SICK GROUPER

stevieduk · Mar 18, 2017

Hi my Miniatus Grouper is not well. I have had it for about 18 months and it has become a good friend. It is about 8 inches long and has become tame enough to feed from my hand, but around a week ago it went off its food , Silversides or prawns, and has not eaten since, plus, the last few days it hides in the rocks, still watches me but wont come out, and its skin has gone all mottled as though the colour has gone in patches.
I have done everything i can think of, checked everything, done a massive water change just in case. Also my other fish,( who share the same water,via a connector), are fine
any advice or ideas will be greatly received and appreciated

Reefahholic · Mar 18, 2017

Have you added any new fish or other animals lately? Are all the fish eating the same food? Sounds like a nutritional problem or possible infection of some sort. Tough call.

Brew12 · Mar 18, 2017

I agree with either an infection or nutritional problem. The only thing I could add to the list would be stress. Does it share the tank with other fish that could be harassing it?
Some of the other signs almost sound like Velvet, such as hiding in the rocks. Any chance you can get a good picture?

stevieduk · Mar 18, 2017

No everything is as it was , no new fish, other fish are eating and are ok, I have 2 five foot tanks one above the other with a overflow box, all the fish are in the top one , the Grouper is in the bottom one, ( cos he would eat everything that moves ) so they all eat flake, he eats fish and prawn. when it first started it didnt bother me to much cos it often missed a day feeding when it had a whole prawn, cant get picture as he is hiding

Humblefish · Mar 18, 2017

No new corals or inverts? Anything wet that could have brought in a disease.

stevieduk · Mar 19, 2017

Humblefish said:
No new corals or inverts? Anything wet that could have brought in a disease.

no nothing at all, thats is what is so baffling

Humblefish · Mar 19, 2017

stevieduk said:
no nothing at all, thats is what is so baffling

Shot in the dark here ... but have you tested for stray voltage in the water? I once had a grouper suddenly stop eating, while all his tankmates seemed fine. I traced the problem back to a heater leaking stray voltage, and a day or two after I replaced it the grouper seemed fine.

stevieduk · Mar 19, 2017

now you got me thinking, im in the uk and the weather was quite cold a couple of weeks ago so i put a old extra heater in the bottom tank where the grouper is so both tanks were heated, i will take it out , you never know. you could be my hero if this solves it, thanks, I will let you know