Blue Hippo Help

I have a blue hippo tang about a couple years old and 5 inches in length. He Has been a very hardy fish. I noticed lately he is looking a little thin. Could be my imagination but his face looks a little sunk in. I cut back on feeding. I feed them every two or three days. I feed him Nori and flake food. Should I be feeding more and should I statr implementing other things into his diet? Oh, btw, water params are ok. Nitrates are at 20 but have always been there. Everything else is normal

 

If you only feed every 2-3 days and everything else seems fine except the tang, then I would at least have some nori for him to snack on. At least you can see if the fish starts to seem better, then you may not be feeding the hippo enough.

 

I fed my blue tang 2 times a day. In the wild they pick at stuff all day, so feeding them every other day is a bit odd for them. I dont have it anymore but it was doing great when I had it.

 

thanks guy, i will start feeding him alot more, at least once a day. I hear people say brocolli also for them? is that good?

 

I bought some Formula Two flakes and they go wild over them especially tangs and angels.

 

Yes

 

Broccoli is good but usually it needs to be par boiled or frozen to break down the fiber a bit. I have also use banana slices. Takes a while for them to see it as food but then they devour it. I would leave nori in the tank every day to pick at but remove what has not been eaten daily or it will add to you nitrates. I have read a lot about tangs especially hippos and they do require a mainly meat diet if they are older. Their nutritional requirements change as they grow. When small they are mostly herbivores with the occasional meaty food but as they grow there appetite changes to a zooplankton and meaty diet supplemented with algaes. I have had some red macro algaes that have been grazed on by my hippo. After 2 years my tang that was 1.5" long was 6 3/4" long and too big for my tank. Hands down she was the most beautiful tang I have see in a tank.

Her diet was 2 x per day a meaty mix of home made frozen food supplemented with red algae and nori tied to a rock. I would offer broccoli and a banana slice when available to be a treat.