Baby clown trigger bloated? And breathing fast.

[Hunkles]

I've had the fish for about a week has been eating good and active. Today his stomach looks bloated he doesn't want to eat and is breathing fast.
I honestly can't tell if it's bloating or he just looks full because he was eating about 5-7 times a day but he definitely is breathing heavier and doesn't want to eat.

 

[Jekyl]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/s...sease-treatment-and-diagnosis-section.775547/
Please read through that link and provide a 20-30 second video in white lighting. Youtube links work best as video as posted give some people trouble viewing.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've had the fish for about a week has been eating good and active. Today his stomach looks bloated he doesn't want to eat and is breathing fast.
I honestly can't tell if it's bloating or he just looks full because he was eating about 5-7 times a day but he definitely is breathing heavier and doesn't want to eat.

Likely this is either fluid buildup and can also be from overeating but a way to determine is to hold off feeding fish for 24 hours and see if the bloating subsides. If so, then you know its from amount of feedings. The one I had ate non-stop and at times looked chubby but then normal overnight.

 

[Hunkles]

Likely this is either fluid buildup and can also be from overeating but a way to determine is to hold off feeding fish for 24 hours and see if the bloating subsides. If so, then you know its from amount of feedings. The one I had ate non-stop and at times looked chubby but then normal overnight.

That was my first thought hold off on feeding I just put a bite size price to see if he would eat and he didn't. I'm unfortunately starting to worry that it's organ failure due to cyanide poisoning which I believe is common in clown triggers this small.
I feel as if I can't really do anything which is eating me alive tbh but I think best I can do is try and keep him free of any stress. Like would pulling him out and putting him in QT just do more harm than good?

 

[vetteguy53081]

That was my first thought hold off on feeding I just put a bite size price to see if he would eat and he didn't. I'm unfortunately starting to worry that it's organ failure due to cyanide poisoning which I believe is common in clown triggers this small.
I feel as if I can't really do anything which is eating me alive tbh but I think best I can do is try and keep him free of any stress. Like would pulling him out and putting him in QT just do more harm than good?

Thats where the fluid buildup I mentioned will be a cause but non-feeding would be the first step to see it subsides and the fish would like food. Often with cyanide capture , the fish wont eat much at all

 

[Hunkles]

I don't think he's going to make it. Very quickly going downhill. swimming has become difficult and is now just drifting around. I hate to say it but I think it is the effects of cyanide poisoning.

 

[Hunkles]

He died. Never seen such a quick descent. 5 years only ever lost 2 now 3 fish. Had to have been cyanide right?

 

[MnFish1]

He died. Never seen such a quick descent. 5 years only ever lost 2 now 3 fish. Had to have been cyanide right?

Sorry - can you list the top 3 symptoms? It might help determine the cyanide issue - which it might(or might not be)

 

[MnFish1]

I've had the fish for about a week has been eating good and active. Today his stomach looks bloated he doesn't want to eat and is breathing fast.
I honestly can't tell if it's bloating or he just looks full because he was eating about 5-7 times a day but he definitely is breathing heavier and doesn't want to eat.

Unfortunately - FYI and PS - I can't see your video. Just a couple comments. Younger fish are cheaper, yet - much more difficult. I wouldn't think it's cyanide given the very quick death - but it could be - depending on how long It was in the store.

 

[Hunkles]

Unfortunately - FYI and PS - I can't see your video. Just a couple comments. Younger fish are cheaper, yet - much more difficult. I wouldn't think it's cyanide given the very quick death - but it could be - depending on how long It was in the store.

The store had just gotten it within 48 hours.
The tank has been running for a year with no issues and the few other fish are fine.
Params
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
Phosphate 0

What else could it have been? The symptoms line up perfectly. I've raised small triggers for people with larger tanks and I was not overfeeding this guy when they are that small they need to eat constantly.
The only other thing I can think of that causes bloat would be internal parasites which would not kill the poor guy so quickly.
To me kidney/liver failure due to cyanide poisoning ( which apparently baby clown triggers in particular are more likely to be caught with cyanide than not )
Seems most likely.

 

[Hunkles]

Sorry - can you list the top 3 symptoms? It might help determine the cyanide issue - which it might(or might not be)

Got kinda bloated overnight and gradually lost ability to swim properly then just died right before me.

 

[MnFish1]

The store had just gotten it within 48 hours.
The tank has been running for a year with no issues and the few other fish are fine.
Params
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
Phosphate 0

What else could it have been? The symptoms line up perfectly. I've raised small triggers for people with larger tanks and I was not overfeeding this guy when they are that small they need to eat constantly.
The only other thing I can think of that causes bloat would be internal parasites which would not kill the poor guy so quickly.
To me kidney/liver failure due to cyanide poisoning ( which apparently baby clown triggers in particular are more likely to be caught with cyanide than not )
Seems most likely.

It could have been an acclimation issue between your tank and the store's - focusing on potential salinity differences. Cyanide is not usually that quick.

 

[Hunkles]

It could have been an acclimation issue between your tank and the store's - focusing on potential salinity differences. Cyanide is not usually that quick.

He was in my tank for about a week. This all just started overnight.

 

[Hunkles]

And cyanide isn't quick? Have you seen people cyanide fish? A lot of them die within minutes and the survivors with organ damage are shipped to your wholesalers. Few are able to fully recover.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I don't think he's going to make it. Very quickly going downhill. swimming has become difficult and is now just drifting around. I hate to say it but I think it is the effects of cyanide poisoning.

I was just going to point out - juvenile clown triggers are almost always caught with cyanide. That can cause liver failure the in turn causes ascites, fluid build up. Then, the issue becomes systemic, and the fish starts breathing fast and goes downhill fast.

The rule out diagnosis would be if you fed it done hard shelled food that caused an impaction.

 

[Hunkles]

I was just going to point out - juvenile clown triggers are almost always caught with cyanide. That can cause liver failure the in turn causes ascites, fluid build up. Then, the issue becomes systemic, and the fish starts breathing fast and goes downhill fast.

The rule out diagnosis would be if you fed it done hard shelled food that caused an impaction.

Only ate a food mix that I made for small carnivores containing nothing hard. Is there any way to 100% avoid cyanide caught fish? I don't exactly see Aussie fish around every corner.

 

[W31Olds]

You're not the first Forum Member that has had problems with small Triggers passing for no reason. I can see this as these little ones probably wedge themselves in rock or coral and lock in with their trigger so good luck getting them out using natural collecting methods. I like Triggers but would avoid the Juveniles.

 

[Hunkles]

You're not the first Forum Member that has had problems with small Triggers passing for no reason. I can see this as these little ones probably wedge themselves in rock or coral and lock in with their trigger so good luck getting them out using natural collecting methods. I like Triggers but would avoid the Juveniles.

Noted. Do you think 3" is a good size? Or should I avoid them until they are like 5"?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Baby clown triggers are tough to catch and are only caught seasonally and with cyanide. I’ve never seen them available from any region that doesn’t use cyanide.
This doesn’t mean there is a 100% mortality with these fish, but it does seem to run about 50%.

 

[MnFish1]

And cyanide isn't quick? Have you seen people cyanide fish? A lot of them die within minutes and the survivors with organ damage are shipped to your wholesalers. Few are able to fully recover.

Cyanide is obviously a poison - and it can kill fish quickly - i.e. instantly (in the water - when being caught). There is also a delayed reaction as @Jay Hemdal mentions that causes a slow decline over 2-3 weeks after collection - which relates to the internal organ damage. So - my point was it's odd for a fish to be perfectly healthy one night and dead in the AM.