Hippo Tang gets air after eating

[firewill65]

Everytime I feed my tank...my blue hippo tang will go to the surface of the tank and it looks like it's trying to get air or wash out it's gills after eating. I've had the tang for 3 years so no disease...plenty of oxygen in the water, water parameters with in normal limits. Does it for like 5 minutes then quits.

Is this a common thing for tangs to do after eating?

 

[ReefingWerewolf]

My fish do that cuz they are used to floating food.

 

[Mr V]

I just noticed my fish do that last night. He scare the heck out of me, I had to grab my test kit! lol

 

[Dmorty217]

My foxface will do this once a day, not during feeding time and I have a buddy who's hippo does the same thing. My DT has 160xs plus turnover so I can't think that oxygen is the reason

 

[Moort82]

I've heard of orange shoulder tangs eating the protein layer off the surface so it might be similar.

 

[firewill65]

I'll try and get a video of it later

 

[Rea17]

My fowleri and lieutenant tangs do this too, and have for a long time. Not sure why, but they're perfectly healthy happy fish. Nothing to worry about IMO...

 

[Dmorty217]

Maybe it has something to do with their size? The three fish I mentioned that do it are all 6-8" or so?

 

[firewill65]

My tang is about 4-5 inches....started doing it a month ago. Could high nitrates be bothering him. My nitrates are about 40ppm. Then again, it's only after he eats!

 

[terry4505]

My hippo does the exact same thing. Fills his mouth with air, swims down and forces the bubbles out of his gills

 

[firewill65]

Thanks guys...guess this is common. I couldn't find much on RC about this.

 

[sandwi54]

A few of my fish do this too, especially the larger ones like my 12" french angel and 9" puffers. I don't think it's of any concern.

 

[firewill65]

Here is a link to a video I posted. Sorry if it hasn't been rotated yet, but you'll get the idea.

http://youtu.be/7tBDaKbZDCU

 

[ca1ore]

My fowleri and lieutenant tangs do this too, and have for a long time. Not sure why, but they're perfectly healthy happy fish. Nothing to worry about IMO...

My Hippo does this as well - no idea why. Maybe its just psycho.

 

[ReefingWerewolf]

My foxface will do this once a day, not during feeding time and I have a buddy who's hippo does the same thing. My DT has 160xs plus turnover so I can't think that oxygen is the reason

Lolz my fish dont care, If im in the room no matter if its feeding time they are gulping at the top anyways.

 

[Marshall O]

My 6" Magnificent Foxface does this as well in my 125. Again, definitely not an O2 issue. Always during feeding time, but will also do it randomly throughout the day.