HELP! Lrg. Hippo Tang Problems

[mallyk]

I work part time at a small family owned fish store in my hometown. They offer a wide variey of freshwater fish and supplies and also saltwater fish and supplies.

I am in charge of the fish care and ordering at the store. We try to stock easy to care for & hardy species like damsels, clowns, pseudo's, etc... I usually try to stay away from lrg. anges & tangs. Last week when I placed an order, I put down yellow belly DAMSELS, instead they sent me an african yellow belly hippo TANG that is 5-6 inches long. :eek: That's a heck of a screw up!!

I decided to put the tang in the 40 breeder QT tank in the back. I spent over an hour drip acclimating him. It has been over a week now, and the tang still hasn't eaten. I try feeding him small amounts several times thoughout the day. So far, I've tried spinualra enriched brine shrimp, nori, mysis, emerald entree, marine cuisine, mussle, dried seaweed on a clip, lettuce, zuccini, & cucumber. I've also tried adding garlic to the food. Also, I added a rock covered in hair algae from the live rock bin.. I watch him like a hawk, and he hasn't touched a thing. He show's no interest at all.

I've kept the water in the tank perfect.
Ammonia - 0
Nitites- 0
Nitrates- 0
Ph- 8.0-8.2

I'm not sure what else to do for him. It's been over a week. He's starting to turn pale and is less active.. I know he needs to start eating within the next couple days, or he's going to die.

I know this sounds crazy, but is it possibe that I can 'net him, and try to use an eye dropper to squirt small amounts of brine shrimp or some kind of food into his mouth?? Or would that do more harm than good?

He's such a beautiful fish, I would hate to see him pass. Any one have any suggestions?

[D659600]

Dont do the eye dropper thing you will stress him out even more. If you have any chromis put some in the tank with him to "show" him that the food is okay to eat,provided he is wild caught. Other than that I dont think he will make it. The water looks good. Sometimes crap happens. I have had this problem one time in the past with a lavender tang and he didnt make it. Have you tried any Chaeto or ghost shrimp?

[rekn]

i would try nori on a clip, and stop staring at him

[BTTRFLYGRL]

A dither fish is a good idea..Many wild caught fish do not do well in tanks alone ..In the ocean, tis a bad sign when nobodies out and about;) Hippo Tangs are very skittish..They will find a spot in the rocks and hide..The only Tang I've ever seen 'perch' on a rock

Also, with this fish you must be on the lookout for ich..sick fish will hide, they loose their appetite and color. I'd guess 95% of Hippos have ich , so be prepared to treat..If possible, you maybe should start lowering the salinity. I don't like to prophylactically treat fish...but in some cases [Hippo Tangs and other Ancanthurus] it is inevitable that they will eventually need it

[mallyk]

I haven't seen any signs of ich yet... and there is a domino damsel in with him to help clean up what the tang won't eat.

And I don't stare at him all the time.... only when I am tryiing to feed him, and then I step back around the corner. ;)

I haven't tried ghost shrimp, but I have brought some cheato from my home refugum and he hasn't touched that either.

I guess i'll just hope for the best.

[Hormigaquatica]

is it possible that the domino is dominating the tank? its an awfully aggressive fish to use as a dither- a small domino can harass a tang that size if the tang is already stressed out. I would pull the damsel and try something more like the chromis that were suggested above.

Are there hiding spots in that tank? As shy as hepatus usually are, being out in the open all the time is enough to stress them out severely. give him some places to disappear and that may calm him down a bit.

You can also try adding live brine shrimp a couple times a day in small numbers. hepatus dont do nearly as much algae grazing as other tangs do- it is more of an open water planktivore. the live brine might be enough to temp him to try a few pieces. not a ton of nutrition to it, but it will at least get something in his stomach.

Good luck with him....