Manny Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Please dont eat me up alive for this question but figuratively speaking, if I bought a hippo tang that was 1 inch in length, how long could I keep him in a 75 gallon aquarium before he outgrew it and I had to either sell/trade/give it away. I can get one for about $50 and if I could keep him for about a year, I would be more than happy to give him up when he got too big. But if he is going to outgrow the tank within 6 months, I probably wouldn't bother. The tang is literally probably smaller than an inch long. It is tiny! My wife would love to have {Dorthy} in our aquarium and am only asking because of her persistence. After all, she is the one who approves all major purchases Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvrEnuf Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 My comment based in inexperience will hopefully get this started faster... 1. That small a hippo should only be purchased by someone who could easily answer the question you pose; the younger the fish, the harder to keep. 2. The answer you're looking for depends on too many variables to answer (feeding, tank mates, etc). 3. There are a good number who would say 75 gal is big enough for a Hippo for a good number (3-5) years. Many other will disagree. 4. This becomes even more complicated because your aquascape has an effect on the conversation: More room top swim can mean a smaller tank MIGHT be OK for longer. 5. DONT BUY REALLY SMALL HIPPO'S .... unless they are ORA and LOCAL. Very young fish of any specie wild caught are a bad thing, they have a hard enough time without us adding to thier peril. (all my humble opinion) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 Well thanks for that. Anyone else care to chime in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizzy Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Tiny is good, however you need to expect with such a sensitive specimen it's going to contract ich almost immediately. Can you put it in a qt tank, initially? That'd be my main concern. Other than that, I'm not sure of their growth rate because I do not have one...I'm sure someone here will tell you Good luck with Dorothy! When it comes to keeping the significant other interested (& happy), I will pretty much do anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 Yep he would be able to go into a QT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizardx322 Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I will be honest the smaller the hippo in my opinion the harder they are to keep alive but I would over a year depending on what all you have I had a large 5" in my 90 for 2 years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Wel... I think $50 is too much for a tiny Hippo. The last time I was at Niko's they had them for $40. It's up to you how much you pay. I agree with Wizard. Young fish are harder to keep alive because they're more sensitive to the water chemistry. Hippos are known for Ich and lateral line disease so I would make sure the tank you keep it in is stable, no matter what size it is. A lot of the growth rate will depend on the food offered, the amount, and the temp of the tank, but I think you will be able to keep a Hippo Tang in a 75g for a solid year and possibly up to two years. Once they reach a size of 5" or more then I would consider rehoming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Hippo/Regal/Dory tangs are very skittish fish and getting them really small doesn't help. I'm pretty sure one that small was collected as a larva and tank raised and you should be able to find out from the LFS's supplier. Growth the first year should be pretty good and should be an inch or more but what I have seen with tangs in the 2"-3" size is only about 1/2" - 1" per year so you could have it for several years before it outgrows your tank. If you get it make sure you have some dither fish in the tank with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 Wow very good info guys. I am glad I asked. I shall keep you all informed whether we get one or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mlaw Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I went this route and mine didn't survive. I have to agree that the smaller they are the harder they are to keep alive in this case. You should hold out for one that is a little larger. At the end of the day it's your $50 and as long as you plan on being a good fish keeper and doing everything you can to keep it alive I don't think anyone should give you a hard time about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 I went this route and mine didn't survive. I have to agree that the smaller they are the harder they are to keep alive in this case. You should hold out for one that is a little larger. At the end of the day it's your $50 and as long as you plan on being a good fish keeper and doing everything you can to keep it alive I don't think anyone should give you a hard time about it. Thanks. This is very supportive. I definitely am not one to cheat my tank maintenance. My parameters are pretty constant as well. Everything in my aquarium seems to be growing nicely. I did recently have a clown die but only because he decided he wanted to be a bird and fly away. Needless to say, his flight didn't last long. I will probably try and find a 2 inch tang instead though. But all in all, I do believe I could maintain a stable enough environment to keep the tiny tang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 Ok well here is the plot: Tomorrow I will be buying a new fish due to Petco's 25% off all SW fish. I know a lot of you might be against Petco livestock but they are really our only local option out here in the BCS area and a few other members and myself have actually had 100% succes rate with fish from our local Petco. Anyhow, I think I want to start a poll and actually let you guys decide on which fish I get next. I have four in mind. Can anyone tell me how to start a poll on here? Am I even allowed to start one? That should have been my first question. If not, then i can just post the names on this thread and hope to get some feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mlaw Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Kind of depends on what they have in stock.P.S. I hate Petco. Just wanted to be the first to mention it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 Mlaw, I already have the 4 fish in mind but don't want to post them here if I can figure out how to start a poll on a new thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 Kind of depends on what they have in stock. P.S. I hate Petco. Just wanted to be the first to mention it. Believe me, if we had a LFS here in town, I would never buy a fish from Petco. It's our only option. I think the closet to me is the FIsh Gallery in Houston which is about 103 miles away from my house. Not to mention how expensive they are. I have purchased from www.saltwaterfish.com before but I had to put in a big enough order to get free shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mlaw Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 gotta do what you gotta do to feed the addiction! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madsalt Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I have to agree with the small Hippo tang. I purchased one from Aquadome not too long ago and it barely survived the trip home. Unfortunately it did not make it, I was very bummed. With a fish that small it had trouble with flow in my tank, it kinda got pushed around so I would really be worried about that if you have a lot of flow. I honestly will not buy a fish that small again, I felt bad that it didn't make it. As far as Petco goes I have purchased a few fish from them and had had no problems with them at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 Ah screw it. I will just ask for votes here: Like I said, I will be buying a new fish tomorrow and instead of making the tough choice of choosing one, I thought it would be nice if I let the ARC members choose one for me. The four options are as follow: Tomini Tang (about 2.5-3 inches long) Flame Angel (I know some wouldn't recommend me adding a dwarf angel to a reef tank but this is a risk I am willing to take) Coral Beauty Blue Hippo (again, I would only keep this fish until it outgrew my 75gallon aquarium. Once it got to about 5 inches I would be seeking to rehome it.) I would not mind having to get rid of the hippo if I got to keep it for about a year or so. Although, realistically speaking, I know the other options are better suited for the long run in my aquarium. I love the looks of a tomini tang and the fact that they stay relatively small for a tang. The colors on the flame angel and coral beauty are amazing. I might lean slightly more towards the flame angel because it stands out but not sure if my little inclination towards it (and I seriously mean little) would be worth paying twice the price for it. Let me know which fish you guys like more and see if I can actually have an ARC member chosen fish in my new aquarium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Ok well here is the plot: Tomorrow I will be buying a new fish due to Petco's 25% off all SW fish. I know a lot of you might be against Petco livestock but they are really our only local option out here in the BCS area and a few other members and myself have actually had 100% succes rate with fish from our local Petco. Anyhow, I think I want to start a poll and actually let you guys decide on which fish I get next. I have four in mind. Can anyone tell me how to start a poll on here? Am I even allowed to start one? That should have been my first question. If not, then i can just post the names on this thread and hope to get some feedback. I don't mind Petco, but you HAVE to QT that fish if it gets into their tank. Ideally, see if you can contact the fish manager and buy the fish directly out of the shipment box. That way the fish won't have to adjust to a short term tank and possibly be introduced to extra diseases. Make sure that you know what to look for and don't buy a fish that looks iffy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Ah screw it. I will just ask for votes here: Like I said, I will be buying a new fish tomorrow and instead of making the tough choice of choosing one, I thought it would be nice if I let the ARC members choose one for me. The four options are as follow: Tomini Tang (about 2.5-3 inches long) Flame Angel (I know some wouldn't recommend me adding a dwarf angel to a reef tank but this is a risk I am willing to take) Coral Beauty Blue Hippo (again, I would only keep this fish until it outgrew my 75gallon aquarium. Once it got to about 5 inches I would be seeking to rehome it.) I would not mind having to get rid of the hippo if I got to keep it for about a year or so. Although, realistically speaking, I know the other options are better suited for the long run in my aquarium. I love the looks of a tomini tang and the fact that they stay relatively small for a tang. The colors on the flame angel and coral beauty are amazing. I might lean slightly more towards the flame angel because it stands out but not sure if my little inclination towards it (and I seriously mean little) would be worth paying twice the price for it. Let me know which fish you guys like more and see if I can actually have an ARC member chosen fish in my new aquarium. I've been keeping dwarf angels for over a decade and never had one destroy a coral. IME, they can't be trusted long term around clams though. That being said, I wouldn't add a dwarf unless it's the last fish. I've seen flames get pretty aggressive. I've also seen CB chase tangs twice their size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madsalt Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I would go with the Flame Angel, especially if you are looking for a pop of color. I had a Flame Angel, Coral Beauty, Rust and Koran Angel in my tank, they lived peacefully together and none of them bothered my corals. This isn't to say they wont, I think I got really lucky. Go Flame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 Ok well here is the plot: Tomorrow I will be buying a new fish due to Petco's 25% off all SW fish. I know a lot of you might be against Petco livestock but they are really our only local option out here in the BCS area and a few other members and myself have actually had 100% succes rate with fish from our local Petco. Anyhow, I think I want to start a poll and actually let you guys decide on which fish I get next. I have four in mind. Can anyone tell me how to start a poll on here? Am I even allowed to start one? That should have been my first question. If not, then i can just post the names on this thread and hope to get some feedback. I don't mind Petco, but you HAVE to QT that fish if it gets into their tank. Ideally, see if you can contact the fish manager and buy the fish directly out of the shipment box. That way the fish won't have to adjust to a short term tank and possibly be introduced to extra diseases. Make sure that you know what to look for and don't buy a fish that looks iffy. I would throw them into a QT. And I have contacted the manager and they let me pick them up first thing in the morning before they start throwing fish into their display tanks. That way in never goes into the store aquariums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 Ah screw it. I will just ask for votes here: Like I said, I will be buying a new fish tomorrow and instead of making the tough choice of choosing one, I thought it would be nice if I let the ARC members choose one for me. The four options are as follow: Tomini Tang (about 2.5-3 inches long) Flame Angel (I know some wouldn't recommend me adding a dwarf angel to a reef tank but this is a risk I am willing to take) Coral Beauty Blue Hippo (again, I would only keep this fish until it outgrew my 75gallon aquarium. Once it got to about 5 inches I would be seeking to rehome it.) I would not mind having to get rid of the hippo if I got to keep it for about a year or so. Although, realistically speaking, I know the other options are better suited for the long run in my aquarium. I love the looks of a tomini tang and the fact that they stay relatively small for a tang. The colors on the flame angel and coral beauty are amazing. I might lean slightly more towards the flame angel because it stands out but not sure if my little inclination towards it (and I seriously mean little) would be worth paying twice the price for it. Let me know which fish you guys like more and see if I can actually have an ARC member chosen fish in my new aquarium. I've been keeping dwarf angels for over a decade and never had one destroy a coral. IME, they can't be trusted long term around clams though. That being said, I wouldn't add a dwarf unless it's the last fish. I've seen flames get pretty aggressive. I've also seen CB chase tangs twice their size. Were your dwarfs picking at you clams? DId they kill the clams? I don't have any clams and it isn't a priority of mine to get one but I would like to potentially have one in my aquarium down the road. And as to your answer, you wouldn't add a dwarf unless it was the last fish to go into the aquarium or you wouldn't add a dwarf unless it was my last option? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mlaw Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I bought a Coral Beauty from Petco and it brought Brooklynella into my tank. So QT!!!! I love flame angels but they die in my tank. not sure why but if you think you can keep them alive that's my vote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 I would go with the Flame Angel, especially if you are looking for a pop of color. I had a Flame Angel, Coral Beauty, Rust and Koran Angel in my tank, they lived peacefully together and none of them bothered my corals. This isn't to say they wont, I think I got really lucky. Go Flame I bought a Coral Beauty from Petco and it brought Brooklynella into my tank. So QT!!!! I love flame angels but they die in my tank. not sure why but if you think you can keep them alive that's my vote. Ok so this makes 2 for flame angel and I'm not sure for what:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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