Acclimation Stress Or Disease

[Harry g]

Hello everybody, I added in a Midas blenny and clownfish last night, the clownfish is doing well, and took a couple bites out of flakes today, I have frozen food that I can try and feed, but I’m not to worried about the clownfish right now, however the Midas blenny has been acting strange and breathing heavy, the tanks been up for almost 7 months, so I don’t think it’s anything like ammonia, I can share my parameters down below, I also just got done with a fallow period, but the fish was acting like this in the bag I took it home in near the end of me adding it in, I’m thinking I just took to long acclimating it, but figured I would share, here’s a video and parameters, I should also mention that the breathing has slowed down from last night, this video shows the breathing from this morning which is much slower, its also been at the same rock the whole time, and it had different colors at the lfs when purchased.

May 9th, 2026: phosphate: 0.07 nitrate: 2.0 - 2.5 ppm



May 11th, 2026: phosphate: .03 nitrate ~5 ppm



May 19th, 2026: phosphate: 0.02 nitrate ~ 6 ppm



May 26th, 2026 phosphate: 0.04 nitrate ~ 5 ppm

Thanks.

 

[JumboShrimp]

What are you doing by way of oxygenation-- can you aerate the tank more and see if that helps with the breathing?

 

[Harry g]

What are you doing by way of oxygenation-- can you aerate the tank more and see if that helps with the breathing?

I haven’t been, but I do get pretty decent agitation from my wavemaker and return pump, but I’ll add one in right now, thanks

 

[JumboShrimp]

I always go hog-wild breaking the surface of the water; I agitate it with two return nozzles plus a dedicated gyre. (And the 'return water' is coming right from the skimmer section of my sump.) Unless you have annoying micro-bubbles, my theory is you can never have too much oxygen. Especially since in the summer my tanks run as high as 86/87 degrees. (Florida.)

 

[Gone Reefin’]

Watching the video, the breathing is a bit fast, but like to see him perched in a normal position. He could still be settling in. Was it acquired from a fish store or shipped? I only ask because long acclimation after long shipping can be rough if ammonia accumulated in shipping container.

 

[Harry g]

Watching the video, the breathing is a bit fast, but like to see him perched in a normal position. He could still be settling in. Was it acquired from a fish store or shipped? I only ask because long acclimation after long shipping can be rough if ammonia accumulated in shipping container.

He was purchased in store, and I just saw him move to another rock and perch up there, but has now moved back to the same spot, he is also starting to color up more, car ride was a little long so maybe that’s why I’m thinking like an hour in the bag.

 

[atoll]

I always go hog-wild breaking the surface of the water; I agitate it with two return nozzles plus a dedicated gyre. (And the 'return water' is coming right from the skimmer section of my sump.) Unless you have annoying micro-bubbles, my theory is you can never have too much oxygen. Especially since in the summer my tanks run as his as 86/87 degrees. (Florida.)

I ensure full O2 saturation with an Oxydator which I have used for around 41 years. I have a lot of fish. I also have a gure an Mp4 and 2 tunze 6040 pumps ensuring both surface movement and around tge tank. I agree. You can't have too much oxygen ( in theory you can) and believe a lot of problems with many species of fish isn't helped by having not enough oxygen in the water..

 

[exnisstech]

Did you happen to test the salinty of the stores water? Many stores run low salinty which can be a problem when going from low to high. I have a lfs I no longer visit that runs 1.015 in their fish tanks.

 

[Harry g]

Did you happen to test the salinty of the stores water? Many stores run low salinty which can be a problem when going from low to high. I have a lfs I no longer visit that runs 1.015 in their fish tanks.

I didn’t, but I did ask them about it and was told it’s run at .1026. it’s swimming around now occasionally but still breathing fast

 

[winxp_man]

Is the fish eating?
Tank wise aio? Or sump? If sump you have a skimmer?

Flukes could be a possibility. If all other fish are eating, swimming and breathing fine. But eventually all can get it, if it is flukes. Hard to see from the video.

 

[Harry g]

Is the fish eating?
Tank wise aio? Or sump? If sump you have a skimmer?

Flukes could be a possibility. If all other fish are eating, swimming and breathing fine. But eventually all can get it, if it is flukes. Hard to see from the video.

I haven’t tried feeding it yet, I’m not sure if I should try, it’s an AIO tank

 

[winxp_man]

I haven’t tried feeding it yet, I’m not sure if I should try, it’s an AIO tank

You need to try see how the fish reacts to food. Is it possible to get a more clear video? Maybe post it in HD or higher on YT then link it here.

As for aio, I would then get the rerun nozzles pointed at the surface to get as much agitation as possible. This will create o2.

And yes it still can be an issue of stress. And over night it can snap out of it. Have a Black Cap Basslet that did this and snapped out of it. But it was breathing normally no issues.

 

[Harry g]

I haven’t tried feeding it yet, I’m not sure if I should try, it’s an AIO tank

You need to try see how the fish reacts to food. Is it possible to get a more clear video? Maybe post it in HD or higher on YT then link it here.

As for aio, I would then get the rerun nozzles pointed at the surface to get as much agitation as possible. This will create o2.

And yes it still can be an issue of stress. And over night it can snap out of it. Have a Black Cap Basslet that did this and snapped out of it. But it was breathing normally no issues.

This video gets way clearer after a couple seconds, hopefully it’s clear enough,

Here’s a video me feeding it LRS Reef Frenzy

 

[winxp_man]

This video gets way clearer after a couple seconds, hopefully it’s clear enough,

Here’s a video me feeding it LRS Reef Frenzy

Not seeing any spots that would show ich. The video sure is clear now. If it’s not flukes it can be o2, but that would affect all fish. How was the fish at the LFS before getting him? And the clown is still good and breathing normal?

 

[Harry g]

Not seeing any spots that would show ich. The video sure is clear now. If it’s not flukes it can be o2, but that would affect all fish. How was the fish at the LFS before getting him? And the clown is still good and breathing normal?

The clownfish is doing fine, the blenny was just burrowed in a rock when I saw him at the LFS, which I was told was normal (this is how I most recently found him)

 

[Mark82]

He seems fine to me, pry just still a lil stressed.

 

[atoll]

Mine loves to holdup in barnacle shells. Might be worth getting a small cluster of 3 or 4 for it. I will.spend a lot of time in and out of them. They need to feel secure with a bolt hole or 2.
It should be eating after a a couple of days.

 

[winxp_man]

Keep an eye out on him the next few days weeks and see if is ends up calming down. But with the fish looking like it eats well it should be fine.