To Hippo Tang or Not To Hippo Tang, That is the Question

[Hugh Mann]

My lfs just released a bunch of small (1-3") Hippo Tangs out of quarantine today and I had them put one on hold for me.

Anyways, I have done a lot of reading on Hippo Tangs, and I understand there are certain difficulties keeping this species, specifically Ich and Lateral Line Disease, as well as requiring a solid diet of nori and assorted vitamin enriched frozen and lots of room to swim.

Ich, I have never had to deal with it yet, as to my knowledge it is not in my tank, which has just undergone nearly 7 weeks of Chelated Copper at 2ppm for Velvet, so there shouldn't be any laying dormant in my tank either. By the time I go pick up this fish it will have been in the stores QT for 2 weeks, which will be followed by at least another 2 weeks in my QT for observation. Contemplating performing TTM, but am nervous about stressing the fish from all the transfers.

Lateral Line Disease. As I understand it the cause of this isn't exactly known, but that it is associated with high nitrates and activated carbon. I am not running carbon, and my nitrates are currently ~25(Salifert) and will be going down as I do water changes over the next week to remove the copper, and then I will be running a protein skimmer with weekly water changes to keep them down.

Tank Size. This is my main concern, as my display is only 55 gallons, 48" long and I know an adult Hippo requires a minimum of 72", but I have read numerous threads on here and elsewhere about keeping smaller hippos in shorter tanks for later upgrades or rehoming. I will be buying a 210 gallon in a couple of months, no later than December.

Feeding. I know they require a good diet of nori and vitamin enriched frozen multiple times a day in addition to whatever they may graze off the rocks. I already feed my tank 3x daily a combination of flake, frozen and nori.

Do I have my bases covered?

Are there other considerations to take into account when keeping a hippo tang?

Other known causes/preventions/treatments for Lateral Line Disease? How common is it in Hippos?

Most importantly, is a 55 gallon enough length/volume to house a 1-3" Hippo for 6 months? My lfs wouldn't specify the exact length, but that is the size category I was told.

The tank mates would be a Marine Betta (5"), Greyfaced Moray Eel (14"), and a Maroon Clown (1.5"), among assorted snails and hermit crabs.

 

[lion king]

In regards to Lateral Line Disease, I've found it to be water quality and nutrition. I have even seen severe lateral line reversed with a diet of live macro algae. If you have access to caulerpa(my tangs and angels like the fern stuff) and/or gracilaria; keep it in your sump and attach bunches to clips or a rock and drop some in as a part of their diet. Hikari mega algae is also a good addition, this is one tang that needs plenty of greens(reds).

 

[Hugh Mann]

In regards to Lateral Line Disease, I've found it to be water quality and nutrition. I have even seen severe lateral line reversed with a diet of live macro algae. If you have access to caulerpa(my tangs and angels like the fern stuff) and/or gracilaria; keep it in your sump and attach bunches to clips or a rock and drop some in as a part of their diet. Hikari mega algae is also a good addition, this is one tang that needs plenty of greens(reds).

That's what I had read about it too, is reversable with a good diet, though I worry about infections and my lack of access to anti biotics. I do have access to gracilaria, and could get my hands on it. Whether or not I can grow it faster than it's eaten, I don't know. I have also read that they can also eat blanched lettuce and broccoli, though I don't know how good of an idea that is, if it's even true. And can definitely get some of that Hikari to supplement.

 

[lion king]

That's what I had read about it too, is reversable with a good diet, though I worry about infections and my lack of access to anti biotics. I do have access to gracilaria, and could get my hands on it. Whether or not I can grow it faster than it's eaten, I don't know. I have also read that they can also eat blanched lettuce and broccoli, though I don't know how good of an idea that is, if it's even true. And can definitely get some of that Hikari to supplement.

Back in the day before nori and the packaged sheets of algae you can readily get, we used to feed romaine lettuce.

 

[SPR1968]

As already said, give it a good diet with plenty of algae, but you will need to upgrade the tank in line with your plans

They are very active swimmers, and also grow quickly

 

[ca1ore]

I see no reason not to just use nori. It’s available and actual seaweed rather than terrestrial greens lol. FWIW, juvenile hippo/regal/Hepatus tangs are planktivores primarily. Although juveniles may also go after nori, mine never did until it reached adulthood. Now it eats everything. Just be mindful of this and offer quality frozen fare. I kept a 5” hippo in a 48” tank and it was OK, but beyond that and you are likely to get some curious behavior. It’s an idiosyncratic fish.

Hippo is sometimes characterized as an ich magnet .... I do not find this to be so, certainly not like the Achilles. Give it good water conditions (it’s a reef crest fish manly) and an appropriate diet and it should be fine.

 

[lakai]

Do it! But still quarantine. They aren’t necessarily any more difficult than any other fish, just less forgiving when something is wrong. 4 ft tank is fine. Just know they do grow fast. I have a 6” yellow belly hippo that was the Literal size of a nickel when I got it. That was a year and half ago. He’s been through velvet and still alive. I’ve lost 4 and really learned that stress really affects this fish more than any other.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Thanks everyone, I will definitely be adding this wee fellow to my tank. After rigorous quarantine that is. I've wanted one pretty much since I started the hobby but was wary of the difficulty, I feel like I have learned enough in the last few months to make a go of it. I love fish with interesting personalities, and it sounds like a Hippo fits that perfectly.

I will be sure to let you know how it goes, and feel free to let me know anything else I should know about caring for these fish. Thanks again!

 

[Aardvark1134]

1 you can grow sea lettus in your refugium for it. 2 if you are going to upgrade in a few months for sure just wait until you have the new tank...blue tangs are not rare and they are almost always able to be found.

 

[Squidward]

For me personally, the smaller they are the less success. I've tried 3 times... The first 2 times they were on the smaller size and they both didn't make it past quarantine. The 3rd one was a decent medium sized one and she made it through quarantine and is doing pretty good in the display ever since. Real peaceful gentle fish and can be pigs when feeding time comes.

 

[xaflatoonx]

Ain’t no reef tank complete without dori in it.

 

[Waynerock]

I have had one for a while and she never touches the nori sheets. She eats the heck out of tdo pellets mixed every other day with LRS and/or rods food for herbivores. She is fat and happy. I had a yellow tang that would hammer some sea weed but not Ellen I wish she would I bought a big pack

 

[Dan I]

Okay, here is my two cents. I am currently on my second successful blue tang. FOREWARNING, I do not quarantine. I tried a blue tang twice after a year in the hobby with my 80 gallon tank that didn't go well by ordering a small one off online which lasted a day and a half. Second was larger sized from a LFS that lasted 3 days. I took these losses as a message to ignore them until I feel I am more knowledgeable in the hobby.

Now moving forward almost 2 and a half years of my tank and a restart. I have 3-5 fish in the system with everything doing great. I head to LFS and they had some blue tangs. Some small, and some larger. I knew they have some copper in their system. A 3" inch hippo caught my interest and I told myself I could not go through another failure. Went around the store and couldn't get the tang off my head. I asked an employee to feed the tank with the tang in it. The hippo tang was around 4 inches and ate like a champ and I took it. That hippo tang did very well in my tank until my breakdown for upgrade. I sold her off to another hobbyist that has a large tank. Now to my second tank, went to a different LFS that does not run copper. They had tons of tangs in which I inspected for a good while before selecting my new hippo tang. This hippo tang was swimming good, pushing other tangs away from her spot and ate well. She is around 3-4 inches and is doing well. She is just a bit shy, but eats really good. I feed LRS once a day, a small pinch of ON flakes, and a half sheet of nori daily at the moment. I add Selcon to the nori once in a awhile.