Hoops - please go back & re-read what I posted previously about the flake food. That company also makes pellets, several kinds.
I also stated;
As far as other foods, all I can say is that I know of no other commercial foods that when fed on an exclusive basis have shown results even remotely close to Pablo's food. Not many people have had success keeping Moorish Idol, Achilles Tang, etc on any type of exclusive diet.
I'm not exctly sure what you expected me to say in response to your question?
First off, it would be pretty much impossible to supply them with enough algae to "fill up". You could put sheets of algae in the tank all day long and they are still going to come eat when you offer other things. I of course do not do this, but I don't believe you could feed too much algae and it would be a detriment.
I'm 50+ yrs of age, this isn't my first rodeo, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that what you state only works in a perfect world. Every fish has a satiation point when it comes to food, and every fish has individual traits, behaviour, likes, and dislikes. In an aquarium some fish will choose seaweed over pellet foods, some will prefer pellets over seaweed, some will prefer frozen meaty foods, and some fish will stop eating from the moment they are collected, and simply wither away.
It's not as simplistic as one anthropomorphizing a marine fish, comparing a tang that fills up on (or simply chooses) foods such as nori, with a human that snacks on celery throughout the day. Fish aren't capable of thinking & reacting as a human would with regards to their diet. If you decided to eat celery all day long (because you loved it so much), to the point of satiation, or even partial satiation, then logicaly you would not, nor could not eat your other 3
full meals per day, even though most of what you would have ingested would be comprised of nothing more than water. (celery consists of 95% water) Eventually you would become full (satiated) on the celery alone.
I also never said that the U of Fl study had anything to do with dilution - I used it as an example of how even though some people use certain foods in the belief that they are offering a
wide variety, that in captivity the fact is that some foods will add little to no value at all. Once again, ALL species of fish, both marine & freshwater, have satiation levels. Once satiation is reached they shut it down, and will refuse to eat anything further. These are basic principles based on several decades of aquaculture.
My fish cruise on over when I drop food in the tank even if there is a sheet of algae in there at the time. My logic was never to feed algae at the expense of other nutrition. I am not sure where you are getting that idea.
I wasn't referring to you, or your fish, personally.
I was commenting in a general manner, about tangs (and other species) in general. So while your fish may cruise on over even if there is a sheet of algae in the tank, other fish, owned by other hobbyists, may not. Perhaps your fish wouldn't stuff themselves with algae & then pick at (or flat out refuse) any pellets added, where others would. Believe it or not refusing to eat certain foods, or choosing one food over another due to texture, smell, or taste, happens every day in millions of tanks world-wide.
This may be more common than you realize, I read about this exact thing every week on MFK alone. (mostly in freshwater sub-forums)
My fish won't eat that, my fish doesn't like that, my fish will only eat this.
my fish spits those out. Personally I have never had these kinds of feeding problems as I don't allow my fish to train me, but many others apparently do. And fish being fish, some are much more difficult to convert than others.
My logic was never to feed algae at the expense of other nutrition. I am not sure where you are getting that idea.
I got that from your previous comment, where you stated;
Just because they now don't need to eat like they do in the wild doesn't mean they shouldn't act like they do in the wild, which is graze all day.
Do you see how that could be misunderstood? I have never once suggested that one couldn't, or even shouldn't offer seaweed, nori, etc, but I am absolutely against offering these types of food to the point where the fish would be allowed to
graze all day, just as I would be against allowing a child to fill up on celery all day long, to the point where they don't have enough room left to eat a proper fully balanced meal.
I am also in no way criticizing your set up, or your manner of feeding, nor anyone else's in this discussion. As stated previously, it sounds like you gents have it figured out, but others may not.
It's for the others that may not have it all figured out as to why I have posted what I have thus far. It's not always easy conveying the message via a keyboard, compared to a face to face discussion, so if I have offended anyone by coming across as being full of myself then I sincerely apologize. That most certainly was not my intention.
And yes, I believe that we are in complete agreement with regards to feeding algae, pellets, etc.
