Clownfish breathing rapidly, looking for advice

[Brew12]

For clarification about my numbering system. I started with two fish. Fish 1 died. I thought fish two was going to die last night. Fish three is the new guy I bought yesterday to replace fish 1.

I went downstairs this morning to find fish 2 swimming happily around the tank! This makes me so happy! I thought he was a goner for sure. It appears the copper is helping him get through whatever he had. I'm assuming it is the same as fish 1 but I think treatment started too late to save fish 1.

I tried some mysis this morning and neither fish were interested. I'm going to suck out the food with a turkey Baster and let them sit in the dark again today.

I will try feeding them again tonight.

I'm super hopeful now! Even if fish 3 has the same problem that 1 and 2 have, getting him in copper right away should let him get through it.

I'm glad things looked to have turned the corner for you!

No luck getting them to eat the same flakes they were eating at the store?

Also, I know my fish in QT do not like to eat until the light on the tank has been on for 15+ minutes. Not sure what your feeding/lighting schedule is with these little guys but maybe that will help.

 

[re76]

I'm glad things looked to have turned the corner for you!

No luck getting them to eat the same flakes they were eating at the store?

Also, I know my fish in QT do not like to eat until the light on the tank has been on for 15+ minutes. Not sure what your feeding/lighting schedule is with these little guys but maybe that will help.

I may have spoke too soon. [emoji17]

I turned the light on at around 8:20 or so. Observed them for a bit. This is when I noticed fish 2 looking fairly healthy.

I went back upstairs and finished eating my breakfast. After about 20 minutes of lights on I put some garlic soaked mysis in the tank.

Fish 3 ate last night, so I wasn't surprised he didn't go after it, but fish 2 ignored it as well. I went upstairs to get dressed and give them a chance to pick at it if they wanted.

When I came back down about 15 minutes later fish 2 was back to doing corkscrews and barrel rolls in the water. I used a turkey baster to remove all of the uneaten food that I could. I then turned the powerhead back on and turned the lights off.

The fact that fish 2 went from looking relatively healthy to very unhealthy just by turning the lights on seems meaningful to me. I have read that fish with Velvet are sensitive to light. I'm wondering if this is what is happening here.

 

[Brew12]

I may have spoke too soon. [emoji17]

I turned the light on at around 8:20 or so. Observed them for a bit. This is when I noticed fish 2 looking fairly healthy.

I went back upstairs and finished eating my breakfast. After about 20 minutes of lights on I put some garlic soaked mysis in the tank.

Fish 3 ate last night, so I wasn't surprised he didn't go after it, but fish 2 ignored it as well. I went upstairs to get dressed and give them a chance to pick at it if they wanted.

When I came back down about 15 minutes later fish 2 was back to doing corkscrews and barrel rolls in the water. I used a turkey baster to remove all of the uneaten food that I could. I then turned the powerhead back on and turned the lights off.

The fact that fish 2 went from looking relatively healthy to very unhealthy just by turning the lights on seems meaningful to me. I have read that fish with Velvet are sensitive to light. I'm wondering if this is what is happening here.

Just stay the course, you are doing fine. Even if it is velvet, you have them in copper which is the best thing you could be doing.

It is important to remember that copper does nothing to directly treat the infected fish. The velvet parasites only feed on the fish for a few days and then release back into the water. This is when the copper kills the free swimmers. This helps prevent the next generation from forming and breaks the velvet cycle. You need to give the fish time for the velvet to completely leave the fish and also start healing from the damage done by the velvet.

Melypr or Humblefish may recommend some more advanced treatment options but for now just have patience!

 

[re76]

Fish 2 is still not looking good. Still doing "evasive maneuvers" aka corkscrews around the tank.

Fish 3 has now developed some sort of rash on its side. I'm hoping it is just irritation from being netted at the store. Really hoping it's not brook. As a preventative measure if it is just an abrasion from rough netting, I dosed kanaplex. I figured it couldn't hurt considering if I am dealing with velvet, secondary infections are a concern.

I also ordered some ruby reef rally, selcon, and Seachem focus. I had no intention of becoming so stocked on medications on my first foray, but man it sucked not being prepared and scrambling to track down the right meds.

I upped the copper in the tank. It's hard to tell but at this point I think I'm around .4ish. The Seachem test kit is not easy to read.

 

[melypr1985]

Fish 2 is still not looking good. Still doing "evasive maneuvers" aka corkscrews around the tank.

Fish 3 has now developed some sort of rash on its side. I'm hoping it is just irritation from being netted at the store. Really hoping it's not brook. As a preventative measure if it is just an abrasion from rough netting, I dosed kanaplex. I figured it couldn't hurt considering if I am dealing with velvet, secondary infections are a concern.

I also ordered some ruby reef rally, selcon, and Seachem focus. I had no intention of becoming so stocked on medications on my first foray, but man it sucked not being prepared and scrambling to track down the right meds.

I upped the copper in the tank. It's hard to tell but at this point I think I'm around .4ish. The Seachem test kit is not easy to read.

You'll want to be at .5 pretty quickly here. Velvet is no joke. It does sounds like an infection may be setting in there, but I'd like a picture of it just to be sure.

 

[re76]

You'll want to be at .5 pretty quickly here. Velvet is no joke. It does sounds like an infection may be setting in there, but I'd like a picture of it just to be sure.

I will try to get a pic.

It's really hard to read the Seachem copper test. I can tell I'm under .5 but more than .4. It's really hard to tell where exactly I'm at though.

I added 5 more drops and will measure again.

 

[melypr1985]

I will try to get a pic.

It's really hard to read the Seachem copper test. I can tell I'm under .5 but more than .4. It's really hard to tell where exactly I'm at though.

I added 5 more drops and will measure again.

Yeah. I never did like that test kit. I used to fill one of the little bowls with just tank water, then do the test in the next bowl. That way I had a good idea of what zero looked like. Then I put the little color strip next to both and did my best to see what it was. Always look at it in a bright light and from straight down.

 

[re76]

I tried my best to get a picture. He is very small, was staying at the. Act of the tank, and just not cooperating in general.

The best I have:

Fish 2 is laying on his side breathing pretty heavily this morning. Fish 3 is still looking relatively healthy, despite the irritation on his side. From the quick peek I took it appears to not have gotten worse overnight.

How long can a clownfish go without eating? Fish 2 is coming up on about day 5 of not eating.

I am going to measure Copper again this morning to make sure I'm at .5

 

[leahfiish]

Any updates?

 

[re76]

Any updates?

I was actually just working on one!

Fish 2 is maybe getting better? He is definitely turning a corner, whether good or bad I'm not sure. He is no longer swimming erratically. He will in spurts, but much less often now. He has taken to just laying on the bottom. This concerns me, but the upside is his breathing has gotten much better! He is still breathing slightly faster than I would like, but it is much improved. I just hope this is him getting better, and not worse. He hasn't eaten in about 5 days.

My gut tells me that if he makes it through the night he might pull through. I'm by no means an expert though.

Fish 3 on the other hand seems to be doing great despite the irritation on his side. I think the irritation has gotten better. I'm hoping it was just a wound from the net, and the kanaplex will help it heal without infection. He ate like a champ tonight. Went after food voraciously, and was darting all over the tank tracking down the leftovers.

I will provide another update in the morning!

 

[re76]

Well, fish 2 didn't make it through the night. [emoji17]

Fish 3 is looking healthy still. At this point I'm not sure what to do. I really wanted to have a matching PAIR of clowns as the first fish into my DT.

At this point since I'm pretty sure the LFS will sell me another one at half off because they died on me, I might give fish 3 a few more days and make sure that cupramine is working on whatever these fish have, and that he is still healthy. If he is, I'm thinking I will try a fish 4 and just keep them in the copper for 30 days. I think I need to give fish 3 at least another day to see if he starts showing symptoms though.

 

[jenreefer]

Make sure to measure your copper regularly to make sure it is at .5 You also want to make sure you are topping off regularly so it does not spike.

 

[Ross Petersen]

Old old thread... I just literally had the identical experience with a pair of new clowns. Arg!

 

[Warfilter42]

Old old thread... I just literally had the identical experience with a pair of new clowns. Arg!

Ha, same. Now on pair #2. Was hoping for some sort of resolution, I never figured out what went wrong.