Looking for opinions

[Ks4726]

Do you have any groupers? I know you have triggers but waant sure if you had groupers too. I love mine, shes my little monster

Not currently. Ive had tried miniatus groupers on 3 occasions through my day. One jumped, one was a murdererous fish that I rehomed like 15 years ago, and I retried last year on one actually. Everything was great for a year and one day I came home and it was in the corner acting weird. An hour later it was splashing around randomly and couldn't swim. Died right after. I feel it was something internally like a seizure or heart attack or something( I'm not a vet or anything or in the medical field at all just what i witnessed). Im a 3 and done guy. Ive been in this hobby since i was like 13. Im good with fish, horrible with corals though. If i can't make it work on 3 attempts I give up. Miniatus and dwarf lionfish have been my Achilles heel in this hobby. Looking back I always hated feeding groupers, they miss the food, sometimes just won't eat and id have to recatch their food in the bottom of the tank, etc. I love the miniatus grouper, but I think my grouper days are over. They are opportunity hunters and will swallow what can fit in their mouth and half of what won't fit. Gotta be careful with their tankmates.

 

[fish_collector]

You have 3 tangs on the "most aggressive" list, why would you want to add another? Hippo tangs aren't shy either, they are fast swimmers, aggressive eaters and will bully any fish that wants to hang out where they sleep at night. If you find a tiny 3/4" hippo tang like all of the LFS have from time to time, expect it to become a 3" fish within 1 year, I've had two of them do this. I lost the first one after I found it stuck to a wavemaker one morning, and the second I still have.

And Imay be misinformed, but I believe almost all of the blue tangs available in the trade right now are captive bred. I watched a 2 hour video on YT recently that showed how they were bred in Indonesia. I couldn't find the video when I searched for it just now. If I find it I'll post the link it's rather interesting.

 

[Kasrift]

Huh interesting. I might seriously think about it, i figured the answer would be no; just figured it would be worth an ask in case anyone had ideas like you did would have to grow the little guy out first though until it was a few inches.

I don't know where you got the quarantined Hippo before, but Humblefish has a list of "guaranteed" QT places. It's small, like 3 places. You could inquire with Fish hotel.

I think the issue isn't the QTd fish though. If your tank has ich and you do ich management and don't see it, even getting a biota one would introduce a fish that is susceptible to an environment that has disease.

 

[Ks4726]

I don't know where you got the quarantined Hippo before, but Humblefish has a list of "guaranteed" QT places. It's small, like 3 places. You could inquire with Fish hotel.

I think the issue isn't the QTd fish though. If your tank has ich and you do ich management and don't see it, even getting a biota one would introduce a fish that is susceptible to an environment that has disease.

I use dierks at fishotel. He's the man, and I highly recommend. I've gotten multiple fish with him through the years. He's professional, fair, passionate, and his ups shipping is the most thorough of any company that I've ever used.

 

[littlefoxx]

I don't know where you got the quarantined Hippo before, but Humblefish has a list of "guaranteed" QT places. It's small, like 3 places. You could inquire with Fish hotel.

I think the issue isn't the QTd fish though. If your tank has ich and you do ich management and don't see it, even getting a biota one would introduce a fish that is susceptible to an environment that has disease.

Yeah I dont do ich management, its like they bring it in or if I add a new fish they get something but the new fish never showed signs. I tried to QT one but it died in QT

 

[littlefoxx]

Not currently. Ive had tried miniatus groupers on 3 occasions through my day. One jumped, one was a murdererous fish that I rehomed like 15 years ago, and I retried last year on one actually. Everything was great for a year and one day I came home and it was in the corner acting weird. An hour later it was splashing around randomly and couldn't swim. Died right after. I feel it was something internally like a seizure or heart attack or something( I'm not a vet or anything or in the medical field at all just what i witnessed). Im a 3 and done guy. Ive been in this hobby since i was like 13. Im good with fish, horrible with corals though. If i can't make it work on 3 attempts I give up. Miniatus and dwarf lionfish have been my Achilles heel in this hobby. Looking back I always hated feeding groupers, they miss the food, sometimes just won't eat and id have to recatch their food in the bottom of the tank, etc. I love the miniatus grouper, but I think my grouper days are over. They are opportunity hunters and will swallow what can fit in their mouth and half of what won't fit. Gotta be careful with their tankmates.

Ah okay I was going to ask about the feeding. Im working with Bonnie on hand feeding and sometimes she doesnt run from my hand and gets the food, other times she gets spooked and runs. She gets scares if the other fish are trying to get the chunk of food I threw her and wont get it or if it floats too far away she will let it go. I found that interesting considering she ate my clarkii but wont go for food when other fish are close to the chunk. But it sounds like youve seen the same things so its a grouper thing?

 

[littlefoxx]

You have 3 tangs on the "most aggressive" list, why would you want to add another? Hippo tangs aren't shy either, they are fast swimmers, aggressive eaters and will bully any fish that wants to hang out where they sleep at night. If you find a tiny 3/4" hippo tang like all of the LFS have from time to time, expect it to become a 3" fish within 1 year, I've had two of them do this. I lost the first one after I found it stuck to a wavemaker one morning, and the second I still have.

And Imay be misinformed, but I believe almost all of the blue tangs available in the trade right now are captive bred. I watched a 2 hour video on YT recently that showed how they were bred in Indonesia. I couldn't find the video when I searched for it just now. If I find it I'll post the link it's rather interesting.

Yeah I was wondering if a hippo would be able to hold its own with those guys. I do really love them and would love to have one for sure but I was wanting opinions because of the 3 tangs I have. I wasnt even going to bother with another tang after those 3 but this little baby unicorn tang hitchhiked into my tank and none of them even batted an eye at it or chased it so it made me wonder if I could do another tang

 

[KQuillan]

Mine grew fast and he is so obnoxious. Too bad we weren't closer, I'd just let you have him.

 

[Ks4726]

Ah okay I was going to ask about the feeding. Im working with Bonnie on hand feeding and sometimes she doesnt run from my hand and gets the food, other times she gets spooked and runs. She gets scares if the other fish are trying to get the chunk of food I threw her and wont get it or if it floats too far away she will let it go. I found that interesting considering she ate my clarkii but wont go for food when other fish are close to the chunk. But it sounds like youve seen the same things so its a grouper thing?

Definitely a grouper thing. I'd always sum it up to how hungry the fish is and that determines how bold it is. Supposedly when they are l are older and bigger they get more bold. I'd get my minatus's 8 inches and they were always the same. They are known to be more shy than most. This was my last one, I was bummed when it died. Grouper and trigger were best of buddy's. Beautiful fish just too much of my time was spent on feeding it,

 

[littlefoxx]

Mine grew fast and he is so obnoxious. Too bad we weren't closer, I'd just let you have him.

Obnoxious how??

 

[littlefoxx]

Definitely a grouper thing. I'd always sum it up to how hungry the fish is and that determines how bold it is. Supposedly when they are l are older and bigger they get more bold. I'd get my minatus's 8 inches and they were always the same. They are known to be more shy than most. This was my last one, I was bummed when it died. Grouper and trigger were best of buddy's. Beautiful fish just too much of my time was spent on feeding it,

It is a beautiful grouper! Bonnie is about 5 inches. She hangs with my eels ❤ her and my clown trigger are not buds at all he always tries to take her food!

 

[Paul B]

Are they hardier as far as getting ich?

My fish don't get ich. Hippo tangs seem to live for me about ten years. I have problems after that for some stupid reason because I know they can live at least 15 or more years.

Mine have never seen an algae clip or lettuce. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

 

[exnisstech]

I love a Hippo. Mine died mysteriously overnight a few months ago with no signs of illness after being awesome for over 5 years. I picked this one up Saturday to add to my tang gang in the 330. Its about 3 inches tip to tip. I'll keep it in observation for a month or two to fatten it up. It ate PE mysis and nori rubber banded to a rock the day after I added it. I love the color of these guys.

 

[littlefoxx]

My fish don't get ich. Hippo tangs seem to live for me about ten years. I have problems after that for some stupid reason because I know they can live at least 15 or more years.

Mine have never seen an algae clip or lettuce. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

Yeah my fish always get something after introducing a hippo… was looking at Dr reefs for a QT CB one, they come 1-2 inches, big enough the grouper wont eat it

 

[littlefoxx]

Also considering adding a bristletooth of some kind since my white tail jumped. None of my fish eat the algae on the rocks, too used to the nori clips. Spoiled little buggers

 

[KQuillan]

Obnoxious how??

He is like a bully. He doesn't care who is in his way. Oh, and he grows fast too.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yall know my beef with hippo tangs. But dang are they something. Considering a biota hippo. Anyone have experience with those?

Are they hardier as far as getting ich?

Also have the following tangs:
Sohal
Sailfin
Purple
Unicorn

The unicorn is the least aggressive the others can be nasty to new fish.

Thoughts?

By now you should know, they are prone to skin irritations and ich and you have listed fish with potential aggression and will need at least a 3-4" specimen to give it best chance of fending for itself. If you get one - Quarantine it

 

[Reefering1]

By now you should know, they are prone to skin irritations and ich and you have listed fish with potential aggression and will need at least a 3-4" specimen to give it best chance of fending for itself. If you get one - Quarantine it

Wouldn't quarantining a new fish be futile if the rest of the tank hasn't been?