Hippo Tang, not reef safe??????

[jazzsam]

I have two hippo tangs in my tank and they have always been fine UNTILL NOW! Now I have watched them pick at a clams non stop, my open brain, a few sticks! They keep closing up because of them! Anyone ever see anything like this?

 

[Phyl]

Do they have nori hanging for them? They sound hungry.

 

[Brian]

I had a Yellow Tang do the same thing to me. ( I always assumed it was because I didn't like them, so it was the tangs revenge)

I second the nori clip, give them something to graze on.

 

[mladencovic]

Do they have nori hanging for them? They sound hungry.

It could be a bit more complicated than that. They are either very hungry or have acquired a new taste or feeding habits.

To test if it is hunger, dose the tank with the brine shrimp. It is not a healthy choice! But is is a full belly choice for almost every fish I know of. Do that for a couple of days, make sure they eat a lot of it, and observe if they are still picking the corals.

If they don't then it is obviously a hunger issue, so just adjust the feeding regiment.
If they do, then you have more serious problem - they have either acquired the taste for them or their reflex feeding habits have been modified.

By adding the nori and other seaweed (soaked) you can test if this is the case of their reflex feeding mechanism. Try different seaweed (I have at least 5 completely different types that I can give you samples to experiment with) and see if that helps. If nothing helps then they might have developed the taste for the corals and you are out of luck (or they ;D )

 

[jazzsam]

I thought it was a hunger issue. I used to feed strong and latley I have been cutting back a lot. I am going to try and keep up the feeding and see what happens. I liked them but they might go in the fiance's tank very soon if this keeps up.

 

[mikem]

How much are you feeding them when this happened?

 

[jazzsam]

How much are you feeding them when this happened?

I tried feeding a lot today and they still did it. I fed mysis in the morning, pellets and nori in the afternoon and they go at it all like mad and they still pick at the corals! I guess they just got a taste for it now.........

 

[Phyl]

Give them a few days of heavy feeding and see if it tapers off.

 

[AnDom1]

Sam

Had this happen to me...They're just hungry. Try feeding more frequently (not necessarily more food), add more veggie/spirulina foods to the diet AND place a clip with a little Nori in the tank between the longest interval between feedigs. Worked for me.

Good Luck,
Dom

 

[Phyl]

They are grazers and they really need that nori hanging (or lots of algae on your rocks) or they're going to nip at anything they can find.

 

[blange3]

My Purple Tang goes through phases and the veggie clip helps. Keep feeding them and it should stop.

 

[harryk]

I think that all Tangs/Angels have a prepensity to graze on everything and anything. They aren't trying to eat the clams more like trying to eat micro algae growing on them. Offer them plenty of Nori and other foods. Most likely it will stop but you never know with fish. they have personalities of their own.

 

[jazzsam]

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If there is one type of fish you would NEVER want to try and catch it would be a HIPPO TANG! They are TRICKY and can hide in some GREAT spots! I spent all day trying to get these 2 guys out and when the fiance came home she helped and we finally got both of them out! It took all 4 hands, a lot of nets, 5 collection cups and a LOT of planning. We actually had to come up with a system of getting the fish to go where we wanted it!

They are both in my fuge right now (probably eating lots of greens) and will move to her tank in the next few days.