Got a Hippo today. Wedged under rock

cam78

cam78

Active Member
Did not eat the Nori. He was wedged between the glass and the heater. Then he moved to the veggie clip which he las basically perched on. I don't know if he is just unhealthy or scared. I might be seeing some white spots, ich looking. Not stress. Not sure if its sand though. Trying to get a closer look but I have my 2 year old tonight and I prob wont get close to it until about 9 PM. Will tell you whats up at 9ish
 
cam78

cam78

Active Member
This fish looks like its struggling to swim. Here are pics of it. Also a closer look reveals that the spots is sand.
 
mjm889

mjm889

Member
when i got my blue hippo tang it took him a couple of days to eat at first after getting him from swf.com, he would hide behind the rocks all the time and only come out when i walked away from the tank, i would give him his space for now, keep trying with the nori sheets algae sheets, thats the first thing mine started to eat, after a week of only eating that he became more bold and was swimming around the tank not hiding, after two weeks he was eating everything in site and now is one of the bullys of my tank. be patient with him he will come around
 
hawkfish203

hawkfish203

Member
Mine first started eating brine with garlic. Then I dipped the algae sheets in the garlic and he started eating those too. Hope it works out.
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
I'd put nori on veggi clip and let him graze on it all day. What type of filter is running in the qtine? and do you have a small airpump with stone - if so, i'd put it in and let it bubble to help ensure the air is plenty oxegenated (I doubt you have a free O2 tester)..Once we are sure he is eating good, I'd put a dark coffee cup or 2 in there during day and see if he continues to eat.....also - put the veggie clip in about the same place everyday too. And just monitor the spots, but since there is sand in the bottom, and thatis where hees gonna lay, there is likely going to be a daily powdering of it on him. IME most blues lay on one side only
 
cam78

cam78

Active Member
I have a Marineland penquin bio wheel filter with a pad that has carbon inside it. Its a cartridge filter with bio wheel, ya know what I mean? Also I have a Maxijet 400 in there. That should be good for him right? I do not have an airstone but Im assuming all that water movement should be good right?
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
This may be more stress full to move him now. But the bottom of your QT needs to be blacked out I painted the bottom black so there is no reflection from the glass this may be causing the disorientation of his swimming.
 
cam78

cam78

Active Member
Interesting. I wonder if thats why he swimming like a moron. Its on plywood so Im sure there is not that much reflection. Time will tell. If anything happens, which I really hope doesn't, it just better happen in the 14 day guarantee timeframe. LOL. I really hope it makes it though. It is a nice looking fish.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Limpid http:///forum/thread/383931/got-a-hippo-from-this-site-today-wedged-under-rock/20#post_3362132
This may be more stress full to move him now. But the bottom of your QT needs to be blacked out I painted the bottom black so there is no reflection from the glass this may be causing the disorientation of his swimming.
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by CAM78 http:///forum/thread/383931/got-a-hippo-from-this-site-today-wedged-under-rock/20#post_3362119
I have a Marineland penquin bio wheel filter with a pad that has carbon inside it. Its a cartridge filter with bio wheel, ya know what I mean? Also I have a Maxijet 400 in there. That should be good for him right? I do not have an airstone but Im assuming all that water movement should be good right?
Know exactly what u got - I use them on all my qtine tanks, and a bucket full of them when not is use. - and I'd think yes, that water should be pretty well oxegenated, they do a pretty good job..
Look at him good 2nite for ich signs . . if he's still eating today, 2nite I'd put a couple dark cups in and leave then there for a couple days - monitoring if he still eats, but he will likely hide more for in the short term. as long as he eats, he can hide.
His respiration should be more normal today - I still dont know about the odd swimming behavior.
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
Not eating - I'd try to offer a variety of foods - I had a finiky one years ago that would ONLY eat small pellet (marine S by hikari) till I could finally get him to eat nori. frozen brine good idea to try too...other frozen food like emerald entree/formula 2 good idea to try too....Also - call swf.com (or email) and ask what they feed their tangs. Check your water parameters too & post results.
 
cam78

cam78

Active Member
I was at LFS yesterday and he tested both my tank and QT water. The QT water was good. No issues at all. My display had some Phosphate so I am now running my GFO. I tried pellets yesterday and I wound up scooping them out because he ignored them. I am going to try Mysis right now.
 
cam78

cam78

Active Member
OK, so NO GO on the Mysis. He is definitely swimming more though without anywhere to hide so that is good news. I think Im gonna leave him completely alone until tonight when I give him his hiding thing back. Maybe tomorrow he'll start eating.
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
okay - just leave some food in there and see when u get home.
Also a small nori strip rubberbanded to a small piece of liverock simulates the most familiar feeding oppurtunity from the reef that ther is.
 
srfisher17

srfisher17

Active Member
I don't understand the panic; this is the 4th day you've had him, right? If so, that isn't unusually long, many fish can take a week or longer to eat for the first time. They can go much longer than this without eating. Its behavior is odd though, are you sure ich isn't a factor?
 
cam78

cam78

Active Member
I don't see any signs of ich. It is swimming less today then it was yesterday. I don't get it. It isn't eating yet either. When it sits on the bottom of the tank it looks like the current rocks him backwards and it struggles to remain in that position. I don't know whats with this thing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by srfisher17 http:///forum/thread/383931/got-a-hippo-from-this-site-today-wedged-under-rock/20#post_3362548
I don't understand the panic; this is the 4th day you've had him, right? If so, that isn't unusually long, many fish can take a week or longer to eat for the first time. They can go much longer than this without eating. Its behavior is odd though, are you sure ich isn't a factor?
 
hawkfish203

hawkfish203

Member
I don't know that its a panic fisher as, it's really more of a relief when you get your fish to eat. I really would suggest trying to get a hold of someone at SWF and see what they were feeding him. Did you try brine with garlic? You can also use the seachem garlic guard that works too.
 
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