Blue hippo tang diet

DRC Archive General Saltwater Discussion
1

I was curious about the proper diet for blue hippos tangs and did some searching. Here are some excerpts that I found from different sources:

Blue Zoo Aquatics:

Diet
Many people purchase this fish based on an assumption that like the rest of it’s Tang cousins, it will consume problem algae in the aquarium. Sometimes as an adult it will consume algae as a supplement to it’s regular diet, but it’s staple diet consists of plankton and meaty foods. Feed frozen mysis shrimp, finely chopped raw shrimp, flake, pellet and frozen preparations. They will also enjoy eating frozen preparations for herbivores.

Live Aquaria:

Although Tangs will eat meaty foods along with the other fish in the aquarium, it is important that they are offered plenty of marine based seaweed and algae. This will strengthen the Blue Tang’s immune system, reduce aggression and improve their overall health. Offer dried seaweed tied to a rock or use a veggie clip, and feed at least three times per week. Sea Veggies, Seaweed Salad and Ocean Nutrition are all ideal products and are very easy to use.

Fishkeeping Files UK:

Diet Requirements: Most foods including vegetable matter but mainly meaty foods for this tang to satisfy its natural zooplankton diet. Finely chopped shrimp, mysid shrimp and vitamin enriched brine shrimp/krill.

The Marine Center:

Diet and Feeding Zooplankton feeder that will also eat some algae. Provide with a varied diet and feed at least a couple of times per day.

So it would seem that zooplankton should be the staple with algae as a supplement to round out its diet. I thought since several people on this board have hippos this information might be helpful. I think my hippo like just about anything I throw in the tank so it is good to know that consuming heavy amounts of meaty foods is actually a natural part of its diet.

2

In the research I have done their diet changes as the grow but they are not the vegetarians that many suggest. They are opportunistic but do require and love meaty foods. In my frozen food I had 25% nori included and would supplement with nori on a piece on a rock changed every day. Actually the yellow tang ate more nori then the hippo but they both picked at the rocks.

3

Thanks for the info Ellen. I agree most of the data there seems to point to zooplankton as their main diet, although who knows how trustworthy those sources are for diet information. I tend to believe UK based information a little more because they seem more advanced in at the least the scuba industry and I wouldn’t doubt the aquarium industry as well. Our baby hippo seems to eat everything, but only goes after the nori when its hungry in the day and doesn’t seem to take it as its main diet.

4

I am glad you looked into this a little further. I have never personally kept a hippo tang or had any major desire to do, so I never really read up on them that thoroughly. However recently I have started to take care of some tanks which have these fish in them which are suffering from malnutrition.

From what I am reading it seems what is true for other surgeonfish is true for this one in that most of the time lack of food is more of an issue then the type. Though it seems a well rounded diet for Hippo tangs should include a larger percentage of meaty items then it would with most other surgeonfish. It would seem as some people would go as far to call the Hippo tang a planktivore. While other sources would say they are grazers that require some meaty foods in their diet. No one can argue though that they need to be fed often.

I would have to agree with Ian to use caution with your sources.

It would probably be a good time for us to have a presentation at a regular meeting on sources for information in this hobby. While I won’t really work to discredit the above sources keep in mind a couple of them come up in google searches not because they are the authority on the animal or know the animal well, but because they probably have a staff dedicated to staying high on the google list and spend money to do so. The other reason these sites are not the greatest source is sites like these are notorious for down playing the difficulty of animals to attempt to make a sale. While many of the reputable sites such as some of the above sources have improved significantly in the last three years I would consider their advice right up their with the majority of LFS employees.(consider it and look for more sources)

Here are a couple of extra sources I would trust:

Wet web media

“Stomach contents analysis of wild Paracanthurus show that this fish is omnivorous, consuming benthic and planktivorous invertebrates and attached algae. Aquarium diets need be diverse, fresh and encompass some nutritious “green” material on a daily basis.
Further, your close watch to ascertain that your palette(s) are eating is called for. As feeders they can be driven away by bullying tankmates, and sulk away to dangerous thinness. In my estimation, a lack of nutrition and outright food are the key reasons for loss of these fish.”

Michael Scott (2001)

“Meaty foods to satisfy its zooplankton diet, including finely chopped fresh or frozen shrimp, mysid shrimp, and vitamin-enriched brine shrimp. It will also eat frozen preparations for herbivores. Feed at least 3 times a day.”

Delbeek and Sprung (2005)

“Paracanthurus hepatus, the blue, regal, hepatus or hippo tang is also an algae grazer, though in nature it feeds heavily on zooplankton. Nevertheless, it can be an effective grazer for a reef aquarium, and it should be offered dried seaweed to supplement its diet if it has little algae to graze. This tang often does not do well in the aquarium once it reaches adult size. They will often show aggression towards conspecifics, especially if more than one male is kept in the aquarium. This species in unpredictable in its behaviour towards coral and has been reported to feed on Sinularia and other corals (B. Shepherd pers. Comm.). The spines are also venomous.”
(They also point to, “An excellent guide to surgeonfish and rabbitfish species identification, diet and ecology is Dr. John Randall’s book Suergeonfish of Hawai’I and the World.”)

5

The spines are also venomous now this i did not know.

6

Thanks for the additional sources Jon. I did some more research myself and found most of the them to contain silmilar information. I just wanted to post some of the quick sources that i found. I trust Blue Zoo Aquatics because I have personally spoken with the owner on two different occasions. I am glad to know I have been feeding my hippo a good diet.

7

it seems we are all feeding them a goood balanced diet by the post and mine loves marine cuasine cubes.