Blue hippo tang advice

i love fish

i love fish

Member
I'm thinking of getting a blue hippo tang, but the largest QT i hv available is only 8 gals.
Will a hippo b ok in an 8 gal tank for a minimum of 8 wks during quarantine?
Or should I just 4get about getting 1?
 
j.p

j.p

Member
i think if u get a small one (like 1-2") it should be fine, how big is ur display tank?
 
j.p

j.p

Member
ya jst get a small one and u should be fine but some people are gonna say ur display tank is too small but IMHO i think ur fine
 
m0nk

m0nk

Active Member
I don't know if that's a good idea...
Tangs need excellent water quality and aeration and these are hard to provide in something as small as 8g. When they get stressed they're more susceptible to HLLE or ick, two leading problems with tangs, and hippos specifically. Not to mention the fact that juvenile tangs are very hard to care for adequately even in ideal situations. Honestly, you'll probably end up loosing the fish if you go that route.
If you're going to go the QT route, be sure the tank is no smaller than 12-14g for a juvenile, but I'd suggest getting something in the 29-40g range for QT (cycled properly, of course) and get a 3-4 inch one as the smallest size. You'll have better luck that way.
 
errattiq

errattiq

Member
I'm not the most seasoned hobyist but I successfully kept a hippo and it was my 2nd fish after a clown, my tanks have gone through a few swings but it stayed strong. She's know pushing 5 inches in length. Just make sure you select a healthy specimen that isnt already infected and not horrible skinny. But the 8gal QT is really tiny for one. an inch max would be all I'd do.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
An eight gallon QT is too small. Plain and simple. Smaller specimens are more likely to not eat and more likely to succumb to illness. What size is your display? If you cannot by a larger qt then don't buy a hippo tang at this time.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by Nano Reefer
http:///forum/post/2671051
8 week QT? that long would probably stress it out.
Not if the QT is adequate. Eight weeks is not the norm for QT, but if the fish is in QT for two weeks, then ich shows, then hypo begins. You want to know that your fish will be more than comfortable in the QT for an eight week stay. If you doubt that your QT can accomplish this, then it isn't appropriate for the fish that you have.
 
kurtymac

kurtymac

Member
"I'm not the most seasoned hobyist but I successfully kept a hippo and it was my 2nd fish after a clown, my tanks have gone through a few swings but it stayed strong. She's know pushing 5 inches in length. Just make sure you select a healthy specimen that isnt already infected and not horrible skinny. But the 8gal QT is really tiny for one. an inch max would be all I'd do."
Amen to that, its all about the speciment of the fish u buy. This one LFS near me has horrible fish and keeps them stressed in a dirty 10 gal with like 8 hippos 2gether. Not to mention they sell them for about 90 bucks lol. But the other LFS near me is great he takes really good care and even drives down and picks 2 of the best of the bunch. I transported my hippo, its had ick and other problems due to being in my 55 gal. I transfred it from my 55 to the 90 gal all in one day. But now she is here and looks great. Just feed it brine shrimp and seaweed a better diet will help the chances of success. But thats for your DT. The QT is a bit small unless ur looking at getting a tiny one.
 
bioneck47

bioneck47

Member
The blue hippo is one of the hardiest tangs around IMO but I would not recommend getting a small one as they have a very poor surival rate and I can almost guarantee that it won't make it in an 8 gallon tank for that long. Shoot for one that is at least 2-3in. and get a bigger QT.
 
i love fish

i love fish

Member
I ended up getting a 2 inch hippo, I was very lucky no ich no HLLE , I kept it in the 8g QT 4 about 7 weeks only just coz a couple of weeks b4 I was about 2 move it 2 the DT it started flashing, so I did hypo which ended up extending the quarrantine time. Also, I had no problems getting it 2 eat at all, I was pleasantly surprized.
Any how the hippo has been in the DT for nearly 4 weeks now and is VERY happy grazing on all the algae and diatoms, its eating everything, krill, brine shrimp, flakes, pellets, spirunilla algae, bubbles, EVERYTHING.
The hippo has become best friends with the clownfish and loves life.
thank u all 4 helping out
 
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