stressed hippo tang

[peteranddeb]

Hello i need sone help a weekago i redid my tank moved the rocks and added afew more. since i have done this my hippo tang has been very less say odd he lays down as if he is dead only swims backwards for a short time and has not eatten anything. he seems to do more floating then swimming. i am just wondering if there is anything i could do to help him or should i just make natural take over. before i moved things around he was find happy swimming and eatting he was always shy and hid but thats a tang from what i read. thanks any help would be great.

 

[_Alex_]

need more info. tank size, water parameters condition of new rock added, age of the tank

 

[Boogie]

Any discoloration in his body? Rapid breathing?

 

[peteranddeb]

55 gallon cured live rock water para are all perfect tank is about 2 months old running sump. and 2 maxjet 1200 powerheads other fish are find just seems it bothered him. i gone through the whole cycle thing not my first tank but been a while since i had one just wanted to know if anyone else had this problem.he seems to hid more and just dont look very happy last thing i want is a unhappy tang. i have 2 damsels and a green chroms snails hermit crabs red and blue and 2 pepperment shrimps one coral band shrimp all seem perfect just hippo or as i call him blue

 

[peteranddeb]

he does seem to be breathing heavy at times mostly when he plays dead. then all of a sudden he gets up and moves around for awhile he is very dary dark all colors look great no spots or anything thats what i was afraid of i moved him to med tank and he was there till saturday put him back in main tank late saturday. just wish he would swim forward not backwards

 

[xcorallusx]

I would say water quality issue, these are good fish to tell you if somethings wrong

 

[peteranddeb]

seems odd all levels test good and all other fish and thing are doing great well i am hoping he will snap out of it and begin to enjoy the tank. guess i will have to wait for my other half to get home so she can test the water i spilled gas today filling up snowblower so i am not sticking my hands in the tank and yes i washed them but i am not taken any chances.

 

[peteranddeb]

just a THOUGHT COULD THERE BE TO MUCH WATER MOVEMENT IN THE TANK FOR HIM NOT SURE IF THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE OR NOT

 

[PokyReefs]

Do you have a cleanershrimp in your tank? If not i would consider adding one, also as stated above id recheck params these fish are great for early tell tell signs of problems

 

[peteranddeb]

I was thingking of getting a cleaner shrimp maybe will take a ride to look and see if my guy has any and when the boss gets home i am sure she will test the water yes i said boss.

 

[schabiazabi]

The information you provided is not enough to come up with any smart conclusion, but I'll try:

Cleaner shrimp will not help. Being a hippo "specialist" I can tell you this fish is very easy to keep (if you care for your marine life correctly) and it's not prone to Marine Ich (white spots, etc) despite what you read on forums and in fish books. But there is a catch: this fish can be mental.

By mental I mean this fish is smart. Very much similar to a human being. It needs a house to sleep at night and when threatened. It's possible when reworking your rock you closed down the place where the tang was hiding/sleeping. Sometimes the fish will seem confused when you do that.

It's also possible you hurt the fish when moving the rock. With the information I have (fish size, how long you had the fish, what were you feeding it, any additions to the tank) it is not easy to diagnose. Chances are the new live rock you added contained some kind of parasite the fish is suffering from. Hard to tell. I would suggest not to bother him too much. You can drop the salinity a little bit in order to make it easier on the fish.

I have raised many of Blue Belly Hippos from 1/2 inch all the way up to show size and I never had any issues with these fish. If the marine life you add to your aquarium is properly quarantined/dipped and fed it will strive. Otherwise it will not. Make sure to feed all your tangs at least 3 different algae: purple (their favorite), green, and red. They have to eat twice a day. All food should be frozen. Fish do not process wheat.

Post some pictures of the fish if you can. Also explain your latest additions along with your quarantine process/dips, feeding cycle, and etc. Maybe that will help.

 

[peteranddeb]

thank you very much just came back from the one place i buy all supplies and fish they did a water check and everything was dead on what you say makes sense like i said he seems confussed i feel much better and my boss lady will make sure to pick up the other seedweed we only have the green have not added any other fish or life since i rearranged the tank i will try and post some pictures for you his color is very bright and looks great just confused

 

[tinctorus]

I didnt read throught he entire thread but I REALLY hope you had that fish in a QT tank before adding him to your main display tank as blue tangs and poweder blue tangs are VERY susceptible to coming down with diseases
If you cant get him out of your DT then try feading him and all the rest of the fish medicated food

 

[Bubbabobobbrain]

There is no such thing as too much water flow for a tang. My hippo tang will sit in front of my koralia 1400 gph powerhead and swim straight into the flow for some exercise. Not to be a downer here but hippo tangs are 1 of the harder fish to keep an aquarium. They get stressed very easily and are incredibly prone ich. If you can catch him I would put him in qt for a few weeks to monitor his health. I had a real small hippo tang a few years back that used to play dead and unfortunately for him, he did not make it. Im not sure if its overly stressed or what but when my first hippo tang did that he ended up dying. So I would really try to qt him and see if that helps him to calm down some. Good luck.

 

[Mr. Limpid]

Hippo tangs and any other tang are prone to ick because tangs have a very thin slime coat which makes it easy prey for ick. Also tangs are great swimmers, like in the move "keep on swimming", they need ample room. After a tang reaches a certain size, (they will let you know) they need a larger tank. I believe your tang is letting you know, this is why most people say tangs require a 6' long tank. I also had raised a 1/2" hippo tang to know about 4", he started in a 20 long, the day I saw him shot from one side to the other in a blink of an eye I moved him to the 135. He was in the 20 gal for a little over a year.

 

[bucksfan1976]

I have had the worst luck with blue hippos, powder brown and powder blue tangs. I dont know what it is about them.

 

[bucksfan1976]

I have had the worst luck with blue hippos, powder brown and powder blue tangs.  I dont know what it is about them.

 

[whyzee429]

I usually put brown, green, and red seaweed in the tank on a clip. That way he can choose what he wants. I occasionally feed flakes but he more actively goes after frozed food.

 

[BOL]

I usually put brown, green, and red seaweed in the tank on a clip. That way he can choose what he wants. I occasionally feed flakes but he more actively goes after frozed food.

That's interesting about the use of all algae types. Thanks. I have always just used the green algae. My first blue tang lasted 10 years. he is still my longest lived marine fish. I lost him after all that time probably because I introduced uncured live rock. Stupid on my part. My main display tank is 135 gallon long. I keep a 55 gallon up and running with salt and skimmed for hospital tank as needed. Not very often fortunately. My current blue tang is full grown and it is distributing symptoms of stress last few weeks. I have had him for about 9 months. He stands on his head and only swims gently backwards. No ick, no fin rot etc. possible blindness. I think I had a slight nitrite spike in this case. he is in the 55 gal hosp tank now. And is improving. But not out of the woods yet. Agree with posts above. Blue Tangs are hardy when water quality is solid. Not as hardy as large clowns or lions but more hardy than large angels imo.