FarmerTy Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 So far I'm on day 6 of my new blue hippo tang sitting in the sump, hiding under the macro, and not swimming out or eating. I don't want his death on my conscience so I'm about ready to take him back to the store. He doesn't look overly skinny or sickly, just the typical shyness and hiding under things all day long and not swimming around. I've been on a constant attack with different types of food to try to entice him to eat to no avail. Tried flakes, pellets, mysid, Formula 2, nori...with garlic...zoecon... nothing. May try live brine or bloodworms soaked with vitamins and garlic today as a last resort. It would help if he actually swam around so that I can feed him. He's in the dark roughly 20hrs a day. I figured it would help with the acclimation. I don't know if he's snacking away on the pods in the refugium (he's about 2-3" long) and just not hungry? I don't know if I should wait longer, as I've seen some people have them hide for up to 2 weeks before swimming around and being more comfortable. Either case, he won't be going in the main system until he shows me he can eat. But time is running out and I don't want him to be sickly before taking him back, because I believe that is a death sentence. LMK what your experience is and what course of action you think best. Thanks in advance for your input. -Ty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I have yet to have one live, the last one I had for 2 weeks, Ate everyday garlic soaked blood worms, flake, Mysis, Zoe soaked brine, live brine, hair algae, always out swimming, came home to find it discoloring, was dead 4 hours later in the quarantine. the other I had were like yours, never came out to eat. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Try not soaking the food in vitamins, it might not like the smell of it in the food. Do you have another docile slow moving fish that you could put in the sump with it that might encourage it to come out? It will be a death sentence for sure if you move it again. If its not eating now, moving it back to the store and on to someone elses tank will not get it eating. If there is algae growing down there he is probably eating the algae at night or when you aren't around. They usually love macro algae BTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Does it have ich? Can you tell? Also 20 hrs of complete darkness is not necessary. I usually just turn on the lights to the room but not the QT tank and they are fine for weeks this way. I really suspect that its grazing down there and is probably going to be just fine given some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 Yeah Hydro, Actually prodded it out today just to take a look at it and it was fat and happy. Just still shy. So, I'm assuming it is finding some macro or pods to eat in the meantime so I'll just give it time before putting it in with it's new friends. Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 I've found having some dither fish in the quarantine tank with Hippo/Regal/Dory tangs helps them be less shy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 When I got my hippo I actually bought 2 because I was thinkink that one wouldn't make it. I put them in my sump where they lived for almost 6 months before I sold one and moved the other in to my DT tank. Once I moved it not a single fish even looked at the blue hippo, nothing in the tank seems to care about it. I also think that the constant water exchnage through the sump keep them from developing as much ich. Mine had a few spots for a couple of weeks but nothing serious. How are the yellow and sailfin doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 Yeah, I was thinking of getting a couple of green chromis' to encourage the hippo out. Then introduce the chromis' and hippo into the main tank at the same time so the yellow and sailfin don't have a chance to gang up on the hippo. May toss in two clownfish too so it's one giant party being added. I just don't want any fish isolated out and picked on when the new additions arrive in the main tank. Stephen- The fish are doing well but I think because there's only the two in there, that they are zoning in on each other and being real territorial. They keep getting more and more aggressive with each other that I'm hoping to introduce some other fish soon so that they can be more distracted. I'm ramping up my feeding too cause happy/full fish tend to fight less than hungry/territorial fish. I think my last tank additions in the future will be a flame hawkfish and a midas blenny, and I think my tank will be stocked for the 125-gallon. Here's the list so far: Currently in tank: -4" yellow tang -6" sailfin tang -4" hippo tang -3" yellow watchman goby To be added: -3 to 5 green chromis -2 true perculas -midas blenny -flame hawkfish -and maybe for my own guilty pleasure, a flame angel or small fairy wrasse. What do you guys think? Too much? Perfect? Once the sailfin and hippo get to adult sizes, I may ship one to a bigger tank or do as everyone else has done, and upgrade to a bigger tank. :-) -Ty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.