Add a Hippo Tang???

[Daniel Reef]

in australia the information that is usually presented to people is that a 6x2x2 is acceptable but still considered small for blue tangs.

The problem is that people do not care about fish. They keep them cause they are pretty, but they do not care whether they live or die long term as they will get bored with the maintenance of the tank way before that. its systematic of society whereby short term happiness/saity is the ONLY consideration in any purchase.

I've seen people be told that the tang/fish will outgrow their tank in a few months but they dont care cause they wont it. And at the end of the day these people make up the majority of the customer base for companies so they cant deny them or they will go out of business. It's no different than selling junk food to a fat person at the supermarket, its no recommended and can have serious detrimental long term effects on quality of life but the supermarket isnt going to stop selling chips to fatty or they will loose considerable amounts of money.

Thanks rnscross. It sounds like you are saying that in Australia, they recommend a minimum 180g tank for a hippo which is the similar recommendation made by Live Aquaria in the States. So I guess the issue is whether the UK or Europe recommends differently as was suggested by Milspec. Your post, however, would also debunk the aspect of milspec's post that claims that the States are doing an injustice in recommending a 180 since Australia recommends the same thing.

 

[Gill_bucket]

Would you be so kind to post British or other European websites where the recommendation for housing a Hippo tang are different than those of American websites (e.g., LA recommends 180g). It would be interesting to know if American websites are conservative and are recommending bigger tanks as compared to British/European websites or if it's a situation where British/European websites recommend the same thing but they are just being ignored by British/European reefers like your post suggests. TIA

I think they are talking about things like this... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K332w_YyZ0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[rnscross]

the thing is that everyone wants dory, and a 180gal tank is an achievable tank size. I think it is quoted as adequate simply because it at least in part allows the fish to live in a proper sized tank rather than a 40 or 55.

 

[Gill_bucket]

Personally I think a blue tang would be more appropriate in a 65 than a luitenent tang. Luitenent tangs are probably hardier than a blue (most tangs are) but I think luitenents get 19"? IME blue tangs grow much slower than other tangs, however it is important to keep in mind that they are a much more delicate tang than most; they are prone to ick and can be very skittish when first introduced.

 

[Gill_bucket]

I just checked LIve aquaria and I'm wrong the luitenent only gets 10"

 

[piusma]

As I am reading this thread tonight I am feeling very guilty of purchasing my blue hippo. I purchased it when it was only 1" long 18 months ago. It lived in my 4ft 90 gallon tank for about 6 months and I have upgraded since then.

It spent the last year in my 6 ft 180 gallon and has grown to about 5" in 18 months. (well fed, good water sps tank) I added an achillies tang to my tank 3 months ago and they have been living together fairly peacefully. In the last 3 weeks, both fish has grown and they're starting to show aggression to each other. I'm forseeing them fighting and at some point either I'll have to remove one or let them kill each other. As much as I love my hippo, the achillies will be the one that stays.

Ever thought about removing a fish from a reef tank? It's easier said than done because of all the rocks and corals. And for those of you who's done it before, a fish trap is the answer! Guess what? I had to move everything on the sand bed out of the way and broke a few sps branches to fit the fish trap in.

The fish trap was about a foot long and I don't believe you'll be able to lurk an 8" tang to swim in there. And I have not seen any commerical fish trap that is bigger than mine let alone the fact that it will be a big challenge to find enough space to fit inside your tank.

The hippo is my son's favourite fish and it'll have to spend the night in the fish trap before the LFS opens and I feel so guilty doing it. Don't forget you do get attached to the animal yourself too. It has only been 18 months but this baby has grown into a lovely specimen. Sometimes even if you upgrade, you might not be able to have your tangs to coexist in your new tank. I will be replacing the hippo with some other fish but I doubt I'll be putting another tang in there.

I am not going to judge anyone because I did not make a good decision myself but I do want to share my experience so others might not follow my foot steps. I thought it'll take 5 to 6 years for the hippo to grow big but it only took 18 months. And for those who has not seen a 12"+ hippo, I can tell you that they are not cute at all! If I had seen a 12"+ hippo back then, I wouldn't have bought the fish. They are nothing like the cute little baby I had brought home! Just my 2 cents.

I have seen two large hippos from my LFS and this is how they look like when they grew to full size

 

[murdoch LFC]

Thanks, John for your response. I presume that you live in the UK. It sounds like you are saying that, in the UK, the recommended tank size for a hippo is an 8ft tank, but that people instead put them in smaller tanks (perhaps because they are not educated about the proper minimum size). Do you know if there is a UK website that recommends this? The reason that I ask is because an earlier poster seemed to suggest that there are different recommendations for hippos in the US as compared to the UK/Europe. I would like to know if that is accurate so that I can determine if there is a difference and if so, why. Thanks in advance.

Hi yes i am a uk resident,and yes i do agree to a 8 foot tank being suitable for a hippo.i dont no of any uk websites as i use divers den.The thing is our lfs used to have a bit of a monopoly on marines,and has a fully stocked tank with a yellow and 4-5 inch regal tang in it.The tank is probably 36w 22h 20d.So any customers entering that shop think its okey to buy and keep a regal in a tank this size
john