will work?

If they have trouble taking nori should I keep force feeding it until they accept it?

Do they need very well-established tanks or can I put one in early? (Is it the same for dwarf angels?)

 

[LiamPM]

It’s species dependant to be honest but bristletooth tangs are likely the easiest of the surgeonfish to keep. Bristletooths tend to be the better of the algae grazers too which makes them easier to feed than most. One of the reasons people choose this genus is their pecking abilities and smaller size.

I’d say they are generally a very easy genus of fish to feed, not difficult. I cannot think of a time I’ve seen someone say theirs isn’t feeding well. Refusing nori from a clip for a short time is possible but purely because it’s a foreign object to them to begin with.

Personally, I would go about your stocking as normal and not feel the need of a dither fish. I highly doubt you’ll have a problem feeding a bristletooth and they should be one of the last fish in given their size and territorial behaviour from most so “dither” fish should already be present anyway.

 

[Haydn]

I think you have the wrong idea of what dither fish are for, the idea of them is to have a group of small easy to feed, open water, 'in your face fish' like Blue/green Chromis, in the tank to give other small shyer fish confidence to come out into the water column, to try aquarium food and to lose their shyness. Fish like Anthias, especially if there are larger active fish in the system (like a tang) can be reluctant to compete and lose condition very quickly.
I don't see a tang which will probably be one of the largest fish in the system needing dither fish.

 

[vlangel]

I recently added a tomini tang to my display tank. I chose one that had been at the LFS for a couple of months and was eating well there but he was my last fish added, along with yellow tail damsels. The damsels were not 'dither' fish, I wanted them for their activeness and color. At any rate the tomini tang began to eat the first day. He will not eat nori from a clip however and I don't know why. I feed him mostly frozen emerald entree, spiralina enriched brine shrimp, and formula two plus vegetable flake food. I do feed the tank mysis, formula one, and spectrum pellets as well and he eats that too. Finally I always have some feather caulerpa from my refugium in the tank so he can graze, which he does.

 

[9975]

You're looking the the active fish that'll say "come on buddy the water's just fine over here"

 

[mort]

It's good advice above. I don't think bristletooths are difficult either. Just to answer the part of your question about when to add them, with tangs it's normally last as they are generally the most aggressive thing you will add. The reason bristletooths don't always eat nori is because they are mostly detrivores that eat algal/detritus films, this does mean that in the average cycled tanks that they have more food to begin with than other tangs would (simply because of the algae stages a tank goes through) but if you add it to early it might make adding more timid species harder.

 

[Lasse]

The bristletooths is the best diatom eaters that I'm aware off.

Sincerely Lasse