Hippo Tang Dies - Cause of Death Unknown?????

[davidk]

I have a large Hippo (approx. 9") that died very suddenly. I found it wedged behind some rock yesterday motionless and unaware of its surroundings. When I moved the rock it swam/floated very stiffly away. It floundered like this for approx. 10 minutes and finally stopped breathing. The Hippo was very healthy and ate like a horse up until yesterday. All of my water parameters are good and my other fish appear to be doing well. Does anyone know what might have caused its death? I have a couple large rock anemones - could they have stung it?

[yauger]

natural death? wonder how long those guys live for anyways...

[davidk]

natural death? wonder how long those guys live for anyways...

 

 

That's what I thought at first but he almost seemed paralyzed - as if something stung him. His color changed a couple timed from very pale blue to normal/dark blue. I also noticed a few (3 - 4) tiny white spots near his tail.

[Freezerburn]

well you did say he ate a lot, perhaps he had one too many happy meals? I'm just being funny. I've had a fish or two die on me without warning. I've always wondered if a book was out there on dissecting a fish to find cause of death.

[L8 2 RISE]

It sounds like a natural death to me, old age maybe? We used to have a guinea pig and it did pretty much the exact same thing, ate lots one day, the next day it was fine in the morning, we went out, came back and it was staggering around it's cage and then died in my hands. That's not the same field of animals by any means, but I know that was due to old age as it was already a year older than it should have been, so maybe the fish died of old age.

[gmubeach]

Do you have ick?

[WallyBackm]

Unless you noticed the spots prior to the day it died, it is likely not ich. 9 inches is pretty big--any idea how old it was? Some tangs though have been known to live 10+ years in captivity.