Blennies breathing really fast after being added

[althyu]

My sphinx and peacock blennies are breathing very fast after i added them about 13 hours ago.

Acclimation was kind of rushed ( there was salinity and 3 C temperature difference) because the water they were in was really bad and needed to be replaced asap.

Is this normal acclimation shock or could it be something more serious or life threathening?

The male peacock blenny is sort of eating tough . He was picking at a "sea earthworm" ( soft worm related to bristleworms, used as fishing bait, fish especially wrasses really like them)

I' ll attach some footage ( sorry for the bad focus, i filmed on my phone).

Thanks in advance for y'all's advice

 

[vetteguy53081]

My sphinx and peacock blennies are breathing very fast after i added them about 13 hours ago.

Acclimation was kind of rushed ( there was salinity and 3 C temperature difference) because the water they were in was really bad and needed to be replaced asap.

Is this normal acclimation shock or could it be something more serious or life threathening?

The male peacock blenny is sort of eating tough . He was picking at a "sea earthworm" ( soft worm related to bristleworms, used as fishing bait, fish especially wrasses really like them)

I' ll attach some footage ( sorry for the bad focus, i filmed on my phone).

Thanks in advance for y'all's advice

These guys are generally easy care species, also called combtooth love marine plants and algae. Their water quality should be fairly clean and I see an abundance of hair algae and question the water temp, salinity level and phosphate level in this tank
Additionally, its not as plump as it can be and what foods are you feeding it?
Are the plants in tank freshwater plants or marine plants? If FW will decay and cause PH issues

 

[Jay Hemdal]

My sphinx and peacock blennies are breathing very fast after i added them about 13 hours ago.

Acclimation was kind of rushed ( there was salinity and 3 C temperature difference) because the water they were in was really bad and needed to be replaced asap.

Is this normal acclimation shock or could it be something more serious or life threathening?

The male peacock blenny is sort of eating tough . He was picking at a "sea earthworm" ( soft worm related to bristleworms, used as fishing bait, fish especially wrasses really like them)

I' ll attach some footage ( sorry for the bad focus, i filmed on my phone).

Thanks in advance for y'all's advice

What was the salinity difference, and did the fish go from low to high salinity? Marine fish can handle a drop in salinity fairly well, but a large rise, even with acclimation, can be very stressful.

Jay

 

[althyu]

These guys are generally easy care species, also called combtooth love marine plants and algae. Their water quality should be fairly clean and I see an abundance of hair algae and question the water temp, salinity level and phosphate level in this tank
Additionally, its not as plump as it can be and what foods are you feeding it?
Are the plants in tank freshwater plants or marine plants? If FW will decay and cause PH issues

The blennyes i just got yesterday and they aren't eating yet, but i'll try to fatten them up when they do. Temperature is probably too high ( about 27 C - 80F) as it's very warm outside and it's a small tank with three running pumps that could ptoduce heat. The plants are caulerpa and some ( probably invasive) stem plant i found growing in a large clump in a gulf while on vacation, so it should tolerate saltwater.

 

[althyu]

What was the salinity difference, and did the fish go from low to high salinity? Marine fish can handle a drop in salinity fairly well, but a large rise, even with acclimation, can be very stressful.

Jay

I think that is probably the issue. I lowered the salinity a little in the aquarium before adding them but seems like it wasn't enough. They went from very low salinity ( i think almost brackish, the fish are from the black sea where there isn't really full saltwater) to a bit lower than full salinity. Are there any ways to reduce the stress? I'm thinking i'll at least do a water change to have the water as clean as possible so they are not bothered by that as well.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I think that is probably the issue. I lowered the salinity a little in the aquarium before adding them but seems like it wasn't enough. They went from very low salinity ( i think almost brackish, the fish are from the black sea where there isn't really full saltwater) to a bit lower than full salinity. Are there any ways to reduce the stress? I'm thinking i'll at least do a water change to have the water as clean as possible so they are not bothered by that as well.

If it is a new aquarium, you should check the ammonia level. Lowering the salinity is the only way to reduce this stress, but that in itself can cause added stress. You might want to average the difference.

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

The blennyes i just got yesterday and they aren't eating yet, but i'll try to fatten them up when they do. Temperature is probably too high ( about 27 C - 80F) as it's very warm outside and it's a small tank with three running pumps that could ptoduce heat. The plants are caulerpa and some ( probably invasive) stem plant i found growing in a large clump in a gulf while on vacation, so it should tolerate saltwater.

I would visit ammonia and lower temp slightly. Can be accomplished by obtaining zip lock bags. You can buy a 30 pack for under $5. Place them in the sump, and use a size that will fit fine and the idea is to rotate them. fill about 5 of them with water and place in freezer. Place one frozen one in sump, allow to melt and lower temp. When it melts, pull a new frozen one from freezer and place melted one back in freezer

 

[althyu]

If it is a new aquarium, you should check the ammonia level. Lowering the salinity is the only way to reduce this stress, but that in itself can cause added stress. You might want to average the difference.

Jay

Ok, i' ll add some distilled water. The tank isn't completely full anyway.

 

[althyu]

I would visit ammonia and lower temp slightly. Can be accomplished by obtaining zip lock bags. You can buy a 30 pack for under $5. Place them in the sump, and use a size that will fit fine and the idea is to rotate them. fill about 5 of them with water and place in freezer. Place one frozen one in sump, allow to melt and lower temp. When it melts, pull a new frozen one from freezer and place melted one back in freezer

I'll start making some ice right away. I'll probably use this trick for freshwater as well, i never would have thought of it

 

[althyu]

Next evening update: blenny still breathing fast, but not as fast as before. Hopefully it's getting better.

 

[althyu]

Next evening update: blenny still breathing fast, but not as fast as before. Hopefully it's getting better.

Peacock blenny on day two

Seems like the video doesn't work, should be functioning on youtube

 

[BZOFIQ]

Perhaps off topic but you've got some beautiful blennies and very natural looking habitat.

 

[althyu]

Perhaps off topic but you've got some beautiful blennies and very natural looking habitat.

Thanks lol

 

[Jay Hemdal]

What is the current water temperature difference between your tank and where they came from? Did you collect them yourself from the Black Sea?

Jay

 

[althyu]

What is the current water temperature difference between your tank and where they came from? Did you collect them yourself from the Black Sea?

Jay

Yes, i caught them myself ( the peacock blennies were hiding in a cola can stuck between some rocks, i think maybe they wanted to lay eggs in there?, and the male stuck his head out witch grabbed my attention). The salinity difference was very big the water they were in was 18 ppt which i think is about 1.013, but there were some rapa whelks in the same water that died at some point and were spoiling the water so i had to get the fish out fast. Some of the rockpool shrimp i also caught died after acclimatisation, but luckily the blennies seem to be doing better and nibbling on some algae.