I am contemplating adding (at the request of my wife) a Blue Hippo Tang to my tank. I currently have a 55g long tank with (in addition to a slew of invertebrates) a Fire Goby and 2 Clarkiis, one about 2" and the other about 3". The last time I tried to add a fish to my system I only had a 30 gal. I added a bi-colored Angel and the next morning it was dead. Now I didn't actually see him being bullied but I have seen the Clarkiis bully the Goby (couldn't catch him) and a Royal Gramma (fought back after about a minute). Any thoughts? Would I be better off with a smaller Tang or a larger one?
Clarkii vs. Blue Hippo
- Thread starter Foody
- Start date
EllieSuz
Premium Member
A Hippo needs a much larger tank. You'll have to settle for one of the Bristletooth Tangs such as Yellow Eyed Kole or Tomini. Whether your clowns will be aggressive to any new fish is anybody's guess. The fact that your Angel died the day after you added it may well have been an acclimation problem rather than clown aggression. Or related to recent shipping stress, etc. Be sure with new fish you learn the appropriate acclimation techniques. Have you set up your quarantine tank yet?
FSU3NOLES28
New member
I had a hippo with a pair of clarkiis for quite a while in my 55. Never seemed to bother one another. The hippo was bought for me as a present and was very small when I got it. Had him for about a year til my ich breakout.
The idea is to get fish you can plan to keep. I'm working an upgrade in the next little while here but unfortunately the hippo never lived to see his permanent tank.
Don't go out and get a tang that can grow really big if you aren't going to have a large enough tank for him/her. IF you have a 55 now that's okay for a baby, but only if you plan to get a tank of adequate size in the next year or so.
Your question will answer itself if you do keep the hippo in there too long. Small tank like that, with a good sized tang will cause fish to fight for space. End won't be pretty.
The idea is to get fish you can plan to keep. I'm working an upgrade in the next little while here but unfortunately the hippo never lived to see his permanent tank.
Don't go out and get a tang that can grow really big if you aren't going to have a large enough tank for him/her. IF you have a 55 now that's okay for a baby, but only if you plan to get a tank of adequate size in the next year or so.
Your question will answer itself if you do keep the hippo in there too long. Small tank like that, with a good sized tang will cause fish to fight for space. End won't be pretty.
briangsxr1000
New member
I have a beautiful Yellow Eyed Kole tang....He does very well in my 57 Rimless tank!
I guess I left out a small detail in my original post. Once my wife found out I was going from the 30 to the 55, the first words out of her mouth were, "I want one of those 'Dori' fish from Finding Nemo movie. You always get what you want. It's my turn." Thus the desire to have a Blue Hippo Tang. She's already figured out where to move everything around so make the larger tank fit in the house.
EllieSuz
Premium Member
You're a lucky man to have a spouse that goes along with your hobby. My hubby tolerates the tank and will stop and speak to the fish now and then because he had a hand in naming them, but that's the extent of his interest. I don't care much for drag racing, so we each just do our own thing.
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