Are ALL hippo tangs psychotic?

I have a hippo that enjoys nothing more than to go screaming the length of the tank and slide sideways into one of his hide-e-holes. If you add anything to the tank that blocks one of these routes, he will pick at it and try to move it.
He had three such spots, one he lost last week when he started attacking a newly placed candy cane; I disassembled that cave to get him to stop trying to knock the frag plug out of the rock. (if he didn't have a cave there, he wouldn't try to clear the path, right?)

I ended up moving several things around tonight, including that same candy cane coral. I put it near his primary hideout, and as soon as he saw that, he was all over it trying to move it/kill it. I had to take my glass scrapper and leaned it against his hide-out rock, so he couldn't reach the coral. That kinda worked, because now he had something bigger to get rid of, -the glass scrapper!
Would you believe he actually tried backing into the scrapper so he could cut it with his side spines?
This fish is a lunatic.

I'm thinking of breaking down the whole tank and moving every piece of rock, just to screw with him and let him know who's boss

 

hahaha. mine is very friendly,almost to the point that i worry about him being to friendly with fish that aren't, beyond individual personality maybe it has something to do with the other inhabitants? mine is not the biggest fish or the smallest in my tank,maybe tank size is an issue?

 

My hippo tang is the biggest scaredy fish ever! If I even walk up to the tank to say "hi" to the fish she darts off in to a hidey hole...

 

my buddy had a hippo i think its name should have been the yellow tang serial killer.

 

nice info, hippo tang has been on my wish list, i now may rethink this. i really like the fish that display themselves. thanks brand new member here in the new york city area. name is mateo. hope to talk to more of you in the new future

 

I don't think you should just redo your rockwork to screw with the blue tang. It will probably just stress him out more, and maybe even set off an ick attack. The tank is his home, so give him all the holes and hiding places you can.
I'd hate to know what kind of "games" you play to screw with your spouse just to show her you're boss, LOL ;D.

 

I'm just venting some frustration... It's not just HIS home though, others are in there and he has to learn to share!!!

All kidding aside, I posted very recently that my foxface had a hole in it's side. I was thinking originally that it was some sort of parasite, but after seeing this fish's behavior last night, I think it might be a stab wound.

 

The hippos are great if you get one that adjusts well. For the first 3 months all mine did was hide behind the overflow box. Then he was a real pleasure.

 

FoxFace Most likely got in a fight with Hippo, I have had other fish with same injury cause by my hippo.

Never seen one that wasn't a bit "off" myself. But they are such a pretty fish and they all do have such diverse personality.

I agree I wouldn't screw with him to much, setting off Ich is a very valid fear as they are so very susceptible to it.

 

I got rid of mine since it did nothing but hide, the moment someone came into the room it disappeared and would only come out to feed then it disappeared again and it was the biggest fish in the tank