Blue hippo tang acting weird

[All Seas]

Hey guys,

I have a 90 gallon tank with a few coral and only a blue hippo and a clown fish. They have been together for about 2-3 years now and have been fine the whole time.

For the past few days, she has been hiding a lot more than usual and is just hovering in one spot staring at a rock. She is also not eating as much as she used to. She also seems to be breathing heavier.

I tested the water parameters and they are as follows:
Ph: 8.11
Alkalinity: 7.84
Nitrates: 0
Nitrites: 0
Ammonia: 0

Any ideas?

 

[ca1ore]

Any ideas?

Well, for starters my experience with hippo tangs is that they can develop idiosyncratic behaviors as they grow, particularly if they are housed in a tank that is too small for them. I would imagine a 2-3 year old fish is of decent size, and may simply have outgrown the 48" length of the tank. If you have introduced a non-QT fish into our tank recently, it could also be some kind of disease.

 

[All Seas]

We had a longnose butterfly that was added about 6 weeks ago but would not eat and dies 2-3 weeks after acclimation. His death was roughly 4 weeks ago....

 

[Flippers4pups]

Could be low O2. What is your turnover at? +1 in its in a WAY too small tank. Consider rehoming him soon.

 

[All Seas]

She is only about 2 inches big....

As for turnover, I have had a single mp40 for the past 1 year and my return pump is about 500gph with the current head.

 

[BlueMac92]

They have been together for about 2-3 years now

She is only about 2 inches big....

.....

 

[Marshall O]

As BlueMac alluded to, a healthy Blue Tank should likely be larger than 2" if it has been with you for 2-3 years. If this is the case, what is your feeding regiment?

 

[All Seas]

Usually flake once a day for a few days then will switch to mysis for a day or two

 

[nikon187]

that fish should be 6-7 inches after 2-3 yrs!!
flake is nothing but ruffage, like you eating lettuce every day. a good pellet goes a long way to keeping on wait and growth. That combined with nori ( which tangs need ) and mysis.

 

[All Seas]

She will not eat nori

 

[ca1ore]

Are you able to share a picture? All my tangs eat nori - actually they destroy it. A sheet lasts less than 2 minutes.

 

[lagatbezan]

I would post this in the disease forum. if the butterfly wasn't quarantined, it probably brought in something with it to the tank. My guess would be maybe flukes. Are there any other symptoms? White stringy poop? Shaking of head? Cloudy eyes?

 

[All Seas]

So I finally got a chance to get home (been working out of state) and see the fish first hand.

She has been staying at the bottom breathing very heavy and it looks like her stomach is curved in. I can also see her skeleton right behind her fine and there seems to be a faint whiteness on her body.

Am I too late?

 

[ca1ore]

Based on the length of time you have had this fish, it's size, and the skinny appearance and I'd say chronic malnutrition (stress, underfeeding, intestinal worms ... ).

 

[All Seas]

I can't see how it's malnutrition after 2 years of being perfectly healthy in the same tank

 

[ca1ore]

Maybe. A picture would help us to help you.

 

[All Seas]

She's tucked in a cave for the night. If she's out in the am I will get a picture

 

[reeferstace]

I can't see how it's malnutrition after 2 years of being perfectly healthy in the same tank

"Perfectly healthy" fish don't die all the sudden with no apparent reason.

I also think that chronic malnutrition caused her demise.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Based an your feeding regime and the diet offered, combined with the stunted growth, I'd have to agree with the others. The fish is very malnourished.