TankBud

Blue hippo tang

Paracanthurus hepatus

Also known as Blue Tang, Regal Tang, Pacific Blue Tang, Palette Surgeonfish, Hippo Tang

SaltwaterFish

Blue hippo tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
DerHans04 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
11.8 in
30 cm
Minimum tank
180 gal
680 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Acanthuridae
Origin
Indo-Pacific, from East Africa and the Red Sea across to the central Pacific including the Great Barrier Reef

Overview

The blue hippo tang is a large, fast, open-water swimmer for a big reef tank. Its health, more than its temper, makes it a fish for experienced keepers.

Did you know

When alarmed, a blue hippo tang will wedge into a rock crevice and lock itself in place with its spines. It sometimes lies motionless on its side as if dead to avoid predators.

Caring for the blue hippo tang

Give a blue hippo tang at least 180 gal (680 L), in a long tank with open swimming lanes. It needs strong flow and high oxygen. Add rockwork with crevices it can wedge into when startled.

Keep the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4, in a stable, low-stress tank. This tang stresses badly during shipping and is one of the most ich-prone fish in the hobby. A proper quarantine before it joins the display is essential.

Feed it algae and meaty foods. Unlike the strictly herbivorous tangs, it also feeds heavily on zooplankton in the wild, so it is both a grazer and a planktivore. Kept well fed, it ignores corals and invertebrates, which makes it reef safe.

The blue hippo tang is generally peaceful toward other fish and does fine alone or in a group. In tight quarters it can squabble with its own kind and other tangs, so give it room and add it with care. It has been bred in captivity, but the larvae are difficult to raise and breeding it is hard.

Good to know

Paracanthurus hepatus is the only species in its genus. It carries the same sharp, folding tail spine as other surgeonfish. Captive-bred juveniles are now sold, though most blue hippo tangs in the trade are still wild caught.

In the wild

Blue hippo tangs range across the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa and the Red Sea to the central Pacific and the Great Barrier Reef. They live on clear seaward reefs with current, usually in loose groups that hover above staghorn coral. When threatened, they dart into the branches. Juveniles stay close to a single coral head, while adults range more widely to feed on plankton and algae.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The blue hippo tang is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a blue hippo tang need?

A blue hippo tang needs at least 180 gal (680 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a blue hippo tang need?

A blue hippo tang is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a blue hippo tang eat?

A blue hippo tang eats algae and meaty foods. It is both a grazer and a planktivore, feeding heavily on zooplankton in the wild.

How big does a blue hippo tang get?

An adult blue hippo tang reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).

Related species