Blue Hippo Tangs

[Barch]

I see tank recommendations for these fish all over the board from 55 gal. to 180 gal. as minimum tank size requirements. Tank raised as a more hardy variety vrs. wild etc. What is the experience and suggestions from all of you? I have a 120 gal. that is 48x18x32. I would like to add one for my grandkid's to enjoy with my clownfish. Any thoughts? Thanks

 

[Neno reefs]

The problem with a blue tang in your tank is that its only 4 foor, blue tangs do much better in a 6 foot tank. There are a few tangs that would do great in your tank, like a yellow tang or a kole eye tang. You might be able to get a sailfin tang for that tank(some more expert might chime in on this thought)

 

[reefnoob]

I agree with neno. A blue tang would not be happy in a 4 foot tank. That's why I haven't bought one for my own tank. But I do have a yellow tang and it swims all over the place and is very healthy.

 

[wontonflip]

For the most part, I go by liveaquaria.com recommendations. They are there for a reason . As I said in one other post that you could stick an actively swimming fish in a small tank, but it's not much of a life to that fish. They need swimming room. Small tanks will stress them out and make them more prone to illnesses and deaths.

 

[mariobrothersleeve]

I agree with posts, i have a yellow eyed kole tang, my buddy has a 12in hippo, it is huge! It is in a 210g and it is way to small, next step the ocean

 

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

Well, that sucks. I also was thinking about getting a Hippo Tang. I got a 55 Gal, but it's a wide tank. Guess that's out of the question now :\. Looks like we're in the same boat Barch :frustrat:.

 

[noy]

I have this guy in a 4 footer - 110g. Seems to be a happy camper. Swims in the open water column all day and comes to me when i come to the tank. Eats like a pig and is nice and fat. Its a very healthy specimen (imho). I've had him for almost a year now.



I (obviously) disagree with rule that you need to have a 6 foot/180g tank to keep a blue tang. I can refer you to websites that suggests 6 foot/180g is not required.

http://www.freshmarine.com/blue-tang.html
Blue Hippo Tang

I think you can provide an environment in a 4 foot/120g tank where a blue tang can thrive. Part of it is the rock work which should allow for open spaces and places to hide and squirt around in (they do like to hide when stressed - which will be a lot when in a new environment). A setup which separates the water column into 2 along the length of the tank that is high enough will create a lot more effective space that a coral oriented one with all the rockwork at the back of the tank (and effectively one track for the fish to swim in and your fish has to do a u-turn every time they get to the end).

Effective management of water chemistry, provision of good quality foods and a disciplined quarantine protocol will go a long ways than the extra 2 ft of swimming room a 6 foot tank provides. You also have to manage distress from overloading or aggression from crowding. All fishkeeping falls far short of the "ocean" and even in a 6 foot tank - fish won't thrive unless they are properly taken car of.

So if you are asking me, assuming your tank isn't overloaded, go ahead and buy the fish and enjoy him. From what I see of your rockwork in your background - you need more rock to create places they can "hide."
Before you buy - I would set up a quarantine tank ahead of time because tanges are ich prone.

The only captive raised ones will be from another aquarist because most are caught wild in the LFS.

 

[Neno reefs]

Not this argument again.....:roll::roll:


Read this thread
https://www.livingreefs.com/big-question-t46243.html


Also think about it 2 foot might not seem like a lot but tha is 2x the fishes body length. That would be like keeping a 6 foot person in a closet, the extra 12 foot of room could make a closet into a bedroom.

 

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

So, basically, you can do it. It's just not what most people would suggest because it may cause some discomfort too the fish. Sort of along the lines of a "up to you, it's your tank" kind of theme? If I was to do it, I'd research what type of infections they normally would get and invest in the treatments for them before even doing it as a just in case. My two cents~ (Could be wrong though)

 

[Neno reefs]

So, basically, you can do it. It's just not what most people would suggest because it may cause some discomfort too the fish. Sort of along the lines of a "up to you, it's your tank" kind of theme? If I was to do it, I'd research what type of infections they normally would get and invest in the treatments for them before even doing it as a just in case. My two cents~ (Could be wrong though)

There is no treatments for stress.... And stress is one of the biggest killers in this hobby

 

[Kelz88]

A blue tang could survive in a 4 foot tank, but you should see how happy they are in a 6 or 8 foot tank.

Considering you get these guys from the ocean (we cant get tangs spawned and raised in the home aquarium) it would be best to give them as much space as possible. They love to zoom around!

 

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

There is no treatments for stress.... And stress is one of the biggest killers in this hobby

I see, well, I'll forget about it until I can build the custom tank I want. Once i really get accustomed too the hobby I'm going to get my boss to help me build a wall piece that takes up most of the false wall we have built downstairs. Somewhere in the vicinity of 72 x 42 x 20. Going to tear off the sheet rock and beef up some of the beams to support the additional weight and build cabinetry on either side of the wall with added support since it's going to be massive, and extremely heavy. One side for the Sump/Refug and the other for all the additives and food. But, that's a project for 2-3 years from now. :D

 

[cvcdrk]

I agree with posts, i have a yellow eyed kole tang, my buddy has a 12in hippo, it is huge! It is in a 210g and it is way to small, next step the ocean

Please don't let your friend release this fish into the ocean. Please.

 

[Neno reefs]

I see, well, I'll forget about it until I can build the custom tank I want. Once i really get accustomed too the hobby I'm going to get my boss to help me build a wall piece that takes up most of the false wall we have built downstairs. Somewhere in the vicinity of 72 x 42 x 20. Going to tear off the sheet rock and beef up some of the beams to support the additional weight and build cabinetry on either side of the wall with added support since it's going to be massive, and extremely heavy. One side for the Sump/Refug and the other for all the additives and food. But, that's a project for 2-3 years from now. :D

That would be my dream tank,

 

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

That would be my dream tank,

I've already started a savings account for it haha. Got 300$ in it as of now. Fortunately, most of the stuff I'm accumulating in my 55 now will be able to transfer into it. So, I'll save on some stuff then. I firmly believe in the saying "Go big, or go home" :mrgreen:

 

[Kelz88]

+1 cvc

Releasing that fish into the ocean will do more harm then good. A public aquarium perhaps?

 

[ob_on3]

So, basically, you can do it. It's just not what most people would suggest because it may cause some discomfort too the fish. Sort of along the lines of a "up to you, it's your tank" kind of theme? If I was to do it, I'd research what type of infections they normally would get and invest in the treatments for them before even doing it as a just in case. My two cents~ (Could be wrong though)

Yes....basically you can but its frowned upon here...tangs and space is a touchy subject here...many people go against it and others seem to make it work just fine...at the end the argument is being cruel to fish in some people assumptions... . IMO...I can't tell how fish feel...if it looks happy swims a lot and eats...its doing what a fish does...

I agree with noy...watching parameters and levels and it should be fine!! :grumble:

 

[FishyReef]

Its largely a matter of size. A juvenile (think 2" or smaller) blue hippo would probably be fine in a 4ft tank for a period of time (of course, the baby blue hippos have poor survival rates to start with because they are just out of the larval phase of development, have incredibly high metabolisms, and our tanks often can't meet their nutritional needs). But keep in mind that tangs like blue hippos grow fast and can live a long time. Some people are of the notion that they will buy a fish and then rehome it when it outgrows their tank. Problem is that (1) you get attached and don't want to give it away when the time comes, and (2) how do you know when its outgrown your tank? You probably only notice when it becomes very visibly cramped, though in all likelyhood it needed a larger home long before that and is suffering. Maybe you watch it pace back and forth all day and think its happy because its swimming so much, but pacing is a sign of being stressed and cramped. So then you find yourself in a situation like Mario's friend who has a foot long tang in a 6ft tank, and think all you can do is release it into the ocean or send it to a public aquarium. In all likelyhood most tangs don't make it to this size because they die from stress before they get that big. Blue tangs are a dime a dozen and people buy them all the time, but I'm pretty sure there aren't a ton of large blue tangs out there living out full, long, happy lives in someone's 4ft tank. They die off and then people just buy another one. I was in an LFS yesterday and they had probably 30 1" blue hippos. They bring that many in because they sell that many, but I'm sure only a few will still be alive a year from now. It makes me sad. Its a fun idea to get "Dori" for the grandkids, but I think you'd be doing them much more by educating them that "Dori" actually needs a bigger home than your tank and instead got a tang that would be okay living in a 4ft tank. In the wild tangs can swim 20 miles a day. That's a lot of laps in a 4ft tank. Anyhow, I've said my piece, just wanted to give you food for thought.

 

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

Its largely a matter of size. A juvenile (think 2" or smaller) blue hippo would probably be fine in a 4ft tank for a period of time (of course, the baby blue hippos have poor survival rates to start with because they are just out of the larval phase of development, have incredibly high metabolisms, and our tanks often can't meet their nutritional needs). But keep in mind that tangs like blue hippos grow fast and can live a long time. Some people are of the notion that they will buy a fish and then rehome it when it outgrows their tank. Problem is that (1) you get attached and don't want to give it away when the time comes, and (2) how do you know when its outgrown your tank? You probably only notice when it becomes very visibly cramped, though in all likelyhood it needed a larger home long before that and is suffering. Maybe you watch it pace back and forth all day and think its happy because its swimming so much, but pacing is a sign of being stressed and cramped. So then you find yourself in a situation like Mario's friend who has a foot long tang in a 6ft tank, and think all you can do is release it into the ocean or send it to a public aquarium. In all likelyhood most tangs don't make it to this size because they die from stress before they get that big. Blue tangs are a dime a dozen and people buy them all the time, but I'm pretty sure there aren't a ton of large blue tangs out there living out full, long, happy lives in someone's 4ft tank. They die off and then people just buy another one. I was in an LFS yesterday and they had probably 30 1" blue hippos. They bring that many in because they sell that many, but I'm sure only a few will still be alive a year from now. It makes me sad. Its a fun idea to get "Dori" for the grandkids, but I think you'd be doing them much more by educating them that "Dori" actually needs a bigger home than your tank and instead got a tang that would be okay living in a 4ft tank. In the wild tangs can swim 20 miles a day. That's a lot of laps in a 4ft tank. Anyhow, I've said my piece, just wanted to give you food for thought.

+1. Words of wisdom

 

[Barch]

Thanks for all your input...I think I will wait for a tank upgrade before getting the Hippo Tang.