New Hippo Tang

[floridabromo]

I just picked up my first tang today and it is a Blue Hippo Tang.. it's rather small so I have it in my 55g right now while my 180 finishes cycling. It has been swimming fine for the most part but keeps swimming right onto my filter and gets stuck and I have no idea what to do about it. I have a clip of seaweed in the tank away from the filter currently.
my parameters for my tank are:
ph 8.0
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 5
77 degrees
Alk is 12
Calcium 450
Magnesium 1300

 

[4FordFamily]

If it is getting stuck in the filter, either your filter or flow are too powerful for it, or more likely the fish is not in good shape and is very weak. It could of course be both...

 

[floridabromo]

 

[floridabromo]

If it is getting stuck in the filter, either your filter or flow are too powerful for it, or more likely the fish is not in good shape and is very weak. It could of course be both...

It is pretty small, it just keeps going back to under the filter

 

[4FordFamily]

It is pretty small, it just keeps going back to under the filter

This isn't very common, can you tell us about the filter, perhaps show us a photo, and tell us about the amount of flow in the tank?

Hippo tangs tend to try to hide and find places to wedge themselves, are you sure she's stuck?

 

[floridabromo]

 

[4FordFamily]

Canister filter?

 

[floridabromo]

Canister filter?

yeah it is. I also have 2 current use 660gph wave pump that are both set to 40%

 

[4FordFamily]

yeah it is. I also have 2 current use 660gph wave pump that are both set to 40%

What size tank? Sounds like overkill for most qt

 

[floridabromo]

What size tank? Sounds like overkill for most qt

it's 55 gallons

 

[4FordFamily]

it's 55 gallons

Still may be overkill for a tiny lil guy. Turn one off completely and aim the other upward. See if that helps?

 

[Fishfinder]

Is he sick? Some pics of the fish?

 

[floridabromo]

Still may be overkill for a tiny lil guy. Turn one off completely and aim the other upward. See if that helps?

I'll try that and see how he is tomorrow, thank you!

 

[4FordFamily]

I'll try that and see how he is tomorrow, thank you!

No problem, keep us posted!

 

[Tufinside]

these fish are great additions, i have a couple

 

[eatbreakfast]

As 4ford said, either filter is too strong or the fish is too weak.

 

[floridabromo]

Sooo update!
The tang is still alive! Kinda had a mini freakout moment when I found it sleeping under the rocks.. didn't know they actually would "go to bed".
I also had introduced a BTA yesterday and woke up to find my ammonia spiked to .4 over night and it killed my cleaner shrimp.. I dosed prime immediately and did a large water change and now everything seems to be fine and everyone is eating normal

 

[joro]

I recently added a tiny Hippo (less than an inch) to our tank as well and it had similar behavior although mine was with an MP10 rather than the filter. I was concerned but over the next few weeks the event became less frequent and now she swims out in the open but still "sleeps" against the powerhead. It certainly could be that it's weak or sick; however, in exploring my own situation I found a lot of threads across forums where this type of behavior wasn't that uncommon. Some had videos of nearly full grown Hippos who liked to "cuddle up" to powerheads. I'd just keep an eye on it and make sure it's eating and if so, you should be fine. I'd suggest putting protection on the filter and any powerheads you have though to prevent it from getting sucked in

 

[floridabromo]

She has been fine and out swimming more today and is a little timid.. I put half of an algae disk right next to where her "cave" is and she keeps coming out to eat it so that's good. She almost appears to have a powdery white substance on her? I don't know if it is stress or something I should worry about

 

[mitchell01]

She has been fine and out swimming more today and is a little timid.. I put half of an algae disk right next to where her "cave" is and she keeps coming out to eat it so that's good. She almost appears to have a powdery white substance on her? I don't know if it is stress or something I should worry about

Try and get a closer pick @Humblefish