Stressed blue hippo

RaeRae · Nov 3, 2020

Purchased a medium sized blue hippo for the 90 gallon office tank yesterday along with a small powder blue. Got home from the field this evening and noticed that the hippo is cruising up and down and showing signs of stress. Breathing pretty heavy and just going up and down on one side of the tank. All parameters check and all other fish are fine. I did just feed them and everybody including the blue hippo had eaten like they were supposed to. He had been in a quarantine tank for 15 days with copper. I know hippos are a lot times finicky. What's the chances that he is going to get out of this stressful activity?

JGT · Nov 3, 2020

RaeRae said:
Purchased a medium sized blue hippo for the 90 gallon office tank yesterday along with a small powder blue. Got home from the field this evening and noticed that the hippo is cruising up and down and showing signs of stress. Breathing pretty heavy and just going up and down on one side of the tank. All parameters check and all other fish are fine. I did just feed them and everybody including the blue hippo had eaten like they were supposed to. He had been in a quarantine tank for 15 days with copper. I know hippos are a lot times finicky. What's the chances that he is going to get out of this stressful activity?

Is the PB also in with him? PB are very territorial and he could be bullying the hippo. Could also just be him settling in.

RaeRae · Nov 3, 2020

I watched him for about 45 minutes and the powder blue is not bullying him. A powder blue is probably the smallest fish in the tank other than the clown. The hippo is probably almost the size of your hand. Versus the powder blue being probably the Palm size of a 5-year-old's hand

JGT · Nov 3, 2020

RaeRae said:
I watched him for about 45 minutes and the powder blue is not bullying him. A powder blue is probably the smallest fish in the tank other than the clown. The hippo is probably almost the size of your hand. Versus the powder blue being probably the Palm size of a 5-year-old's hand

Didn’t say PB are smart, just bullies. Size doesn’t matter with those guys.

given what you observed I would chalk it up to being in a new environment. Give him a couple of days to acclimate.

RaeRae · Nov 3, 2020

Just crazy that you get them from the fish store and they're in a 20 gallon tank. They're eating and swimming around and looking normal and then you throw them in a tank that is four times the size. You would think that it would have shown stress and the little 20 gallon.

JGT · Nov 3, 2020

RaeRae said:
Just crazy that you get them from the fish store and they're in a 20 gallon tank. They're eating and swimming around and looking normal and then you throw them in a tank that is four times the size. You would think that it would have shown stress and the little 20 gallon.

Yes, keep an eye on him. It’s possible he could have something not treatable with copper. I recall someone else having sim behavior with a tang, swimming up and down as if looking at his reflection in the glass and I think it could be indicative of flukes from what to recall.