Powder Blue Tang or Hippo Tang?

[paulkarell]

Hello, I have 125 gallon aquarium which I am planning to stock soon and so far my list is:
2 Clownfish (Current inhabitant)
Snowflake Eel (Current Inhabitant)
10x Blue-Grenn Chromis
Midas Blenny
Royal Gramma
Flame Angelfish
Sixline Wrasse
Green Mandarin
Red Coris Wrasse
Yellow Tang
Powder Blue Tang/Hippo Tang

And my question is should I add a Hippo Tang or Powder Blue Tang? I've heard they are both rather ICH prone but the Powder Blue more so. So if anyone could help with the decision it would be greatly appreciated.

[carey]

Hi welcome to the forum.

I have a 125g and I think that list might be a bit ambitious. LOL

How long has your tank been setup? The mandarin is one special fish to take care of btw.

I think I've heard the powder blue is more prone to ich and stress related issues.

[Gti_Leo]

the powder is the onyl one that will do decent in a 125, the hippo is recommended to have a 180g.

tangs tend to get stressed easier then other fish, as they get big and require alot of swimming space. a stressed out fish is prone to the effects of ich

[paulkarell]

Thats what I thought, but I was just wondering because I have seen countless times where Hippo Tangs were in 125 gallon aquariums. And, as for the stocking list, I am assuming that it'll be ok because I have seen a lot of similar stocking list in tanks like these. I guess I have been going by what others find successful but I wanted to get other people's input as well.

[abdhalim2]

having a mandarin in a list is a good...but u need to consider about its diet...they prefer live diet or else it had been trained to eat brine shrimp or mysis...

[huma-huma]

wont the snowflake eel cause problems? and ive heard the sixline isnt reef safe

[paulkarell]

He hasn't so far and he has been in there for quite awhile now, it must have been at least 6 months now. Also, I am still debating the mandarin so its very possible I wouldn't get one.

[abdhalim2]

u can keep the mandarins if u had lots of copepods in your tank....they do eat this.....but if u had sixline wrasse,they will fight for this food for sure....

[Gti_Leo]

a manderine will be fine in a 125, there is tons of rock for pods to live on.

yeah peopel get brave when they put hippos in 125s, they can be kept but they will quickly outgrow it. they can get to a foot in length in a hoem aquarium. thats not really a small fish

[paulkarell]

Thank you GTI for clarifying that for me. Other then that does the stocking list look alright?

[Gti_Leo]

those are all relitivly small fish, but i'd cut back on the chromis' 10 is alot. maybe go with 4, and possibly sell off the eel, its hit or miss weather it will start killing off your livestock

[paulkarell]

Ok sounds good. The eel hasn't caused any problems so far with my fish but only time will tell. Thank you for your input it has been greatly appreciated.

[ccCapt]

The powder blue will quickly outgrow a 125 and turn very nasty. I personally know of a person who had to sell her powder blue because it outgrew and became a terror in her 180.

[slitherbomb]

DONT SELL THE EEL! these things are so cool. I have one in my 75g and it hasn't even shown interest in any shrimp or crabs. I feed him every other day.

[paulkarell]

I agree slitherbomb, it would certainly be difficult getting rid of the eel since it is the most interesting species in my aquarium and definitely my favorite. And as for the Powder Blue Tang, I have heard of stories of them getting aggressive but not of outgrowing the tanks. So far all I have read about them has said that a 125 gallon aquarium is suitable for them, so I will probably buy one as the last addition and if it were to become a problem it could be removed.

[Maya]

The eel will probably do fine with the fish that inhabit the top of the tank but the blenny, the mandarin and any other slow swimming bottom dwellers may become expensive snacks.

[paulkarell]

We used to have a Flame Hawkfish with until a crash with algae (I scrapped a large amount of algae off the back panel of glass with a razor blade and the nitrates from the dead algae killed an angel and the hawkfish DX). He used to swim in the rocks with the Eel and as a lot of people know, not a good swimmer XD.

[JVS__RAMBO]

A hippo would be fine in an 125g. All the places that sell them recommend them for 100g or larger. As long as your tank is not crazy stocked. As long as you have a nice open area for them to swim and graze you should be fine with a hippo, but not both a hippo and powder then you maybe asking for trouble.

[huma-huma]

That's weird, every single place I've seen or read about a hippo tang says 180+..... And his stock list is a bit much to be including a hippo tang, but its his tank, unfortunately once the hippos bigger, he's gonna be a handful with 20 other tankmates

*****edit**** sorry rambo, def not saying you're wrong on the hippo, just strange

[JVS__RAMBO]

Look at Vivid aquariums and That fish place they recommend 100g