Tang issues (blue and yellow)

[saltfisher1]

All,
I just purchased a 6 in blue hippo tang and a four in yellow tang from a fellow reefer. The fish are in great shape and I was happy to place them in my 90 gallon.
It's been three days and the yellow tang has calmed down. I've been feeding them seaweed flakes and he just started eating today.
The blue, however, is another story. He is constantly in the back corner pacing up and down -- trying to find shelter. I have ~90 lbs of live rock and a sand bottom in the tank and there are places to hide; last night he sheltered in one of the crevices nicely. But during the day he seems so freaked out.
As to eating, he's eaten a couple of seaweed flakes but is mostly too busy looking panicked.
Besides them, I have a couple of small clowns and a few snails in the tank.
Any ideas as to how to calm him down? My parameters aren't terrible -- no ammonia, ph at 8.2, and no nitrates. Nitrate is a bit high -- 40-80 -- though that's likely because I just added these fish. I'm trying to bring that down with water changes.
Any ideas as to how I can calm the blue hippo -- a beautiful fish -- would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[btldreef]

What size tank were they in before hand?
Were they together in the other tank?
What else have you tried to feed besides seaweed?

 

[deejeff442]

seriously a 6 inch fish in a four foot tank? i had a 7 inch hippo in my 250 gallon and he didnt like it so i took him back.
i suggest you do the same.a 90 gallon is way too small for him.
even a 4 inch tang is too big for that tank.

 

[btldreef]

seriously a 6 inch fish in a four foot tank? i had a 7 inch hippo in my 250 gallon and he didnt like it so i took him back.
i suggest you do the same.a 90 gallon is way too small for him.
even a 4 inch tang is too big for that tank.
+1. Thank goodness I didn't have to play tang police this time.

 

[saltfisher1]

-sigh-
He was in a 200 gallon before; his tank mates included the yellow and a host of large angel fish.
The problem isn't fighting tangs -- the blue just won't calm down.
Unless anyone has any ideas, I think I'll give it until the weekend. If no improvement, then I'm afraid he'll have to go back.
Thoughts?
Thanks again.

 

[a&a2]

Take both back immediatedly

 

[deejeff442]

one of the things that sucks about this hobby is being responsible.even if the fish calms down he still wont be happy .tangs love to swim laps and if he is 6 inches and the tank is 4 foot he can only swim a couple feet and then turn around.kinda like keeping you in the bathroom for the rest of your life .
the biggest fish i had in my 90 tank was 3 -4 inches .when they got to 4 inches thats when i got my 250 tank.

 

[btldreef]

He's stressed out due to the size of the tank you've put him in. You've cut his swimming room down in half of what it used to be. Blue Hippos get stressed easily. A 90G tank is no place for a 6" Blue Hippo. Tangs are open water swimmers and a larger tang just can't swim freely like they need to in a 90G tank. You need to take him back or sell him to someone with a larger tank. That tang really needs to go in a 6ft long tank.
You can probably get away with the yellow in your tank, but the blue just can't stay.

 

[gemmy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/384264/tang-issues-blue-and-yellow#post_3365685
He's stressed out due to the size of the tank you've put him in. You've cut his swimming room down in half of what it used to be. Blue Hippos get stressed easily. A 90G tank is no place for a 6" Blue Hippo. Tangs are open water swimmers and a larger tang just can't swim freely like they need to in a 90G tank. You need to take him back or sell him to someone with a larger tank. That tang really needs to go in a 6ft long tank.
You can probably get away with the yellow in your tank, but the blue just can't stay.
+1

 

[Rsherman]

I have a 2 inch yellow and a 2 inch blue hippo in same 55 gal tank with 2 clowns, is it ok for now or should I move one?

 

[jay0705]

Your sizes are not ideal for survival. Especially w a hippo. That said, short term your fine. By short term I mean like 6months. You need a min of a 6ft tank for the hippo.

 

[Rsherman]

Thanks,I will find blue a home

 

[jay0705]

55 will be too small for the yellow too. Its unfortunate but tangs need space. If you plan to upgrade you'll be fine. If not than stressed tangs are not a good thing to have in your tank

 

[Kristin1234]

I have a 2 inch yellow and a 2 inch blue hippo in same 55 gal tank with 2 clowns, is it ok for now or should I move one?

Move both. Way too small for tangs bud.

 

[Rsherman]

Are there any tangs out there that would fit a 60 gallon tank?

 

[jay0705]

Kole yellow eye tang

 

[lmforbis]

Kole is probably the only one but that is really too small for a kole as well.

 

[Rsherman]

Thanks, I really would like one, I have to think on it. They are a pretty fish, but I don't to kill them.

 

[lmforbis]

It isn't just killing them it is them being aggressive to other fish causing them stress and making them all more susceptible to disease. Salt water fish are territorial and not enough space causes territory disputes that lead to aggression. A stressed territorial fish will attack other fish sometimes to the death.

 

[jay0705]

There could be a bristle tooth tang, but iam unsure. Its not so much gallons you need its more swim space. Tangs love current! I hooked up a new filter system in my old tank to help "seed" it for my new one. Between that, my power heads and old filter I had alot of flow the tangs loved it!!