My hippo tang

[9g]

I added my hippo tang 3 days ago and he was doing well.

This morning, the blue neon lights stopped working that left the tank pitch black sometime that night.

I couldn't find my hippo tang. Hippo tangs usually hides alot so my first thought was that he was just sleeping somewhere and should come out soon.

Then I thought for the worst and start looking for its body but I could not find him. So I moved all my rocks( what a mess) and still couldnt find him.

Then I moved the sand alittle bit cause maybe he got coated by sand but i still couldnt find him.

About an hour ago, i tried again and there he was, in the middle of my live rock stuck and could not get out. Tried the powerhead but he's in there pretty tight.

So i had to take the rock out and move it to a bucket with water of course and start chipping the rock slowly.

It didnt take long until i split the rock and he got out free.

Right now, he is very scared and is very still right next to a live rock.

Hopefully he'll make a full recovery. I love my hippo tang.

 

[SpydrWorks]

It's been a few days. How's the tang?

 

[9g]

hes still doing the same thing, hiding, but atleast he's alive.

I bought a 29G for him and a clownfish so he has company.

 

[SpydrWorks]

How's the water quality in the main tank?

I'm guessing the 29 is a temporary thing for the tang? He can't stay in there. Tangs do not do well in small tanks.

Check the water parameters and post the results...numbers please. Do include all four areas...ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.

Don't be too worried about the fish hiding. That's normal for a new fish and normal for a tang. Also keep in mind that tangs may appear stuck when they may not be and any tampering to get them out of where they are at can cause them to clamp up and wedge themselves stuck trying to resist.

I know it can be frustrating to get a new fish and they hide for days...and you get worried something is wrong. What I do is wait at least a week before breaking down a tank to find a fish. Mainly because stirring up the bottom can release toxic substances like excess ammonia and freak the new guy out with a domestic version of a hurricane...lol.

Keep us informed

 

[Ziggy953]

Not to be a meany or anything but that tang isn't going to make it in a 29g tank. They need ample swim room, 4' of swim room or more. A 90g tank would be better. I would suggest taking the tang back to the LFS before anything happens to it. with a 29 you have to get size apporpriate fish. The clown is fine.

Sorry to bring you down, just looking out for the fish.

 

[9g]

Yup. Thanks for the info. I have actually done my research this time.

The tang is smaller than my 1" clownfish and even my firefish. He is so small that he gets stuck(sucked in) to the powerhead screen.

If you clicked on my "myinfo" botton, then you would see that my display tank is a 72 gallon bowfront tank which is a 4' tank. fyi.

The 29 gallon is the tank that I have him now and will be my backup tank just in case an outbreak or an emergancy happens.

I was gonna put him in my 20G but decided it was too small for him even though he's only an ~1" long.

Thanks for the info guys. Im gonna move him when he gets alittle bigger.

Even my clownfish is bullying him sometimes but now, they go everywhere together.

I really thought he would be a gonner but he is actually swimming now.

Oh and about the water readings, I stopped doing that a while ago.

I do change ~30 gallon weekly and 50% monthly after a scrub down. (72 Gal tank)

 

[SpydrWorks]

Oh and about the water readings, I stopped doing that a while ago.
I do change ~30 gallon weekly and 50% monthly after a scrub down. (72 Gal tank)

Never quit doing water testing. It's a safety measure for the tank. It will tell you of potential problems before they take hold of the tank...especially nitrates. You should test full parameters at least once every two weeks. I would never go without testing for any more than a month. It makes great prevention measures and and as the saying goes...an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...and it's so true. It may seem worthless when you constantly get good readings, but after you quit is when things start to go wrong...and I know that from experience.

Also, the maintenance water changes are rather excessive...and the scrub down annihilates all that good bacteria that take several weeks to mature. Stripping the tank like that can hurt the fish. If you avoid overfeeding and don't have an undergravel filter installed, you could basically get away with a 15% water change weekly or bi weekly...depending on the amount of waste buildup in the system. 50% water changes should only be done for emergency care.

It's great to read the little guy is doing OK. You should really check up on the water parameters. It's just routine for having a tank and a marine tank no less. Protect your investment. A 72 gallon system isn't cheap.