Blue Hippo Tang

[Yellow_Fin]

Hi to everyone, Im in this hobby for since 1996 but still Im not so experience enough like you people. So I am doing some research and ask some people who knows how to maintain my reef tank healthy and clean. At first I have a 35 G tank, but then I didn't get enough satisfaction with a small tank. And so I make an 80 G reef tank last year. 2 days ago, I bought a Blue Hippo Tang almost 5 inch in size, I just want to ask if my tank is small for this size of fish and what should I do if my Tang develops white spots, although most of my fish are healthy in my tank. And I carefully check the Tang I bought that it's free white spot. What should I do? Please let me know.

[Reefland]

Hi Yellow_Fin and Welcome to Reefland!

A 5" Hippo Tang may be a bit big for an 80 gallong tank but to me it would mostly depend on what other fish are in the tank. The Pacific Blue Tangs are pretty active fish and will do a lot of swimming.

How is the fish doing today?

Regards,
Scott Z.

[Bughead]

Welcome. You don't say how many other fish you have in your tank. Even though the Tang is large, he should be OK as long as there's not a lot of other big fish to make it crowded. Don't worry about white spots (ich) yet. It would have been better if you could have put the Tang in a quarentine tank for a couple of weeks, but chances are he will remain healthy going into the main tank anyway. If you can get a cleaner shrimp or two they are good to keep small outbreaks of ich in control.

[Yellow_Fin]

Welcome. You don't say how many other fish you have in your tank. Even though the Tang is large, he should be OK as long as there's not a lot of other big fish to make it crowded. Don't worry about white spots (ich) yet. It would have been better if you could have put the Tang in a quarentine tank for a couple of weeks, but chances are he will remain healthy going into the main tank anyway. If you can get a cleaner shrimp or two they are good to keep small outbreaks of ich in control.

3 small african clown fish, 2 brown tomato fish almost 2", 2 percula clown fish 3/4", 2 blue damsel 1/2", 1 blue velvet 1 1/2'' in size, 1 moray eel 2 1/2 feet in size almost 2 1/2 yrs in my tank, 1 parot fish 2 1/2", 1 spider crab, 1 blue streak cleaner wrasse.

[Reefland]

Hummm, that's quite a bit actually. I understand that most are small but that is still 12 fish in the tank without counting the tang. I would definately make that my limit.

Regards,
Scott Z.