My blue hippo has become a hermit

[bphelps81]

After 5 years my 5" blue hippo has decided he hates everyone and everything that moves. This came out of nowhere. He hides in his cave pretty much all time and ventures out very cautiously when I feed but only comes out a few inches away. He still looks healthy from what I can see (cave is in the back of the display) but I have no clue if he is eating much. This is going on 2 weeks now.

The tankmates have all been in there for years. Yellow tang, dusky wrasse, green coris wrasse, mated pair of clowns, coral beauty, blue chromis, mandarin goby, lawnmower blenny. Nobody else is acting funny. Inverts and corals are fine too. I haven't changed anything and haven't noticed any problems, although the water change is 2 weeks overdue (normally every other week 20%)

He is the biggest in the tank and used to be a free swimmer, a little skiddish but not like this. And he was all about food. Ive tried coaxing him out with algae sheets, frozens, pellets, etc.

Its a 125 gallon tank, and I think there is still plenty of room in there with plenty of open space, but plenty of rockwork too.

Has this ever happened to anyone? I'd like it if we could enjoy him like we used too, because he was entertaining to watch.

Maybe a midlife crisis.....

 

[ginpang]

Maybe he's just bored. Have you tried changing the landscape around ?that could maybe make him explore a bit.
Does he act different when you add a new fish?

Or do you think he could he bit bothered or stressed out by a tank mate?

 

[bphelps81]

I haven't added a new fish in years or changed the landscape. Changing the scape would be a big challenge, but I would consider it if more people thought it was a good idea.

I have not seen any fighting of tankmates, although that doesn't mean it is not happening.

 

[ginpang]

Who's boss in the tank ? The yellow tang, the female clownfish perhaps?

 

[bphelps81]

I honestly have never seen anyone boss anyone around. The clowns don't go outside of a short radius from there anemones.

The yellow tang is definitely pretty mellow.

If I had to guess it would be an old green coris wrasse. He can be a bit cranky but I have never really seen him bully anything much.

 

[A.Astore]

Maybe he is bipolar? Take him to the fishy shrink and get him some fishy lithium. If he starts having hallucinations or muttering unintelligible banter you should DEFINITELY start to worry. Hope he gets better!

 

[duyhuynh]

Very interesting! I would love to hear if anyone has similar experience.

 

[scooter31707]

Do you have any young kids that can go up to the fish tank and play in the glass? I am guessing he has probably got some type of illness, maybe HLLE.

 

[bphelps81]

No kids. At this point there are no signs of HLLE. He looks healthy although like I mentioned , I can't really get great views of him right now.

Its really strange with all other fish acting 100% normal.

I'm going to try to swap out a heater. It's really the only piece of questionable equipment in the tank. Maybe there is stray voltage or current....

I'm randomly guessing at things at this point

 

[sarens]

I was thinking HLLE also, do you run a Ti grounding probe?

 

[bphelps81]

No. I don't run a grounding probe. That whole subject is wild. Some people say use one, some don't