Hi, yesterday we got a blue hippo tang about the size of a 50 cent piece, very young. We brought it home and I put in into the QT tank and it swam down to the lower right hand corner and has not moved since. It has it's head up against the glass and it's stomach against the bottom and it continually pushing it self into the glass and down. I tried to feed it some garlic soaked mysis and spectrum pellets but it wasn't interested at all. Lights have been out, but I'm starting to get a little worried. any suggestions? thanks
hippo tang stressed?
- Thread starter landers96
- Start date
Jeff Trout
New member
How long your QT be running?It should be mature like a reef tank!
I would put it in the DT.
I would put it in the DT.
soundreefer
New member
I would trust either store to not sell you a sick fish, Does he have someplace to hide? I have seen them on their side wedge under a piece of pvc or in a fake coral ( at AT) Regardless of in QT or DT, he will need to feel safe to acclimate properly and start eating again
Jim Morrison
New member
Blue Hippos are shy fish especially when they are that size and having just bought it and it beeing the only fish in the tank what do you expect. Dont blame A.T. for your ignorance. Give the poor fish a place to hide. They love branching corals so get a fake plastic coral for it in the tank. In my opinion especially when they are that small they are schooling fish. In tanks that have many(15+) they all swim in the open but when there are few they tend to hide in the rocks. I wouldnt use LR cause if you gotta treat the tank you will probably kill the rock. One more thing make sure you feed it small food
BrunstuckyJoe
Active member
+1
He'll probably get white bumps too....but he'll be fin in a week or so,...they are really shy fish at first...before long he'll b begging for food.
He'll probably get white bumps too....but he'll be fin in a week or so,...they are really shy fish at first...before long he'll b begging for food.
Thanks guys for all your input, I really do appreciate it. And I really didn't mean anything bad about AT, if I thought anything bad about them why would I buy it there in the first place. Also I did do my research on this fish before purchasing it and thought I knew what I was getting, but when it did something that I had not read about I figured you guys would be the people to ask, so please excuse my "ignorance".
DiscoReefRover
Active member
i have a blue that still runs and hides when i walk up to the tank so bad as he causes himself injury everytime hes all scared up from smashing his 6" body into holes he dont fit into IMO they are hit or miss and ich magnets but ...you never know
thanks for all the input guys. Putting in the fake coral was a good idea. I had some pvc in there, but i had some fake plastic coral from my old freshwater setup so I cleaned them up real good and put them in there. I turned off all the lights little bit ago and we went to bed, but I just went in there to check on him and he is nestled up in the coral. that was a good idea, thanks. that is the first time he's come out of that cornor. that makes me feel better, i just hate to see him so stressed. once again guys, thanks for all the input.
You may want to try putting some dried seaweed or nori on a vegi clip or rubber banded to a rock nearby where he is "hiding". That way he can eat when he relaxes--he may be getting more scared when you are around the tank and putting the food in. Hopefully there are no other fish that will steal his food. I got a hippo 2 years ago that may have been a little smaller than this one, and he ate almost anything I gave him. Also, you may want to put a towel over the glass too so he isn't startled by people moving around--you may look like a shark to him. Good luck.
He has FINALLY eaten! thank goodness. I tried all kinds of food, but he finally just went after some prawn eggs. All the food I tried was small enough for him to eat, but just not interested, even brine. Prawn eggs soaked in selcon and a drop of garlic, that's what he's finally going after. And no white spots yet, I thought for sure ich would show up by now seeing how stressed he was/is. Now what to do about all the food laying on the bottom of the tank. Don't really want to go in there and siphon it out causeing him more stress. I just figured I'd let you guys in on the good news.
