Looking to replace a Hippo Tang

Cobrasvt1999

Cobrasvt1999

Member
First off, I don't have, and don't want a hippo tang in my small tank (56 gal).... ok, I want one, but I don't want to be cruel to the animal, so no hippo for me... (thought about growing out a small one, but I hear thats a bad idea)

What im looking for is some kind of fish that could replace it for the vivid blue coloration in my tank... Im currently looking at the Blue Reef Chromis (maybe 2 or 3 of them)

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+2971+113&pcatid=113

any other suggestion?

Thanks!
Lars
 
Starcki Damsel Probably the best looking of any of the Damsels of which Chromis is also a Damsel as are Clownfish.
 
think about an engineer goby instead of the eel. Way less trouble to feed, keep good water params, and keep in the tank.
 
That snowflake eel might be a problem. I have heard of some that didn't bother other fish and some that did. They also like to escape from the tank, but I agree they are awesome looking and small enough for something as small as a 55 gallon.
 
CStrickland said:
think about an engineer goby instead of the eel. Way less trouble to feed, keep good water params, and keep in the tank.
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crocogator106 said:
That snowflake eel might be a problem. I have heard of some that didn't bother other fish and some that did. They also like to escape from the tank, but I agree they are awesome looking and small enough for something as small as a 55 gallon.
Click to expand...

Understanding that they can be a bit of a pain at times, but they seem to be one of the least aggressive that I can keep in a tank of this size... and frankly, to me, the coolness factor of having one and seeing it makes up for being tough to feed.
 
Cobrasvt1999 said:
1 clown
1 firefish
1 royal gramma basslet
1 yellow tang (i know, but he was small and a gift, so im growing him for a few months before giving him to the store)
also, im thinking about adding a snowflake eel... though havent done that yet
Click to expand...


My dad has a tang in a 36 inch 30 gallon tank which is a problem but a tang in a 50 gallon column isnt as bad. Dont apologize to the tang police around here.

Everyone has said on here that chromis are very aggressive in groups like that.
 
davehead86 said:
My dad has a tang in a 36 inch 30 gallon tank which is a problem but a tang in a 50 gallon column isnt as bad. Dont apologize to the tang police around here.

Everyone has said on here that chromis are very aggressive in groups like that.
Click to expand...

Really? Huh, well maybe hold off on the chromis then, or at peast cut back the number of em... so you would say a small hippo is alright in a 56?
 
at least 6 imo. You might consider a dwarf angel like a bicolor or flameback or pygymy they have some blue to them. They don't require the swimming space like a hippo does.
 
jminick2 said:
hit or miss dwarfs are usually better I have had a coral beauty and flame angel never touch any corals. You will find people who haven't been so lucky. Keep um fed and they should be fine.
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I suppose they do have a mind of their own and will do what they want... regardless of what you want.
I'll look into em, thanks for the suggestion!
 
It's odd to me that if someone said "I want to keep a Picasso Trigger in a 30 gallon tank," we'd all tell them they were crazy and no one would think twice about it. Even if they said "It's a little one," we'd still say no because that does not meet the needs of the fish.
But let any reasonable person, like the OP, say "I'm going to do the responsible thing and not keep a fish with a recommended tank size of 180 in a tank a quarter of that size" and suddenly it's about the tang police being ridiculous and deliberately wanting to deny someone a fish they want instead of being about reason and common sense.
Can you keep a Hippo in a little tank? Maybe, for a while, but it's kinda like buying a big dog for a little apartment and then wondering why things don't work out down the road.
There are lots of nice, blue fish out there that fit the profile of this tank. Kudos to the OP for doing some research and the right thing by their fish.
 
Personally I think chromis are ugly. I would like yellow tail damsel or flame Angel as someone else suggested.lol but it's not my tank.oh yeah starcki as someone suggested is a beautiful fish.
 
davehead86 said:
My dad has a tang in a 36 inch 30 gallon tank which is a problem but a tang in a 50 gallon column isnt as bad. Dont apologize to the tang police around here.
Click to expand...

Here's a list of recommended sizes for diff species based on decades of experience with aquariums, and observation in the wild
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1946007
People are free to follow it, or not. Have you kept tangs for decades and observed them extensively in their natural habitat?
 
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