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Blue (hippo) Tang not growing |
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#1 |
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New in Town
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Mankato, MN
Posts: 3
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Blue (hippo) Tang not growing
I bought a Blue Tang 1 yr ago. It has barely grow. It is about 1.5 in. long. I have been feeding it mostly frozen brine shrimp because that is what the sales person told me to feed it. Today I saw some of the same fish about 3-4 in long. The sales person said they were about 6 months old. He said I should net be feeding brine shrimp because they are really only skeletons and are not a very good food for the fish. I know I should provide a varied diet, but what is going on?
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#2 |
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Owner
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Bardstown, KY
Posts: 13,161
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Hi fishmonger, Welcome to Reefland!
You should be feeding a varied diet and that, along with the size of aquarium the fish is in could be stunting it's growth. Feed the fish a mix of food including mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, flake (Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef or other) and various alga's; soaked in Selcon or other vitamins if possible, would be a much better diet. What size tank is this fish in? Scott Z. |
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#3 | |
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New in Town
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Mankato, MN
Posts: 3
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the fish is in a 75 gal tank. I just added 80 lbs live rock. I had no live rock before. I have a moroon clown and an angle fish I have never been able to identify
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#4 |
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Owner
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Bardstown, KY
Posts: 13,161
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If the fish does eat well and otherwise seems healthy, focus on a varied diet.
Scott Z. |
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#5 | |
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New in Town
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Mankato, MN
Posts: 3
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Quote:
Thanks for your Opinions. I have bought some frozen veggies and a complete meaty diet. Lets see my hippo grow. David |
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#6 | |
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Just Moved In
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 7
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#7 |
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Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 20,691
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The natural diet of Paracanthurus hepatus is primarily zooplankton as a juvenile. It combines that with benthic algae as an adult. Brine shrimp are not very nutritious. There are lots of other things you could be feeding in addition to, or instead of, brine shrimp -- mysid shrimp, Cyclop-Eeze, Golden Pearls, etc.
In addition, you should include a good quality flake food that includes spirulina whenever you have herbivorous fish in your aquarium. As it matures, it will require more and more algae based foods. If you are ambitious, you can even try nori and broccoli later on. Right now you should make an effort to provide a wide variety of foods so that all of the fish in your aquarium will find "the right stuff" for them.
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Ninong |
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#8 | |
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Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 20,691
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Quote:
I agree that Formula Two is an excellent food for surgeonfish but if you are convinced that protein is somehow the cause of HLLE, why would you recommend it? It's 50% protein by weight.
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Ninong |
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#9 | |
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Just Moved In
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 7
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Yes I did mean HLLE but it is a disease but in regards to the amount of protein you are slightly off it’s actually 18.5%. I have been feeding my Surgeon Fish this formula for years and had much success with it.
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#10 | |||
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Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 20,691
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Quote:
It is listed as a "Nutritional Disease" on Robert Fenner's website and that is the way it is classified by most other authorities. Claims that it is the result of so-called "stray voltage" have never been substantiated. Quote:
The frozen Formula Two has a similar concentration of protein (more than 50%) when you take out the moisture content. Its guaranteed analysis is: Crude Protein (min) 11.8%, Crude Fat (min) 1.3%, Crude Fiber (max) 7.2%, Moisture (max) 76.7%. It contains only vitamin C. (Protein as a percentage of dry matter 51%). Quote:
I feed both the flake and the frozen. Even my Orchid Dottyback eats the flake but not the frozen. My fairy wrasses and my foxface rabbitfish love both the flake and the frozen. P.S. -- The above values were taken directly from my personal supply of Formula Two flake and frozen foods. I decided to check the manufacturer's website to see if they have changed their formulations and the guaranteed analysis on their website for the flake food is the same as what's on the label of my can (50% protein) but the guaranteed analysis on the frozen is different. According to their website, the frozen food is now 94.4% protein as a percentage of dry matter: http://www.oceannutrition.com/produc...formula02.html http://www.oceannutrition.com/produc.../formula2.html My frozen Formula Two is about 6 months old, so maybe they have a newer formula now. My flake Formula Two is only about 2 months old and it has a sticker on the lid that reads: "New, 2% Garlic Added!"
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Ninong |
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#11 |
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Just Moved In
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My hippo gets a variety of foods. Seaweed Selects (red marine algae), aqua yums (mysis) (silversides) and thats usually for the bubble tips but sometimes I through some in for the others in the tank. Formula one flakes is his favorite though. once in a while frozen brine.
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#12 | |
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Just Moved In
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 7
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Everything on there website says 17% http://www.oceannutrition.com/produc...formula02.html
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#13 | |
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Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 20,691
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Ninong |
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