HELP ! Fish breathing hard and staying towards top of tank

[Fishguy1079]

Hey everyone so my fish in my 125 FOWLR tank are all staying towards the top of the tank and breathing hard. Saw a couple of them scratching against rocks the other day too. I assumed it was gill flukes so I added prazipro to the tank on Sunday, they really don't seem to be any better and I lost both of my ocellaris clownfish yesterday too. Tested water and nothing too out of whack, nitrate around 50. Did a water change last night and redosed with prazipro. But they don't seem anybetter. Could this be a different type of parasite prazipro doesn't work on?
Thanks Chad

 

[Sploot]

A possibility is that the prazipro is the cause of the heavy breathing. Is there adequate surface agitation/oxygenation in the tank? To be sure of the timeline - the fish were scratching against the rocks and then prazipro was added and then the rapid breathing at surface occurred?

 

[Fishguy1079]

A possibility is that the prazipro is the cause of the heavy breathing. Is there adequate surface agitation/oxygenation in the tank? To be sure of the timeline - the fish were scratching against the rocks and then prazipro was added and then the rapid breathing at surface occurred?

While I noticed scratching, I didn't really notice them breathing fast and staying towards the top. At least not like they are now.

 

[Fishguy1079]

While I noticed scratching, I didn't really notice them breathing fast and staying towards the top. At least not like they are now.

Oh sorry I'd say there is plenty of aeration. I've got two large power filters(aquaclear 500's) and a large airstone in the middle.

 

[Sploot]

To answer your question about parasites that avoid prazipro - prazipro is only effective for flukes while velvet, ich, and brookynella are all unaffected. Are there any physical indicators on the fish or behavioral actions other than the breathing and scratching. Also, have you added anything new to the tank that could have introduced a disease?

 

[MnFish1]

First, did you quarantine them. Second, if you did, did you follow a certain protocol? Third - did you add anything new? Fourth are all the fish sick - and for how long?

You may need to treat with a copper based medication if you haven't, additionally, if you're dosing prazipro, it make take time to work. Hope this helps. PS - you water looks a little cloudy - so oxygenation may indeed be part of the issue. Have you checked ammonia?

 

[Fishguy1079]

To answer your question about parasites that avoid prazipro - prazipro is only effective for flukes while velvet, ich, and brookynella are all unaffected. Are there any physical indicators on the fish or behavioral actions other than the breathing and scratching. Also, have you added anything new to the tank that could have introduced a disease?

Nothing in several weeks. Nothing much, the sailfin has some frayed fins and a little blotchy on the sides. I thought he might have something bacterial(I've been mixing kanplex in there food past several days)My rabbit fish for sure has a spot on his pectoral fin. If it's not flukes, thinking about switching to paraguard since it'll treat parasites and bacterial, thoughts?

 

[MnFish1]

Nothing in several weeks. Nothing much, the sailfin has some frayed fins and a little blotchy on the sides. I thought he might have something bacterial(I've been mixing kanplex in there food past several days)My rabbit fish for sure has a spot on his pectoral fin. If it's not flukes, thinking about switching to paraguard since it'll treat parasites and bacterial, thoughts?

I would not mix kanaplex in food for a variety of reasons. Paraguard has a lot of ingredients - not sure they would help. You could consider Ruby Rally Pro in your display tank

 

[Fishguy1079]

First, did you quarantine them. Second, if you did, did you follow a certain protocol? Third - did you add anything new? Fourth are all the fish sick - and for how long?

You may need to treat with a copper based medication if you haven't, additionally, if you're dosing prazipro, it make take time to work. Hope this helps. PS - you water looks a little cloudy - so oxygenation may indeed be part of the issue. Have you checked ammonia?

Yes and no to quarantine, I get almost all my fish dr reefs and I've had most of these fish for at least a few months. Al though I personally mix kanoplex in the food of any new fish for like a week after I get any because it's a antibiotic.nothing new for a weeks . Sick at least a week, other tank has flukes but been using prazi in it and they seem to be getting better. Just assumed it was the same thing since I didn't see anything on them @ the time. I've got alot a big airstone/ ball plus the two power filters. Got one of those seachem ammonia alerts things and it's fine. So you'd go with copper over paraguard? Do I need to do a water change or put carbon in my tank to pull out prazi first before adding copper?
Thanks!

 

[brandon429]

do you quarantine items that come from the pet store, = clean up crew, corals, frags, other rocks etc / anything wet

asking bc like to see if there were any inlets for disease in setups

 

[Reefering1]

Surface agitation appears to be nonexistent. What's all that "stuff" in the water column?

 

[MnFish1]

Yes and no to quarantine, I get almost all my fish dr reefs and I've had most of these fish for at least a few months. Al though I personally mix kanoplex in the food of any new fish for like a week after I get any because it's a antibiotic.nothing new for a weeks . Sick at least a week, other tank has flukes but been using prazi in it and they seem to be getting better. Just assumed it was the same thing since I didn't see anything on them @ the time. I've got alot a big airstone/ ball plus the two power filters. Got one of those seachem ammonia alerts things and it's fine. So you'd go with copper over paraguard? Do I need to do a water change or put carbon in my tank to pull out prazi first before adding copper?
Thanks!

Seems to me the damage is not oxygen but disease. I think my original recommendations - which of course - I'm not a fish veterinarian stand

 

[MnFish1]

Seems to me the damage is not oxygen but disease. I think my original recommendations - which of course - I'm not a fish veterinarian stand

PS - if I had gotten fish from @Dr. Reef
- and they were sick I would contact him

 

[Fishguy1079]

do you quarantine items that come from the pet store, = clean up crew, corals, frags, other rocks etc / anything wet

asking bc like to see if there were any inlets for disease in setups

Don't quarantine stuff from LFS. But i don't get much stuff from them and I don't have any inverts, corals etc... I've got predators(triggers and puffers) in both tanks. Last thing was lion 3-4 weeks ago.

 

[Fishguy1079]

Would a low PH cause this? Just tested PH and it's only 7.4. It was 7.8-7.9 last night before I did water change and added more prazipro. I've heard prazipro can lower ph just didn't realize that much.

 

[Dr. Reef]

Hi Chad, you purchased our fish long time ago, in fact it was 9th April 2023 when we sent you last shipment. Ich/velvet will not hide for 8-9 months to show up. these disease normally will start to show symptoms within 2-3 weeks maybe 1 month max. Also you said you added fish from LFS wihout quarantining them.
The time line of adding lion fish from lfs 3-4 weeks ago tell me thats your culprit.
Anyways I am happy to help if you need to send them to us to cure them again and or need help trying to cure them yourself.

 

[Dr. Reef]

PS - if I had gotten fish from @Dr. Reef
- and they were sick I would contact him

we sold him fish in April, they were not sick for 8 months till he added a non qted lionfish from lfs and within 3-4 weeks symptoms showed up. Timeline matches ich/velvet profile. Also see many fish in the video that didnt come from us.
I think its due to non qted livestock added with qted, anyways we are still willing to help

NOTE:
We treat fish and ship them out. We dont make them invincible, if we could we would charge lot more.
If fish are subjected or come in contact with non qted livestock they will get sick.

Once you go qted livestock you must qt everything that touches your tank. including livestock and tools.

 

[Dr. Reef]

I see few things.
1. Water on top of the tank is very still and shows a layer of film on top. This will cause less air exchange and less O2.
2. Dosing Prazi will deplete O2 and along with the still water on top fish can cause low oxygen levels.
3. In the video i see fish breathing very heavy. This could be related to low O2 or disease
4. I didnt see any fish scratch in video nor i saw any white spots on the fish but this could be the begining of velvet/ich.

I would get the fish out of the main tank and place them in hospital tank and use copper.
If you dont plan on adding corals the the main tank you can treat the fish in main tank as you have no corals or inverts. but this depends on if you will add in future.

We are always here to ship them back and we can cure them for you.

 

[Fishguy1079]

Hi Chad, you purchased our fish long time ago, in fact it was 9th April 2023 when we sent you last shipment. Ich/velvet will not hide for 8-9 months to show up. these disease normally will start to show symptoms within 2-3 weeks maybe 1 month max. Also you said you added fish from LFS wihout quarantining them.
The time line of adding lion fish from lfs 3-4 weeks ago tell me thats your culprit.
Anyways I am happy to help if you need to send them to us to cure them again and or need help trying to cure them yourself.

Oh thanks for responding to this. Oh I Knew it wasn't from anything I got from you it was too long ago. Somebody asked me about quarantine and I mentioned you. Sorry Don't want anyone to think it was from you. I know 100% it's not.

 

[Dr. Reef]

Oh thanks for responding to this. Oh I Knew it wasn't from anything I got from you it was too long ago. Somebody asked me about quarantine and I mentioned you. Sorry Don't want anyone to think it was from you. I know 100% it's not.

lol I was trying to clear up a comment from another member, claiming to contact dr reef if fish came in sick.

Anyways I am here to help, Can you handle a hospital tank? or should i arrange them shipped back to me so we can cure them? Let me know.