Blue Hippo Tang Question

I have had a Blue Hippo Tang about a week and a half ago. It has been really healthy, eating when I feed (both flake and nori) swimming fine, etc.

I just lost my flame angel last night (I think she had a swim bladder infection, couldn't swim straight, kept bobbing up and down erractically, and got caught in the over flow a couple times).

I want to give the tang a cupramine dip just in case. Should I leave her in there over night (it's a 5+ gallon bucket with heater and sponge filter) or just dip her real fast and put her back in the tank. My plan is both a freshwater and cupramine dip. I'd add cupramine straight to my tank but I have all sorts of crabs, snails, shrimp, and brittle stars.

What are your recommendations?

Also, is it normal for the dorsal fin of a tang to be fully up all the time? She has a few scratches (hence the reason for dipping her) on one side. But her fins are moving and she is swimming all over.

Thanks

 

I have had some experience with swim bladder infections in clown fish. They are usually caused by blockages in smaller/fatter fish.

It would be unusual for this to happen in the flame angel and is most likely due to improper nutrition. What are you feeding? I feed my flame angel a combination of mysis/brine shrimp enhanced with Reef Trace (A garlic supplement) and also cyclopeeze flake and nori sheets (mine prefers purple lol).

Whilst in some cases swim bladder can be bacterial, I dont think it is necessary to use that as your reason to dip another fish. I dont believe it to be contagious at all.

 

I to have had issues with swim bladder disease that had taken the life of my cherub angel.

IMO dipping the tang will cause more stress on the animal, as well as leaving him in a 5g overnight.

The best thing you can do for it is to provide it the best possible home. A good nutrition and plenty of swimming room.

IME it is not uncommon for a fish to scratch itself on LR/ corals after it is newly added to a tank as it is still unfamiliar to its new surrounding and getting used to its hiding spots.

 

I feed New Life Spectrum Optimum flakes 2 or 3 times daily and seaweed salad sheets every other day as well as frozen mysis once a week. The corals get algae feast, oyster eggs, and roti feast every 2 or 3 days.