Do hippos kill other fish?

[MandarinFish]

I've been losing my little fish!

One of my green chromis has it's tailfin torn off! He is now named Stubby.

Tell me, is my big, bad blue hippo tang guilty of killing my little clown, flame cardinal, etc.?

I'm not feeling this.

The hippo, Ol' Dirty Bastard (I name all my tangs after the Wu Tang Clan), was acquired from a guy who had it in a 40 gallon with another blue, a yellow, and too many other fish. ODB was tearing the other fish up, literally ripping their fins down to the muscle tissue (ouch).

So I put him in my 135; he was initally afraid but now dominates.

Is he a killer you think?

 

[danmhippo]

How big is he?

 

[Telochupoto]

If he was messing up other fish in a tank that, as you said, has too many other fish, then he is used to dominating others and will kill unless they perform like subjects [i.e.: run like a punk]. I would say he is, but since I have not seen your tank or your fish, it is still undecided. But if your other fish are calm and cool, toss that Hippo to someone with a an aggressive fish only set up.

 

[MandarinFish]

My big yellow (the GZA) now hides from him too!

My purple tang (Raekwan) is out a little, but not as much as I want him to be.

I named ODB because he is an Ol Dirty Bastard. I figured when he wasn't in an overcrowded tank that was too small in the first place, he would do better. My 135 is 6 feet long.

But one banggai cardinal lost it's top fin, then disappeared, my little percula male is gone, flame cardinal gone, and flasher wrasse!!! This totally sucks!

I feed vitmamin enhanced brine shrimp at least once a day, and the chromis come out for it (the flasher wrasse used to also). But now, all my little fish are gone!

I have a EuroReef skimmer, tons of oxygen in the tank, heaters, chillers, etc. The tank is cycled well (up over a year), although I'm going through a hair algae bloom (the tangs are starting to cut it back). My sand is aragonite.

I've never had a problem with nitrates, ammonia, or nitrites. I have so much LR it's ridiculous, as well as a DSB.

I am putting in a grounding probe today.

Because my fish have lost fins, it seems to be a harassment thing. I could be wrong though.

I had a small sea cuke die, but I've been skimming heavily for a while and most fish survived that experience.

Gotta figure out what has killed my fish. I really, really hate this.

The hippo is rather big. One of the largest I've ever seen.... over 6" at least.

 

[danmhippo]

Wow, that's pretty good size to get bad temper. I'd relocate him and see what happens. I'd suspect it's hippo that's scaring the crap out of everyfish in there.

 

[Telochupoto]

He will tear some inverts and corals if you don't yank him out soon. Trust me, I heard of Hippos that like to bully other fish and tankmates.... but this guy is a serial killer.

 

[Anonymous]

Are the brine shrimp all you feed, or do you also offer plenty of other foods? Say it ain't so, darlin'!

 

[MandarinFish]

I feed a little mysis, some vitamin-enhanced brine shrimp, and the tangs graze all day (along with the algae blenny) on the hair algae I have currently.

I have my own nice seafood, homemade mix. But I used a little too much gelatin to hold it together and it forms a nasty slick so I may just throw it out and do my batch #2.

I rarely feed flake.

Yeah, I watch the hippo all the time and I don't catch him terrorizing. But something took a bite out of a banggai and also a green chromis. I used to have 1 red leeged hermit in my 135, but I think it died and even if it didn't, I can't see it eating all those fish, especially the flasher wrasse.

Ol' Dirty Bastard already came to me as a terror, at that (although it was funny to watch the other tangs put him in his place when he first showed... until he got comfortable and outgrew them).

Will the purple tang terrrorize small fish?

Is the best way to get the hippo out with a fish trap?

 

[danmhippo]

I can't think of trap that will work with fish that size. You better try netting him, after you moved most rocks out. 8O You are also ridding the yellow tang right?

 

[Telochupoto]

Purple, Yellow, Brown tangs have that snout looking mouth, I haven't seen my Yellow open it enough to "bite" a chunk of flesh from a fish or anything. Last time I checked, those "snouties" are supposed to be herbivores as well, so fish is outta their diet; but I could be wrong, fish adapt to what they can find. I should know, I had a 5" Goldfish that ate feeder goldfish, talk about a sick picture.

 

[investigator1]

A true Hippo is a herbivore.