Hippo Tang Flashing

[DSmithZ28]

I have had a Yellow Tang and Hippo Tang in a 20L QT for 4 weeks today observation only. The Yellow Tang looks, acts and eats perfectly. The Hippo Tang is eating great, not breathing hard and associates way better than to be expected with the Yellow Tang. In fact it seems they are best friends.

The Hippos has been randomly flashing lately. I thought I saw signs of Velvet last night and immediately pulled him out and FW Dip 5 Mins. When I got him out of the QT for the FW dip I no longer saw any signs of what I thought was velvet. In fact he looked perfect. Could be the lights messing with my bad eyes? After the FW Dip (he did great through it) he did get stresses and I saw some color anomalies like white color spots but nothing raised or cyst. Lights went off and I worried all night. This morning I noticed flashing and did a 25% water change. Flashing has stopped. He ate Nori like I never fed him and is swimming next to the Yellow. It is a fish I am QTing for a friend and 4 weeks are up so I was going to take them back Saturday. Not sure what to do.

As a side note, the whole 4 weeks the Yellow Tang would "pick" at the Hippo. I thought is was establishing dominance but perhaps the Yellow was grooming him? I saw the hippo swim backwards towards the Yellow for perhaps attention? No visible signs of ich or flukes. The Yellow is perfect. Could this just be weird behavior from a bloody Hippo?

 

[Brew12]

I have had a Yellow Tang and Hippo Tang in a 20L QT for 4 weeks today observation only. The Yellow Tang looks, acts and eats perfectly. The Hippo Tang is eating great, not breathing hard and associates way better than to be expected with the Yellow Tang. In fact it seems they are best friends.

The Hippos has been randomly flashing lately. I thought I saw signs of Velvet last night and immediately pulled him out and FW Dip 5 Mins. When I got him out of the QT for the FW dip I no longer saw any signs of what I thought was velvet. In fact he looked perfect. Could be the lights messing with my bad eyes? After the FW Dip (he did great through it) he did get stresses and I saw some color anomalies like white color spots but nothing raised or cyst. Lights went off and I worried all night. This morning I noticed flashing and did a 25% water change. Flashing has stopped. He ate Nori like I never fed him and is swimming next to the Yellow. It is a fish I am QTing for a friend and 4 weeks are up so I was going to take them back Saturday. Not sure what to do.

As a side note, the whole 4 weeks the Yellow Tang would "pick" at the Hippo. I thought is was establishing dominance but perhaps the Yellow was grooming him? I saw the hippo swim backwards towards the Yellow for perhaps attention? No visible signs of ich or flukes. The Yellow is perfect. Could this just be weird behavior from a bloody Hippo?

Hippo's are very strange fish.

When you did the FW dip, did you see if any flukes came off?

The yellow won't "groom" the Hippo, its not what they do. The backward swimming by a tang is a sign of aggression, normally fairly mild. They do this to use the scalpels on their tails.

 

[DSmithZ28]

Hippo's are very strange fish.

When you did the FW dip, did you see if any flukes came off?

The yellow won't "groom" the Hippo, its not what they do. The backward swimming by a tang is a sign of aggression, normally fairly mild. They do this to use the scalpels on their tails.

I did a FW Dip last night and nothing came off. In fact he looked perfect in the FW dip where it looked like he may have had some velvet type appearance last night. So I think it could be the lights and the blacked out QT tank playing tricks on my mind.

And I totally get what you are saying about grooming but I have been carefully observing these two and they are quite the couple. There is no hostility in either of them. The Tang would "pick" not bite at the Hippo in a non threatening way. Very strange. The Hippo is smaller than the Yellow and seems to want it's attention. The Hippos swim and stays close the Yellow where the Yellow just does his own thing. These off behaviors are new to me as I am not a huge fan of Hippo Tangs because of their ich/health problems and pouting issues.

 

[Brew12]

I did a FW Dip last night and nothing came off. In fact he looked perfect in the FW dip where it looked like he may have had some velvet type appearance last night. So I think it could be the lights and the blacked out QT tank playing tricks on my mind.

And I totally get what you are saying about grooming but I have been carefully observing these two and they are quite the couple. There is no hostility in either of them. The Tang would "pick" not bite at the Hippo in a non threatening way. Very strange. The Hippo is smaller than the Yellow and seems to want it's attention. The Hippos swim and stays close the Yellow where the Yellow just does his own thing. These off behaviors are new to me as I am not a huge fan of Hippo Tangs because of their ich/health problems and pouting issues.

My personal opinion would be to do at least one more week of observation. It may not be needed because Hippo's have all sorts of odd behaviors but I fall firmly in the "better safe than sorry" camp.

 

[Humblefish]

^^ Agree with @Brew12

Hippos exhibit strange behavior, including scratching when no parasites/worms are present and white splotches on them that are not disease-related. Very nerve-racking fish to QT.