hippo tang

[saltyh20]

I have 2 hippo tangs both young only about 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches in length. I bought them both at the same time and never had a problem with them. I never saw any aggression between the two. Now all of the sudden the tang is missing some skin on its top fin. One bone is even showing. Will this stop or do I need to remove the one fish. Do I need something to help cover the wound anything? help please

 

[jarrod]

I would split them up. Everything I've heard and read about them says to only keep one. Good luck!

 

[saltyh20]

that is what I heard except @ the LFS they said that it would not be a problem

 

[beth]

Remove the injured fish to a quarantine tank for recovery. No, you really can't keep 2 hippos together, unless you have a rather large tank.

 

[saltyh20]

I do not have a QT tank set up already. I do have a smaller 10 gal tank I can make a Q/t tank. Should I just add the water from the large tank and put it into the new tank? Also My tank is 4 foot long (55 gal) is that too small?

 

[hairtrigger]

Don't listen to your LFS.... do the research on your own. I used to work at an LFS. While I wasn't like this, some of my co-workers would say anything to make a sale. Some work on commission. But, I have learned to check things out on my own.
Tangs of the same body shape cannot usually be kept in pairs. They can usually be kept in odd numbers, or large schools. But, they tend to fight in pairs.
Now, the bone should heal no prob. Put one in a QT. If you don't have one, trade the other tang in, and get some antibiotics to treat it, maybe some melafix.
But, I had a Sohal tang whose pectoral fin was completely seperated from its bone. He healed up and was a mean SOB. But then I got a 3 foot tesselata eel and he ate him. So, that ended that. Pec fin or not.

 

[beth]

Yes you can use water from your main tank to set up a QT. However, the tank will still cycle. And, of course, that is a problem.
To keep it from cycling, you will have to be doing major water channges daily. However, with a 10 gal, that will be easier than with a larger tank.
55 is defiantely too small for tangs period. Even 1.