Baby hippo tang not eating or swimming

[Melissamh]

I got a baby hippo tang on Friday and he ate at the store and seemed to be fine. I got he home and set up in a qt and now he will not eat and is mostly laying on his side at the bottom of the tank. This morning I checked on him and he was standing on his head. I know tangs to crazy things but I don’t think he is ok. Ammonia was .5 on Tuesday so I did a water change. I have a lawnmower blenny and a banggia cardinal in the tank with him and they are fine. Please help.

 

[TangGang]

I got a baby hippo tang on Friday and he ate at the store and seemed to be fine. I got he home and set up in a qt and now he will not eat and is mostly laying on his side at the bottom of the tank. This morning I checked on him and he was standing on his head. I know tangs to crazy things but I don’t think he is ok. Ammonia was .5 on Tuesday so I did a water change. I have a lawnmower blenny and a banggia cardinal in the tank with him and they are fine. Please help.

Can you send a picture or a video? Tangs are weird, with blue tangs being the weirdest of them all. I used to have a 10 inch yellow belly hippo that was the craziest fish I ever owned, if someone watched him they would think something was wrong with him, but surprisingly that was just his personality. I’ve only ever had 1 other hippo and it is still a weird fish, he lays on his side to sleep too. If the bangaii and the lawnmower blenny are alright that makes me think the blue tang is just doing blue tang stuff. Acting weird, not eating, etc. what have you tried feeding him so far?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The ammonia really needs to be kept below 0.25 at all times, and zero is even better. Really difficult to say what’s going on with the tang, is it breathing fast? Can you post a picture or short video?
Jay

 

[Melissamh]

Can you send a picture or a video? Tangs are weird, with blue tangs being the weirdest of them all. I used to have a 10 inch yellow belly hippo that was the craziest fish I ever owned, if someone watched him they would think something was wrong with him, but surprisingly that was just his personality. I’ve only ever had 1 other hippo and it is still a weird fish, he lays on his side to sleep too. If the bangaii and the lawnmower blenny are alright that makes me think the blue tang is just doing blue tang stuff. Acting weird, not eating, etc. what have you tried feeding him so far?

I have tried to feed it mysis baby brine and last night live brine. He could have ate the live brine but I didn’t see him ate any. I’m have a towel over the tank to help him not stress. I will post a video when I get home from work.

 

[Melissamh]

The ammonia really needs to be kept below 0.25 at all times, and zero is even better. Really difficult to say what’s going on with the tang, is it breathing fast? Can you post a picture or short video?
Jay

When the ammonia was .5 he was breathing fast but now he is not. The ammonia was at 0 but the next day it was .5. I will post a video when I get off work.

 

[Melissamh]

When I get home the fish was dead so no video . Thanks for trying to help

 

[ThePurple12]

Sorry to hear that, I think baby blue tangs are really sensitive and shy and sometimes just don't adjust.

 

[vetteguy53081]

That ammonia as Jay stated was a bit high and I assume nitrate was also and a possibility of low oxygen

 

[Hugh Mann]

I've often heard that baby hippos, in the >2" range have a fairly high mortality rate. Why, I'm not rightly sure. 2"+ and they are much hardier, mine went through hell and back, and is now doing pretty well.

And let me say, sorry for your loss, it's never easy losing a fish.

 

[Rmckoy]

Sorry for your loss. .
It is sad losing any fish .
I have always had better luck with small yellow belly tangs. .
They seam to be a little hardier and adjust easier .

 

[Clownfish_Boy]

Got any Amquel or other Ammonia detox ? Better get that ammonia down to zero; it's awfully high and I feel sure it is stressing out your Tang.