Chromis is unable to swallow any food

[TheStripedHermit]

In qurantine tank all the parameters are fine but the chromis can't swallow any of the brine shrimp that I feed it today. For the past 1½ weeks it was barely able to eat any of it, going on and off on it's ability to swallow but when it did it would only eat about 4 or 5 pieces at best. Yesterday it was only able to eat the largest pieces and spat out all the smaller ones which rules out the possibility of gill flukes and now today it cannot swallow anything.

On top of all this it is acting fine with no flashing or gasping for air and it's clearly hungry as it darts straight to the pipet. Plus when I first bought it, it would easily eat half a cube of brine shrimp with no waste to speak of.

However I have noticed that it has a lot of discolouration, especially on the green part and today I did see it darting around but not scraping against anything or hitting.

If anyone knows what is going on please tell me as this is *not* flukes because even with a freshwater dip and adding prazipro it hasn't gotten any better.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Can you post pics of fish under white lights,
Can be a number of issues…… flukes, high ammonia, low salinity, high temperature and more

 

[jmichaelh7]

Several pics would help

 

[TheStripedHermit]

Can you post pics of fish under white lights,
Can be a number of issues…… flukes, high ammonia, low salinity, high temperature and more

Several pics would help

The fish hides immediately when I go near the tank and where it goes to hide makes it impossible to take any pictures of so I caught it in the net.

And it doesn't looks discoloured as I thought when I took it out of the water briefly and it's green on top despite the pictures.

Also it's now only able to eat copepod and lobster eggs, anything bigger it spits out.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The fish hides immediately when I go near the tank and where it goes to hide makes it impossible to take any pictures of so I caught it in the net.

And it doesn't looks discoloured as I thought when I took it out of the water briefly and it's green on top despite the pictures.

Also it's now only able to eat copepod and lobster eggs, anything bigger it spits out.

In the first and third pics, the fish’s mouth is open. Is that just coincidental or is it’s mouth stuck open?
Jay

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Quick, someone perform a emergency Trachy-otomy (and a rainbow one at that!!)

Sorry..I can't be of help, but I can add some levity and hopefully things go well for you

 

[TheStripedHermit]

In the first and third pics, the fish’s mouth is open. Is that just coincidental or is it’s mouth stuck open?
Jay

That's coincidental as it's able to close it's mouth but can't swallow anything larger than lobster eggs or copepods.

 

[TheStripedHermit]

Quick, someone perform a emergency Trachy-otomy (and a rainbow one at that!!)

Sorry..I can't be of help, but I can add some levity and hopefully things go well for you

Hahaha that gave me a good laugh! ;Hilarious

 

[vetteguy53081]

Fish is awefully thin and seems somewhat lethargic. And agreeing Jay , its mouth appears to be stuck open.
Im curious about adequacy of oxygen.
is this by chance a new/newer tank?
Have you tested water and if so, using what type test kit(s) ?
Are you using RO water or tap water from the faucet ?
Did you acclimate fish when intoduced and how and for how long ?

Often this happens when a fish is startled and crashes into glass or other object. Also happens when they swallow a pebble of substrate and as you can figure, it must take in water and expel it to complete oxygen cycle.

 

[TheStripedHermit]

Fish is awefully thin and seems somewhat lethargic. And agreeing Jay , its mouth appears to be stuck open.
Im curious about adequacy of oxygen.
is this by chance a new/newer tank?
Have you tested water and if so, using what type test kit(s) ?
Are you using RO water or tap water from the faucet ?
Did you acclimate fish when intoduced and how and for how long ?

Often this happens when a fish is startled and crashes into glass or other object. Also happens when they swallow a pebble of substrate and as you can figure, it must take in water and expel it to complete oxygen cycle.

I'll answer right away!

The fish is currently in a quarantine tank with the salinity at 1.018 and all other levels such as nitrates and ammonia being very low with ph at 8.0. Everything is tested using the Salifert test kits and as for oxygen, I have the tanks own filtration dropping water back into the tank with the filter on the right doing the same thing which both make visible circulations in the water.

Now the RO water I get from my lfs which I also use in my display tank that at the moment only has inverts and this fish was acclimated for about an hour in the bag.

And I don't think the jaw of the chromis is stuck open but it does look like that since it was starting to breathe heavier from stress having being caught in the net so that's why it looks like that. When it's not stressed, it's mouth is kept the same way as these healthy ones below.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'll answer right away!

The fish is currently in a quarantine tank with the salinity at 1.018 and all other levels such as nitrates and ammonia being very low with ph at 8.0. Everything is tested using the Salifert test kits and as for oxygen, I have the tanks own filtration dropping water back into the tank with the filter on the right doing the same thing which both make visible circulations in the water.

Now the RO water I get from my lfs which I also use in my display tank that at the moment only has inverts and this fish was acclimated for about an hour in the bag.

And I don't think the jaw of the chromis is stuck open but it does look like that since it was starting to breathe heavier from stress having being caught in the net so that's why it looks like that. When it's not stressed, it's mouth is kept the same way as these healthy ones below.

1.018 ???? You need to get it to 1.024. Extremely low and may be part of issue
Test LFS water - Not rare to see bad water from an LFS. Focus on ammonia-nitrate-ph and phos

 

[Miami Reef]

1.018 ???? You need to get it to 1.024. Extremely low and may be part of issue
Test LFS water - Not rare to see bad water from an LFS. Focus on ammonia-nitrate-ph and phos

Are you sure? I thought fish can handle 1.018 just fine. Hypo is 1.009 and that’s for 30 days.

Is that a red gash on the side of the chromis? The first thing you should always assume with chromis is uronema. It’s a deadly parasite that mainly affects chromis fish. They will drop dead like flies with that.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Are you sure? I thought fish can handle 1.018 just fine. Hypo is 1.009 and that’s for 30 days.

Is that a red gash on the side of the chromis? The first thing you should always assume with chromis is uronema. It’s a deadly parasite that mainly affects chromis fish. They will drop dead like flies with that.

Saltwater tank salinity is only one major factor that can contribute to increased stress in newly purchased saltwater fish as well as low levels of dissolved oxygen, the space limitations and conflicts with cohabitation with other species. If the salinity in your aquarium is inadequate or constant, your fish may become stressed and as a result get sick and fail to flourish. With lower salinity , can fish survive- Yes. Is it recommended- in most cases No.
recommended is 1.023-1.024 for fish only and for reef with fish - 1.025

I too though mark but realized it is where the fin is at joint

 

[TheStripedHermit]

Saltwater tank salinity is only one major factor that can contribute to increased stress in newly purchased saltwater fish as well as low levels of dissolved oxygen, the space limitations and conflicts with cohabitation with other species. If the salinity in your aquarium is inadequate or constant, your fish may become stressed and as a result get sick and fail to flourish. With lower salinity , can fish survive- Yes. Is it recommended- in most cases No.
recommended is 1.023-1.024 for fish only and for reef with fish - 1.025

I too though mark but realized it is where the fin is at joint

I have seen FOWLR tanks doing just fine at a salinity of 1.018 and some people reccomend it since the fish is having to expend less energy trying to keep excess salt out of it's cells through osmosis and the lower risk of diseases. Also I think lower salinity also allows more oxygen to be dissolved into the water compared to tanks with a higher salinity and my chromis does hide more often then when I first bought it so stress might be a factor. It's just a mystery as to why it can't swallow anything bigger than lobster eggs now.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have seen FOWLR tanks doing just fine at a salinity of 1.018 and some people reccomend it since the fish is having to expend less energy trying to keep excess salt out of it's cells through osmosis and the lower risk of diseases. Also I think lower salinity also allows more oxygen to be dissolved into the water compared to tanks with a higher salinity and my chromis does hide more often then when I first bought it so stress might be a factor. It's just a mystery as to why it can't swallow anything bigger than lobster eggs now.

For disease control yes, but over the decades , it is known that extended periods (above 2 weeks) of low salinity can contribute to urinal infections and even possible kidney failure in low salinity environments as fish won't eat or drink as much water because salt is not high enough within the water taken in which can cause toxins to develop in kidneys and start stressing the fish in the long run defeating the purpose of it which seems to be occuring.