Help!! Hippo tang not eating!

[Tbar100]

Hello everyone, I have a dilemma. I just recently got a hippo tang yesterday and it is not eating. I have tried to give it my regular reef food, (very meaty full of fish, brine shrimp and basically all meaty types of food, a customer at my LFS makes it and it is a great food) dired marine algae, lettuce, and I have a TON of hair algae for it to feed on. Water is *perfect* no ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, or phosphates. pH around 8.2, spg 1.123. I just got him yesterday and I can understand that he may be nervous but he got really skinny since I got him, and his anal, and belly area have turned a pale blue. Also, his breathing seems a little quick but nothing terribly unusual. All he does is swim on the right side of the tank, little ups and downs along the wall. I thought I would try to hatch some brine shrimp tomorrow to feed him with. I have some corals in the tank (all soft) and I also have a maroon clown, a yellow tailed damsel, and a royal gramma, 2 shrimp, and some hermits. My tank is 36 gallons, I thought it may be small but my LFS said it is fine, as long as he had enough algae to eat, and he does, it is everywhere! Also, I have some feathery caulerpa in my tank, I had that in there before he was added in but IDK if tangs eat that stuff. I really don't care what he eats from my tank right now, just as long as he eats!!!! Please give me any advice you can!

Thanks!

Marc

 

[woodycb]

Try attaching some dried seaweed to a little piece of live rock with a rubber band and stick it in your tank. If you have any garlic extreme or selcon try soaking some frozen brine or frozen mysis shrimp in that for a couple of minutes and turn off all pumps so the food will float for awhile. Maybe that will entice him. Good luck.

 

[Tbar100]

Ok, thanks, I will check if we have any garlic.

Marc

 

[kevin2000]

My 02

You have two problems 1) fish not eating 2) LFS who sold you a fish that needs a MUCH larger tank

As far as the fish not eating ... thats not uncommon when any new wild caught fish is introduced to a new tank and let the fish acclimate to its new surroundings with some dim light and not alot of people around the tank. Often a very small amt of live brine shrimp will help stimulate appetite.

As far as "tank size"

In general tangs need large and mature tanks - namely because they need plenty of room to swim and because they need a continual source of food (provided by algae/critters that inhabit a mature tank). You have a new/immature tank that is frankly way to small for any tang. Liveaquaria.com and marinedepotlive.com are two good sites which will give you basic information about any fish you want to purchase. Heres a link to the marinedepotlive.com site which discusses your hippo tang. Note they recommend a minimum of 100 gallons.

http://www.marinedepotlive.com/blue-tang---paracanthurus-hepatus-fish--tangs.html

Try and take the fish back and exchange for something more appropriate ... some store's won't take fish back but may give you "store credit". If your serious about "saltwater" then find a good LFS that knows what fish are appropriate for your tank ... that often means store that specialize in "saltwater".

Good luck.

 

[ginger7286]

I agree the tank is too small for such a potentially bib fish. The garlic is good advice, I use the liquid Garlic Guard and soak the food prior to feeding. They like it. Remember these fish are strange and stress easily. When I purchased mine she hid for a day or two under some rock work and shook like a leaf. I left the lights dim and avoided the tank. After several days she began swimming around a very small area in the rear of the tank behind some greens and rock. Finally after two weeks she is eating well and swimming around the tank like she owns it. Give yours time and quiet. In the meantime think about a larger tank if you decide to keep her. Good luck...they are a fun fish to watch.