Hippo Tang (video) swimming like crazy

[Max93]

I’ve had this tang for 3 years. Some of you may know I had ich once, and ran my tank under hyposalinity for two months.

I haven’t seen a single sign of ich since! Which is great. But now, my hippo is swimming back and forth in the tank all day long. Not sure why… see video.

I don’t see any ich, velvet, flukes, nothing. He eats like a pig.

No other fish is showing this behavior. Started about two weeks ago but he’s starting to get desperate and it’s not improving. Could it be flukes but in the gills? No idea how though as I ONLY buy quarantined animals from online quarantine vendors..

Is he too big for the tank now? Six foot tank.

Thoughts ? Thank you

 

[Debramb]

I’ve had this tang for 3 years. Some of you may know I had ich once, and ran my tank under hyposalinity for two months.

I haven’t seen a single sign of ich since! Which is great. But now, my hippo is swimming back and forth in the tank all day long. Not sure why… see video.

I don’t see any ich, velvet, flukes, nothing. He eats like a pig.

No other fish is showing this behavior. Started about two weeks ago but he’s starting to get desperate and it’s not improving. Could it be flukes but in the gills? No idea how though as I ONLY buy quarantined animals from online quarantine vendors..

Is he too big for the tank now? Six foot tank.

Thoughts ? Thank you

Can’t help with symptoms of disease, but my hippo, about same size “fights” like that when we clean the sides of tank, IMO, he sees himself and fights!
Debra

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I’ve had this tang for 3 years. Some of you may know I had ich once, and ran my tank under hyposalinity for two months.

I haven’t seen a single sign of ich since! Which is great. But now, my hippo is swimming back and forth in the tank all day long. Not sure why… see video.

I don’t see any ich, velvet, flukes, nothing. He eats like a pig.

No other fish is showing this behavior. Started about two weeks ago but he’s starting to get desperate and it’s not improving. Could it be flukes but in the gills? No idea how though as I ONLY buy quarantined animals from online quarantine vendors..

Is he too big for the tank now? Six foot tank.

Thoughts ? Thank you

Since it is still eating well, this is not likely a serious disease. I think it is behavioral. Does it always glass surf at the same end of the tank? Try covering the outside of the glass with black paper, or put a light there shining in to change up the way the surface looks to the fish.
Jay

 

[Max93]

Since it is still eating well, this is not likely a serious disease. I think it is behavioral. Does it always glass surf at the same end of the tank? Try covering the outside of the glass with black paper, or put a light there shining in to change up the way the surface looks to the fish.
Jay

the glass surfing is new. And so is the back and forth jetting from one end of the tank to the other.

I do notice my ocellaris clown has some black dots on him and he doesn’t host anything let me grab a pic.

 

[Max93]

He also has a puffy gill (one) just noticed this - you can also see a little white dot on his lip. He’s also eating.

Everyone looks good, just these odd behaviors..

 

[SkinnyMcGinny]

I agree with other posters -- he looks healthy, but is seeing his reflection in the glass and going after it. There is a certain time of day for me, when the room lights go out, but the tank lights are still pretty bright, where my hippo did the same thing. It has seemed to diminish over the years -- maybe he learned he could never chase away that other guy...

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I recently had a sailfin that got saucer sized do similar behavior. I assume it was a maturity/dominance thing as it would routinely zoom across the tank, stop at the glass and shake a bit (picking a fight with itself). It got a little too violent with feeding and with the other tangs and ending up having to go.

 

[JGT]

Hippos can be quirky. Mine does all kinds of weird things including racing from the top of the tank to the bottom at full speed and mines an 8’ tank. He looks healthy. I wouldn’t sweat it.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

the glass surfing is new. And so is the back and forth jetting from one end of the tank to the other.

I do notice my ocellaris clown has some black dots on him and he doesn’t host anything let me grab a pic.

The clown just looks like it got stung by a coral.

Jay

 

[Max93]

Man I really hope that’s all it is, I take serious caution when introducing animals to the tank. Paying triple for quarantined fish.

Would a FW dip be harmful to do, or just let it be?

I appreciate everyone’s replies, just concerning. The more I watch him the more it looks like he’s trying to scratch something he can’t reach.

 

[vetteguy53081]

He also has a puffy gill (one) just noticed this - you can also see a little white dot on his lip. He’s also eating.

Everyone looks good, just these odd behaviors..

I just cleaned my glass two hours ago and mine is doing the same as mentioned called " Glass surfing" where its chasing and playing with its own reflection

 

[Max93]

I will give it more time. Here’s another video, he does this for HOURS.

I stepped away from the tank so my presence doesn’t affect the behavior.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Man I really hope that’s all it is, I take serious caution when introducing animals to the tank. Paying triple for quarantined fish.

Would a FW dip be harmful to do, or just let it be?

I appreciate everyone’s replies, just concerning. The more I watch him the more it looks like he’s trying to scratch something he can’t reach.

I wouldn’t dip it, catching the fish could really stress/harm it.
Try my suggestions first to see if you can change the behavior.
Jay

 

[Max93]

I wouldn’t dip it, catching the fish could really stress/harm it.
Try my suggestions first to see if you can change the behavior.
Jay

Trying that now for sure, let’s see if that does it.

 

[Max93]

I put a piece of paper on the right side of the tank and he stopped going over there. Lol thanks all almost tore apart the tank.

 

[Max93]

You guys really don’t think anything is wrong? He’s still swimming back and forth and actually started trying to jump but the net stops him from getting out.

It looks like he’s slamming his head onto the glass purposely.

 

[Debramb]

You guys really don’t think anything is wrong? He’s still swimming back and forth and actually started trying to jump but the net stops him from getting out.

It looks like he’s slamming his head onto the glass purposely.

I say “Ditto” to all above comments! They are so goofy, it’s why we love’em.

 

[buruskeee]

I will give it more time. Here’s another video, he does this for HOURS.

I stepped away from the tank so my presence doesn’t affect the behavior.

My purple does this when I hold my little black wiener dog up to the tank. My blue sometimes will dart too. Blues are weird. Mine plays dead to sleep on an actual frag rack like it’s a human bed and during the day farts bubbles and chases them to the surface (like literally catch it multiple times a day doing this).

 

[Debramb]

My purple does this when I hold my little black wiener dog up to the tank. My blue sometimes will dart too. Blues are weird. Mine plays dead to sleep on an actual frag rack like it’s a human bed and during the day farts bubbles and chases them to the surface (like literally catch it multiple times a day doing this).

Now I’m going to watch for tang farts haha

 

[littlefoxx]

My regal angel does this. She picks at stuff in the glass then sees her reflection and then gets all huffy and tries to bit it. Weird fish for sure. He is a pretty tang though!