Blue Hippo and Yellow Tang in a 110-120g tank?

[Circa]

These two fish seem to be good fish, good colours. Most people seem to have good results. They get itch and are prone to it, but if the tank is stable these two tangs seem to do really well.

Any way I am convinced but I would like to here what other people think. The only thing I am worried about is if thats the right size for these two guys. My tank will be upgraded in the future to a larger tank, but for now I would like to stick with a 110-120 sized tank.

So pour your thoghts out tell me what you think, I can't wait to get started on my reef. Oh btw how long would you wait before you would add the fish, I would like to let my tank stay stable and let my corals/sps corals grow for a while.

They will be the only fish, there may be a few others but nothing to big for sure no more tangs. After all tangs are swimmers...


Thanks,
Circa

 

[firefishpat]

I picked one up about four weeks ago.I throught he would get ick too. Every time I saw a hippo in LFS I always saw ick. I didn't have a problem. I think your right the tank must be stable for awhile. I notice the older my tank got the easier it was to add fish with no ick. Of course the fish must be health.

 

[naesco]

You are 100% correct that tangs need large tanks as they are swimmmers. IMO opinion there is no problem with having a small yellow and hippo in a tank your size as you place a larger tank in the future.
The most important thing is to choose a healthy fish. It must be fat; free of bloches, spots or tears; clear alert eyes (interested in you); and feeding agressively AT THE LFS. Anything less than that, pass on that fish there will be another.
Introduce him into an unlit tank and commence feeding him garlic soaked nori for a week or so to avoid any posssibility that ich will surface. This is very important as all tangs are ich magnets.
If your tank has been operating sucessfully for four months it is OK to had one fish now and space the additional fish one month after. The most common mistake new reefers make is adding too many fish too soon.
Patience is the key to sucess.
By your post I can tell already that you will be a sucessful reefer with many happy fish.

Good Luck

 

[davelin315]

You should have no problems with yellows and pacific blues/hepatus. I have 2 and 2 in my 125, and they all get along great (although with the 2 yellows, I think I am very lucky). Size of the tank is not a problem as they are busier darting in and out than worrying about swimming room. If I had a chance to add another pacific blue without worrying about upsetting the balance I have, I would. Should've gotten more when I had the chance.

 

[Anonymous]

I think that you are making a wise choice and that you will be very happy with them. The previous posts hit it on the head. Watch carefully at the store and ensure you get a fat healthy one. Very curious and very very fat. Make the LFS feed him in front of you. IMO you cannot get a too fat tang. A fat one is a happy one. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Circa]

I was also wondering... Are they fast growers, like how much will they grow in a year an inch or maby 2 inches? I heard they are pretty good at growing, and they do it fast but I really want to here from people at reefs.org.

Thanks,
Circa

 

[naesco]

Between 4-8cm.

 

[davelin315]

I got my two pacific blues sometime in March? April? They were babies, about the size of a nickel or a little bit bigger and they're now about 2 inches long.

 

[Anonymous]

I got my blue in the first of July. He was 3/4 of an inch long. Now he is 1.25 so in 2 months he has grown .5 inch. Never had a yellow so I couldn't tell you on that fish.

 

[Circa]

Thats not bad, they sound like excellent growers. Would any one else like to make any comments? Like maby there diet what its like and so on...

 

[JohnD]

I had a hippo and a yellow tang together for 5 years, then the yellow passed on. The hippo was added first. Leroy (the hippo) is still with me these past 10 years. I plan to get the oldtimer a new tank this spring. After all, he deserves it.

I feed the hippo Formula 1 and 2, Prime Reef and Angel Formula. I buy the frozen and soak the cubes with either Selcon or Vita-chem every day. As a treat, I feed live brine shrimp. I also feed blanched broccoli or a blanched string bean on occassion, like once a month. I put a sheet of Seaweed Selects in every day. No- I do not work for Ocean Nutrition, I just like their products.

 

[JohnD]

The yellow and hippo never got ich in their normal environment. You need to keep them well fed and give them a couple of places to hide.

The hippo did get ich when I had to move the tank. The move took longer than I expected (this is one of Murphy's Laws- it ALWAYS takes at least twice as long as you originally estimated!!) and I did not have a heater in the holding tank.

Leroy had to go into a q-tank and was treated with copper, but he recovered in about one week.

He never got ich while in his normal tank.

Circa - a 110 to 120 gallon tank should be fine for those 2. Best of luck to you and the tangs.