hippo tang

well i been talking about getting one of these for years. i did it today. i remember reading a thread a long time ago that said something about hippo tangs not eating algae or being picky eaters or something. i cant remember. anybody have any advice for what this thing will want to eat. its a fairly large tang, around 5 inches long. also any advice for keeping it healthy during this transition period. it looks very healthy right now. color is great and it is fat so it seems to have a good start. thanks

 

I have had 2 in the past and have had one for the last 2 years. They eat just about anything and never miss a meal. I feed mine a variety of formula frozen foods like formula one angel food diet and formula two algae along with mysis shrimp and frozen plankton. I also feed formula algae pellets and occasionallly spirulina flakes. They tend to be shy and skittish at first. They also like to wedge themselves into a rock at night and sometimes will be lying on their sides like they are sick or dead. Do a fresh water dip on them as they are prone to ich. Good luck!

 

thanks a lot raven. thats exactly what i wanted to know.

 

Vary their diet, though they prefer algae foods(ie. seaweed). You can buy packaged seaweed at your local pet shop in various colors from purple, to brown to green, and red, as well as spirulina algae. Tangs in their natural environment on the reefs are grazers, traveling about constantly searching for vegetable foods and algae. Supplement this with brine shrimp, clam, squid, and flake food. I would place a piece of seaweed on an algae clip and place it in the tank for your tang to forage periodically as they tend to constantly nibble. You should be happy with the results(just don't overfeed as they deficate alot) causing water quality to decline.
If you plan on adding another Tang at some time in the future, remember to not add same species to your tank ie. Two Yellow Tangs(Zebrasoma Flavescens) or a Purple(Zebrasoma Xanthurus) and a Yellow unless you do this while they are juveniles and added together. This holds true for the Acanthurus, Ctenochaetus, Naso and Paracanthurus genus of Tangs as well.
Best of luck with these awesome and brilliantly colored FISH!!!!