New tangs: Convict & Blue hippo

[Aparker2005]

Just got a baby blue hippo tang, and a small/medium convict tang today. Excited!

The convict is pretty active already and the baby hippo is still hiding up top near a wavemaker.

Whats the secret with these, specifically the convict? I've got plenty of nori sheets, frozen, pellets, and algae for it to munch on on the rocks.

Just throw food at it and hope they eat? They seem healthy.

 

[Reef Wizard]

Just got a baby blue hippo tang, and a small/medium convict tang today. Excited!

The convict is pretty active already and the baby hippo is still hiding up top near a wavemaker.

Whats the secret with these, specifically the convict? I've got plenty of nori sheets, frozen, pellets, and algae for it to munch on on the rocks.

Just throw food at it and hope they eat? They seem healthy.

Im on my second convict. They seem to want to graze themselves to death at first. After established they are pigs

Mine will only eat on Spirulina brine shrimp. Just know they will swim alot and burn alot of fat quick so make sure they get eating as soon as possible

Mine has no interest in Nori yet anyways

 

[skey44]

I’ve read they like different types of seaweed. Two little fishies sells two additional varieties besides the normal “nori” that I would try. I’d also try some vegetarian frozen food.

Getting the convict going on a mainly vegetarian diet is the most important thing. Beautiful Convict specimen by the way, best of luck.

 

[Aparker2005]

Convict is picking at rocks already. Seems like a good sign.

They both arrived with VERY cold water, doing the swim of death. Very surprised they made it and seem to be doing well so far.

Hippo hasn't eaten anything yet, but that's also normal id assume.

 

[exnisstech]

My convict eats anything I feed which is a mixture of Frozen heavy on PE mysis and 4 types of pellets. I no longer feed nori since I'm feeding the algae that grows in my ATS. Mine can be a butt head at times but since it has no scalpel it's all for show. Mine is a non stop grazer of rocks and glass. I've had mine for 3.5 yrs.

 

[Aparker2005]

Not looking like this blue hippo is gonna make it. I think the cold temperature and no heat packs or Styrofoam affected it a bit too much and it just didn't fully recover. Maybe I'm wrong, but we'll see. Very angry about this shipment.

Convict so far still doing very good and picking constantly.

 

[Aparker2005]

Hippo didn't make it. I knew with how tiny it was and how cold the water was it didn't really stand a chance.

 

[Largeangels]

Only convict I tried turned out to be one nasty tang. Has grown a lot in the last couple of years, eats a lot (mysis, flakes, nori, pellets) and grazes on rocks all day long. I caught it and it will most likely be going back to the LFS. If these weren't quarentine then keep an eye on the usual ich, velvet, flukes.

 

[Aparker2005]

Still picking the rocks but haven't seen it eat anything yet.

New blue tang will be here Friday!

 

[Aparker2005]

Just noticed it finally starting to pick at a nori sheet I attached to a rock. Hope that continues

 

[Largeangels]

Mine went through full QT of copper and Prazipro and eating vigorously before I released in with other fish.

 

[Aparker2005]

Got a new hippo replacement yesterday and it is night and day difference. It is slightly bigger, eating everything I give it, and very active. Looks very healthy.

Convict has taken fully to nori. I have only seen it eat a flake or 2, and no frozen yet. Still picking at rocks. Hopefully it'll come around to other foods soon.

I'd say with them both seeming comfortable and eating, we should be good to go for now!

 

[Aparker2005]

Hippo is eating everything I throw at it. Very happy with this one. So far looking like it's gonna be just fine. Very interesting sleep behavior on these and how they literally lay down lol.

Convict still only eats nori. No flakes, pellets, or frozen. I've tried everything, and only nori. Will it maybe eventually come around, or is this gonna be a nori only diet? I've added garlic guard to it and it's eating it well, just wish it would move to other foods.

 

[Aparker2005]

Just caught the convict eating frozen and pellets! Yes!

Also, is it normal for these blue tangs to completely freak out and dart into the glass? This one was eating and then nearly knocked itself out freaking out over something.

It's back to swimming and eating now but what the crap?? I know fish do this for no reason sometimes but wow

 

[Uncle99]

Just caught the convict eating frozen and pellets! Yes!

Also, is it normal for these blue tangs to completely freak out and dart into the glass? This one was eating and then nearly knocked itself out freaking out over something.

It's back to swimming and eating now but what the crap?? I know fish do this for no reason sometimes but wow

He’s attacking the other blue he sees in the glass.
It will subside.
He won’t do that with lights out.

 

[Aparker2005]

Blue tang died again. Another bad order with it, but I thought it may have a chance. Turns out it didn't, and still was not the size we ordered.

Convict tang has suddenly gone into complete spastic mode. It will be swimming and randomly freak out crashing into rocks. It cog itself pretty banged up. If was still eating everything as if of yesterday evening, but now it's hiding like it's afraid of it's own shadow.

No aggression toward either, water parameters are good, and other fish are showing no signs of stress or anything.

I'm hoping it calms down and continues to eat and do well. It's a beautiful fish if it will stop trying to ram itself to death.

With as bad as these 2 orders were, I'm hoping Judy get a refund on these 2 and never use this store again.

I will say our cleaner shrimp with this order somehow fully recovered and see are doing well. The fish however are another story this time.

 

[Starry Night Reef]

Blue tang died again. Another bad order with it, but I thought it may have a chance. Turns out it didn't, and still was not the size we ordered.

Convict tang has suddenly gone into complete spastic mode. It will be swimming and randomly freak out crashing into rocks. It cog itself pretty banged up. If was still eating everything as if of yesterday evening, but now it's hiding like it's afraid of it's own shadow.

No aggression toward either, water parameters are good, and other fish are showing no signs of stress or anything.

I'm hoping it calms down and continues to eat and do well. It's a beautiful fish if it will stop trying to ram itself to death.

With as bad as these 2 orders were, I'm hoping Judy get a refund on these 2 and never use this store again.

I will say our cleaner shrimp with this order somehow fully recovered and see are doing well. The fish however are another story this time.

ah man sorry to hear. Where did you order it from? Im looking to order a few tangs and dont want the same experience

 

[Aparker2005]

ah man sorry to hear. Where did you order it from? Im looking to order a few tangs and dont want the same experience

We got a live aquaria gift card for Christmas so we ordered them from there. We've usually had good experiencesn, but this one was awful.

First shipment, no Styrofoam, just a nearly open thin cardboard box with newspaper. Water was ice cold. 30 degree Arkansas temps and no heat packs. Shrimp I thought were dead, convict was barely swimming, and the tiny blue tang was on its side. We ordered a medium 3-4" and received a 1" blue.

The shrimp made a full recovery, but the blue tang died quickly and I'm suspecting this convict won't be around much longer.

Completely free replacement sent the next week. 40-50 degrees outside. A Styrofoam box this time, but no heat packs, and probably a 2" blue tang.

I will say one of their reps was more than helpful and told me to keep her posted.

I'm gonna just simply ask for a refund and not use them anymore. 2 shipments in winter with no heat packs and smaller than ordered fish has rubbed us the wrong way.

 

[Uncle99]

In December 24, you posted your tank may have the ick.

You seem to have lost quite a few fish in a few months.

Did the tank go without any fish for 70ish days?

Once you get a good order, just wanted to make sure that parasite is not in your system any longer.

 

[Aparker2005]

In October, you posted your tank may have the ick.

You seem to have lost quite a few fish in a few months.

Did the tank go without any fish for 70ish days?

No it wasn't ick thankfully. The bellus angel seems to have had something (not ick) and a swim bladder issue. She's still alive and eating, just swimming very weird. The other issue is gone. Another poster posted what they thought it was and it ended up seeming to be exactly that. Almost like a mucus or something rather than ick bumps.

We have only lost the powder blue tangs we tried, and these 2 small blue hippos. All due to this same behavior of just completely freaking out out of nowhere and seeming to be afraid of anything in the tank.