New hippo tang acting weird

[puck3]

finished cycling my tank on friday with live rock from a healthy aquarium. Today I added fish. Added a juvenile hippo tang about 1.5" long. Been in the tank about an hour and he is just sitting at the top of tank on the side of the overflow just holding himself there. Plenty of rock and crevices to hide in. Is this just new acclimation behavior? or is this weird for a hippo tang to do regardless? might be premature, but getting nervous.

 

[Sk8r]

1. how long was your cycle? Usual is 4-12 weeks. 2. did you quarantine? 3. did you acclimate or test relative salinity? [s.b. no more than .002 difference] 4. how large a tank? hippos take a really big tank. 5. the lights may spook him. Turn them off a while.

 

[puck3]

cycle took just under 4 weeks. specific gravity is 1.025, salinty from LFS was 1.021. Drip acclimated him up to my tank over 2 hrs. Did not quarantine, unfortunately have no way of setting up QT system, just put him in display tank. Tank size is 120 gallon (I know its small for hippo tang). Lights have been off in tank since before I started acclimation and dropped him in tank with the lights off. Was not going to try and feed him tonight since I figured he wouldnt eat anyways, so I dont know if hes eating at the moment.

 

[boilermaker1]

That honestly sounds normal. The few times I've had to move mine, hanging at the top of the tank is what he did at first. Eventually he'll go lower, but for the moment, cover the tank in case he decides to jump.

 

[puck3]

I have a canopy on the tank already so not to worried bout jumping. behavior is just freakin me out

 

[amnbowser]

Sounds normal to me.

 

[JohnnyB in SD]

I wouldn't worry unless you can't get him to eat.
Is easier to train / get fish on food in a smaller QT tank. Just one of the less important reasons to use one. 10gls with small heater & HOB filter doesn't take much space and costs less than fixing problems introduced to your main display.

 

[snorvich]

I wouldn't worry unless you can't get him to eat.
Is easier to train / get fish on food in a smaller QT tank. Just one of the less important reasons to use one. 10gls with small heater & HOB filter doesn't take much space and costs less than fixing problems introduced to your main display.

Actually, it is one of the most important reasons to quarantine.

 

[puck3]

Just an update. fish is now swimming around take pretty freely, still scared of me walking close to the tank. I see him nipping at the algae on live rock and he even ate some frozen mysis shrimp. Wouldnt eat formula 2 frozen food and doesnt seem to want any dried algae I put on an algae clip. Will visit LFS tomorow to check out some other options.

 

[boilermaker1]

Just so you know... he will probably always be scared of you. They're big babies. But soon he'll figure out what the food serving device looks like, and be real interested in that. But if you walk into the room empty handed, he's gonna dart for cover.

 

[Holsteiner]

I got my hippo tang when he was about an inch big....he's now 5 inches and a pig, but the one thing he still won't eat is nori or algae strips. One thing I would recommend if he doesn't eat any algae on the clip or on a rock is to supplement with Formula 2 flakes. I've supplemented my guy with them since he was a baby to make sure he was getting algae in him.....he loves everything else....just not the algae strips...lol

 

[puck3]

I figured once he realizes Im the food source source hell be less shy around me. Will tr formula 2 flakes tomorow, atleast I know hes eating though and that I can get some food in him.