Clownfish has rapid mouth movement. I also need help reading api levels…

[Bentheclownfishman]

Hello all. Happy Saturday.

I made a post last Friday. Feel free to look at it. I added fish (clownsthe following day (last sat). Also added the pulsing Xenia and GSP. The fish have done well and we’re eating great. I bought them from the Corner Reef in St. Louis. Not sure if my tank was fully cycled at that point, but my ammonia had been decreasing rapidly. Think ammonia was at .25, but heard that api ammonia will never show 0. No nitrites and little nitrates at that time.

Today I just tested parameters. Salinity is at 31 ppt. I’m having trouble reading the api kit though. I can’t tell what color each vile is. I think my

ph 8.2
Ammonia .25??
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5.0?

Tonight when I was turning off the lights and feeding, my one clown didn’t move from the corner. I noticed it’s mouth was rapidly moving. I don’t think it’s oxygen because it’s not at the top getting air… hope it doesn’t have something horrible wrong. I hope it just bit a bristle worm or something?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

no, I do not have a quarantine tank. My plan is to not add anything else until I can afford it. I am content with the three basic corals I have and the fish and hermits.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Pics and videos of the clown would help a lot. It could be acting this way due to high ammonia.
I’d guess .25-.5 for ammonia and under 5 for nitrates.

 

[Bentheclownfishman]

Pics and videos of the clown would help a lot. It could be acting this way due to high ammonia.
I’d guess .25-.5 for ammonia and under 5 for nitrates.

I tried to add one but it won’t let me… it adds it but then when I click to view it’s a grey screen. Is there another way to add?

Clownfish

youtube.com

 

[Bentheclownfishman]

Pics and videos of the clown would help a lot. It could be acting this way due to high ammonia.
I’d guess .25-.5 for ammonia and under 5 for nitrates.

Clownfish

youtube.com

 

[Sharkbait19]

How old is this tank? Based on the clean rocks and sand, I can’t tell if your aquarium is fully cycled yet.

 

[Bentheclownfishman]

It is 4 weeks. It probably isn’t cycled and that’s my issue. I have some Turbo start coming in and will add that. Hopefully that will help. I’ve been using prime to detoxify.

 

[James5214]

Prime is only to lower it for a short period of time to allow you to mix up some salt for a water change. Never just keep adding stuff like that to try and drop levels. Best thing to do and natural way is water changes

 

[Bentheclownfishman]

Prime is only to lower it for a short period of time to allow you to mix up some salt for a water change. Never just keep adding stuff like that to try and drop levels. Best thing to do and natural way is water changes

Do you think I can do a water change? I don’t want to remove any of the beneficial bacteria that has developed…
I was just going to use the prime to detoxify the ammonia until I performed a water change, but if you think I can perform a water change I will. I just don’t want to remove all the beneficial bacteria.
I was told when I got the fish to add turbo start as a way to just make sure there is enough beneficial bacteria in the tank. So I shouldn’t use it?
Thank you for your help. I wish I would have waited but some told me to do it and it would be fine so here is am.

 

[Gtinnel]

The bacteria grows on the rocks and substrate mostly, so doing a water change will not harm your bacteria. I believe your tank is cycled though since there seems to be a piece of live rock in the tank with the base rock. My tank has been up for years and if I test my ammonia with the API test it will show just as high as yours.

The respiration rate on the fish is high so I would start by making sure I had plenty of surface agitation by making sure that powerhead was pointed towards the surface as much as possible.

 

[anthonygf]

Hello all. Happy Saturday.

I made a post last Friday. Feel free to look at it. I added fish (clownsthe following day (last sat). Also added the pulsing Xenia and GSP. The fish have done well and we’re eating great. I bought them from the Corner Reef in St. Louis. Not sure if my tank was fully cycled at that point, but my ammonia had been decreasing rapidly. Think ammonia was at .25, but heard that api ammonia will never show 0. No nitrites and little nitrates at that time.

Today I just tested parameters. Salinity is at 31 ppt. I’m having trouble reading the api kit though. I can’t tell what color each vile is. I think my

ph 8.2
Ammonia .25??
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5.0?

Tonight when I was turning off the lights and feeding, my one clown didn’t move from the corner. I noticed it’s mouth was rapidly moving. I don’t think it’s oxygen because it’s not at the top getting air… hope it doesn’t have something horrible wrong. I hope it just bit a bristle worm or something?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

no, I do not have a quarantine tank. My plan is to not add anything else until I can afford it. I am content with the three basic corals I have and the fish and hermits.

Don't trust the API for nitrates, it may not give you a reading. My nitrate has been around 25 for a few years now and just for curiosity sake I tried the API nitrate test kit, I also have fresh water, and my reading was zero for API. I bought a Hanna Nitrate tester and it reads 27.3. So get nitrates tested with another test kit or take to your local fish store that does not use API. Hanna works great, I also have another nitrate test kit but is too complicating, I use just to verify my Salifert nitrate test kit which I use weekly.

 

[brandon429]

you do not have an ammonia issue. You can either heed this, and seek actual fish disease care unrelated to cycling, or you can ignore it and be completely diverted from addressing the issue.

(said because once someone fixates on ammonia as a cause of X they hardly ever relent, for pages)

there are no tanks that used bottle bac a while ago, have corals in them opening well, sustaining daily feed for fish, that aren't cycled. your api reading is what api reads-- on cycled tanks.

 

[brandon429]

your posted api readings above are literally perfect in every way, its what an eight year old sps reef would run and post.

the way to handle your fish issue is this: all manner of disease preps were skipped. take whatever losses manifest, the strongest clownfish will adapt to the tank and the weaker ones will continually die off. by and large clowns are pretty tough

 

[brandon429]

this cycle has already been fixed in a prior post. ammonia is no cause here.

Decreasing Ammonia but no nitrites

Good evening everyone. I’m cycling a Fluval Evo 13.5. I started on 6/28. The tank is stocked with 1 large piece of live rock, and two large pieces of dry rock. I have a Kenya tree and some macro algae that was included with my live rock. I have 2 Red legged Hermits. I started building up...

www.reef2reef.com

an important snippet from that thread, which pertains to this thread:
If you want safe fish read and apply the stickies from the disease forum before you add any. Waiting longer or adding bacteria does not make the tank safe for fish.


**notice the api readings in the first thread match this one, even after two fish and multiple daily feedings. that no-change=cycled=absorbing the waste you're creating.

your issue isn't cycle related.

 

[Bentheclownfishman]

your posted api readings above are literally perfect in every way, its what an eight year old sps reef would run and post.

the way to handle your fish issue is this: all manner of disease preps were skipped. take whatever losses manifest, the strongest clownfish will adapt to the tank and the weaker ones will continually die off. by and large clowns are pretty tou

Okay. It’s just hard for me to think ignore the readings, but as you and many others have said api is wrong. API really needs to fix that

I get what you’re saying about the quarantine. Like I said in the earlier post and this one I do not have the space and money currently, but when I do I will have one. If truly needed, I will figure something out. I don’t plan on adding anything (corals, fish, etc) until I have a quarantine. Yes if this is a disease and they die I will except the loss, but if it is I would like to attempt to fight it. If that makes any sense.

I was told clowns generally are pretty hardy. Some have told me while it’s best to quarintine clowns many times will be fine without one. I bought from a reputable store so I’m hoping they’re good, but we shall see I guess. My fault either way.

 

[PlumbTuckered]

It is 4 weeks. It probably isn’t cycled and that’s my issue. I have some Turbo start coming in and will add that. Hopefully that will help. I’ve been using prime to detoxify.

Why would you add fish to a tank that "probably isn't cycled"??

This suggests a lack of patience. Get this under control! If not, your destined to fail in the hobby.

 

[Sharkbait19]

An option is that this is early stage velvet (which causes rapid breathing). This would also cause the fish to swim erratically and swim into the flow. Later on the fish will have a coating of white spots and quickly be killed by it.
That said, I don’t believe this is what you have (at the moment). The fish would already have started showing the other symptoms, but it’s something to look out for.
Ammonia is a common issue in new tanks, and will cause similar symptoms to what you see here. A large water change never hurts.
One thing you can do is try giving the fish a 5 minute freshwater dip, if it acts better afterwards it’s an indicator that there is disease in play.

 

[Bentheclownfishman]

Why would you add fish to a tank that "probably isn't cycled"??

This suggests a lack of patience. Get this under control! If not, your destined to fail in the hobby.

I was told it was cycled last week. Got the same levels this week as last.

 

[Bentheclownfishman]

An option is that this is early stage velvet (which causes rapid breathing). This would also cause the fish to swim erratically and swim into the flow. Later on the fish will have a coating of white spots and quickly be killed by it.
That said, I don’t believe this is what you have (at the moment). The fish would already have started showing the other symptoms, but it’s something to look out for.
Ammonia is a common issue in new tanks, and will cause similar symptoms to what you see here. A large water change never hurts.
One thing you can do is try giving the fish a 5 minute freshwater dip, if it acts better afterwards it’s an indicator that there is disease in play.

I moved the wave maker back to where I had it before and now they are swimming around. They were staying in that corner so maybe it’s due to the wave maker. Not sure. Still rapid breathing, but we shall see I guess.

 

[Gtinnel]

I wouldn’t worry about clown fish staying in one little section of the tank. Its not uncommon that they behave strangely in that regard. I’ve had my clownsfish for several years and I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in the left side of my tank.

 

[Bentheclownfishman]

I wouldn’t put too much thought into clown fish staying in one little section of the tank. It not uncommon that they behave strangely in that regard. I’ve had my clownsfish for several years and I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in the left side of my tank.

Yeah they are odd. The other night I noticed they were sleeping sideways near the surface. Apparently that’s normal. Also the one was having seizures and read that was normal. WEIRD. They never fail to interest me.