Mated Pair- Perculas and Blue Hippo Tang--Markings

[ddellz]

Hey Everyone!!
Having some problems with my tank and need some suggestions!!
1- Have a mated pair of false Perculas and they have spawned since I bought them. I don't have a sufficient light and they went from a 90 gallon tank to a 46. I am working on getting the new lighting setup hoping this will give them a little push.
2. My baby blue hippo has a lot of markings on him. i think because he likes to hang out and hide in my tonga branches. I just moved around the tank so he has ample swimming room now. Any ideas on how to "repair" him??
thanks for the help!!!

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by DDellZ http:///forum/thread/386059/mated-pair-perculas-and-blue-hippo-tang-markings#post_3388669
Hey Everyone!!
Having some problems with my tank and need some suggestions!!
1- Have a mated pair of false Perculas and they have spawned since I bought them. I don't have a sufficient light and they went from a 90 gallon tank to a 46. I am working on getting the new lighting setup hoping this will give them a little push.
2. My baby blue hippo has a lot of markings on him. i think because he likes to hang out and hide in my tonga branches. I just moved around the tank so he has ample swimming room now. Any ideas on how to "repair" him??
thanks for the help!!!
Welcome!
I'm assuming you mean that they have NOT spawned since you got them? BTW, there is no such thing as a false percula, they are Ocellaris Clownfish. Clowns need to a couple factors in order to successfully spawn in the home aquarium:
1) They must feel safe and secure in their environment
2) Water parameters must be ideal and stable
3) Their environment must stay stable (no new fish additions, same feeding and lighting schedule daily, scheduled water changes)
4) They need to be mature enough
If your clowns are comfortable in your tank and are mature enough to spawn and still aren't, you can try feeding them rotifers, Cyclop-eez shrimp, freshly hatched brine shrimp, or Reef Nutrition Oyster Feast, this will sometimes trigger them to spawn.
As to the Blue Hippo, can you post pictures? What is your plan for this fish? It can not stay in your tank for long. Tangs are open water swimmers and need a minimum of a 6ft long tank. Hippos grow quite large and are prone to ich and become stressed easily, two things that a smaller tank will magnify.

 

[ddellz]

thanks for the info
I bought them off a friend and they were spawning every 10-12 days. I have had them for about a year now and they haven't came close to spawning since. There hasn't been any additions in over 8 months
What do you suggest for the water parameters/lighting? I was thinking about getting this light
**Please do not post competitor links on this site**
I will move the hippo once he grows to a bigger tank. In a few months my 90 gallon will be ready for him. It looks like chunks of him are missing. He likes to hide in the Tonga branches

 

[btldreef]

WOAH!!!! You've got some major issues with that Hippo. That is NOT just from hanging out near rocks, that Hippo needs some serious help, IMMEDIATELY.
That Hippo has Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE), and a quite serious case of it. Honestly, I can't believe it's even still alive and it looks like that. (Not trying to be a jerk or scare you, but that fish really, really needs help.) You can research here: https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/wiki/head-and-lateral-line-erosion
Do you have three clowns in your tank?

 

[btldreef]

Before I can recommend lighting, I need to know what your goals are for the tank. Fish only? Reef (corals). SPS? Anemones? Clams?
Also, how old is this setup? What are you running? What are your water parameters?

 

[ddellz]

how do you cure that?
yes the guy I bought the mated pair from had the 3 together (baby from them) and they all get along really well and follow each other.

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by DDellZ http:///forum/thread/386059/mated-pair-perculas-and-blue-hippo-tang-markings#post_3388726
how do you cure that?
yes the guy I bought the mated pair from had the 3 together (baby from them) and they all get along really well and follow each other.
Did you read through the link I sent you? You need to identify the cause(s) of the HLLE.
As for the three clowns, I can almost guarantee this to be one of the leading causes as to why they're not spawning in your tank. There is competition. They're not following each other around to be pals, they're sizing each other up. You need to get rid of that baby, trade it in to the LFS.
Still need to know water parameters, etc.

 

[ddellz]

well the guy that I got the fish from had them spawning weekly with the 3 in the tank. I dont know. Maybe I will move the little one to a bio cube or something.

 

[luvmyreef]

I agree with BTLD, but I am also wondering what you are feeding the hippo, and how often? Looks like he will need some vitamins added to his diet as well to help him recover. Might I suggest some algae sheets soaked in selcon. feed it to him daily.

 

[ddellz]

i've been mixing the diet with shrimp and some flakes occasionally

 

[luvmyreef]

Mysis shrimp are good for your clowns, packed with protein etc, but your hippo needs vit c enriched algae sheets daily to graze on esp. if there is no good grazing on your rocks. Try what I suggested and he will tear it up LOL.

 

[travelerjp98]

I saw a case with a hippo tang like that before....
a guy bought them for $3 because they were in such poor condition and he couldn't get them to "look" better, but they ate and lived for a while...

 

[btldreef]

Hippos are one of the harder tangs to cure of HLLE, or anything really.
This fish needs better foods offered. Get some OceanNutrition or Two Little Fishes -Julian Sprung algae sheets, red, brown, purple AND green. Soak ALL foods in VitaChem or Selcon and offer the sheets atleast twice a day. Stop feeding flake food, it's not good. It's basically like feeding a child potato chips, it will fill them up, but it's not nutritious.
What are you running on this tank?
What are the parameters?
What else is in the tank?
For frozen, feed emerald entree, spurulina brine shrimp and mysis shrimp. Remember, clowns are omnivores and need some algae in their diets as well.
I would not even worry about getting your clowns to spawn, your main concern should be a proper diet for all the fish, which also could be a reason why they're not spawning.

 

[btldreef]

Hippos are one of the harder tangs to cure of HLLE, or anything really.
This fish needs better foods offered. Get some OceanNutrition or Two Little Fishes -Julian Sprung algae sheets, red, brown, purple AND green. Soak ALL foods in VitaChem or Selcon and offer the sheets atleast twice a day. Stop feeding flake food, it's not good. It's basically like feeding a child potato chips, it will fill them up, but it's not nutritious.
What are you running on this tank?
What are the parameters?
What else is in the tank?
For frozen, feed emerald entree, spurulina brine shrimp and mysis shrimp. Remember, clowns are omnivores and need some algae in their diets as well.
I would not even worry about getting your clowns to spawn, your main concern should be a proper diet for all the fish, which also could be a reason why they're not spawning.

 

[tangs rule]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/386059/mated-pair-perculas-and-blue-hippo-tang-markings#post_3388818
Hippos are one of the harder tangs to cure of HLLE, or anything really.
This fish needs better foods offered. Get some OceanNutrition or Two Little Fishes -Julian Sprung algae sheets, red, brown, purple AND green. Soak ALL foods in VitaChem or Selcon and offer the sheets atleast twice a day. Stop feeding flake food, it's not good. It's basically like feeding a child potato chips, it will fill them up, but it's not nutritious.
What are you running on this tank?
What are the parameters?
What else is in the tank?
For frozen, feed emerald entree, spurulina brine shrimp and mysis shrimp. Remember, clowns are omnivores and need some algae in their diets as well.
I would not even worry about getting your clowns to spawn, your main concern should be a proper diet for all the fish, which also could be a reason why they're not spawning.
+1
I suggest frozen Formula 2 (ocean nutrition) cube, thawed and cut a sliver off it and feed at least 2x daily. The same with emerald entree (San Franscisco bay brand) these foods are available at most LFS, including *****. As stated by btld - get some macroalage and soak in selcon supplement. Over time with enough care and proper diet, the blue tang will heal up some, but will likely remain somewhat scared for life. Figure on a 6-12 month process of healing him thru proper diet, stop running carbon, and ensure no toxins remain in the water.

 

[ddellz]

Thanks for the help guys!
I bought a lot of greens for the hippo to munch on and he went to town on them last night! The fish store **Please do not post links to competitor websites** by me has an insane guys that is obsessed about marine fish advised me to try and give him some broccoli on a veggie clip. As this point I will try everything and anything to get him better. I checked all the parameters and the water seems fine. PH was a little high but nothing crazy, and salt was also.

 

[btldreef]

I'm not a super huge fan of broccoli or romaine lettuce for fish. I think seaweed is really the way to go right now.
What were the exact numbers on your water parameters? What kits do you use?
How old is this tank and what else is in it?

 

[travelerjp98]

What's wrong with feeding herbivorous fish fresh, nutritious, greens?

 

[btldreef]

What's wrong with feeding herbivorous fish fresh, nutritious, greens?
For one, insecticides.
Also, they're not nearly as nutritious as actually macro algae is, especially when we are trying to nurse a very sick fish back to health. This fish doesn't need "snacks," it needs nutrients, the right kinds, and a lot of them, quickly.
Personally, I do not like Romaine Lettuce for fish at all. It's one of my issues with many frozen formulas for herbivores and omnivores. While I do really like mixtures like Emeral entree, I wish there were more with algae and not lettuce, which is why I ALWAYS add macro algae, whether fresh from my refugium, or dried sheets in addition to whatever frozen foods I'm using.
Lettuce and other greens are a nice little snack, for a healthy fish, if it's cleaned and organic, but it's not a fishes proper diet.

 

[travelerjp98]

I agree with you on that, but some people don't have a refugium and romaine is a lot cheaper. But in this case, nursing a fish in poor health back to health, you are totally right.
What species of macro algae do you feed?