Filefish breathing rapidly?

[StacyMarie]

Hello! I have a filefish that I think is breathing too fast/hard. Both times I fed the tank today his behavior seemed a bit off. He ate but didn’t stay at the surface the whole time which was weird. And his swimming just is different as well. He usually is super active and fast swimming around and nipping at algae on my fake plants but has been a bit more subdued. Not any rubbing or thrashing or anything just more mellow. And that’s when I noticed tonight he really seemed to be breathing quickly. I feel like his little gills are always going pretty fast but this combined with the slightly off behavior has me a little worried. I tested the tank and everything was normal. The only thing that I can think is that my temperature was a bit higher than normal tonight. The tank usually sits at 78-80 and tonight it was 80.4. I don’t have a heater, I live in florida and the ac keeps the temp pretty steady, as well as it’s a biocube so it runs pretty warm. The tank is fairly new, started in January. He was my first fish also in January (after cycle with Dr. Tim’s). I have the coralife protein skimmer and uv sterilizer and use the in tank filter with filter pad/floss carbon and bio media. It’s a fish only tank with fake decor. Any thoughts? (Also I can’t ever get the ammonia test color to look right in the photo… to my eye it’s the closest color to the 0ppm)

 

[StacyMarie]

I don’t think the videos are showing here are YouTube links that hopefully work. Also I forgot to say that my other fish seem totally normal. It’s a 32 biocube I have two clowns and Royal gramma and the filefish along with some snails and a hermit crab.

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m.youtube.com

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m.youtube.com

 

[vetteguy53081]

Im having a hard time telling if the fish has anything as There is so much micro bubbles or sediment in the video.
80.3 should not distress it. Possibility is gill flukes. Any loss of appetite?
To eliminate temperature as an issue, you can take about 4-6 zip lock bags and freeze them. Take one and place in sump and allow it to melt. Temperature will come down in the process. Place melted bag in freezer and place another in sump and keep rotating the melted with frozen until desired temp. See if behavior changes in filefish as tank temperature drops.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yes, +1, the filefish seems to be breathing too fast. I don't think the temperature had anything to do with this. Gill flukes are the most likely cause given the time frame and lack of other symptoms. Still, I can see there is good water flow (given the particles in the water) but is their good aeration? The fish need bubbles breaking the water's surface. My Bio cube has a skimmer on it that serves that function, does yours?

You can treat for gill flukes fairly easily - using Prazipro and an extra air stone, you just dose it, wait 8 days, change 25% of the water and dose it again.

Jay

 

[StacyMarie]

Thank you both! Yes they are micro bubbles in the video. I’m sorry about that… I have really been struggling with my protein skimmer I feel like I’ve only had about 2 weeks where it isn’t either overflowing or with a bunch of micro bubbles. So Jay to answer your question most of the time they are breaking the surface I think. (I feel like the protein skimmer is the one piece of equipment I don’t really understand..) Also, for the fish treatment will API general cure suffice since it has praziquantel? And would I just follow the instructions for that medication if so? Also I’m assuming I should do this in a hospital tank? I don’t have corals in my display but I do have some snails and a hermit.
Thank you so much.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you both! Yes they are micro bubbles in the video. I’m sorry about that… I have really been struggling with my protein skimmer I feel like I’ve only had about 2 weeks where it isn’t either overflowing or with a bunch of micro bubbles. So Jay to answer your question most of the time they are breaking the surface I think. (I feel like the protein skimmer is the one piece of equipment I don’t really understand..) Also, for the fish treatment will API general cure suffice since it has praziquantel? And would I just follow the instructions for that medication if so? Also I’m assuming I should do this in a hospital tank? I don’t have corals in my display but I do have some snails and a hermit.
Thank you so much.

general cure should work but is a broad treatment and Prazi will address flukes and worms. In this instance, its the best treatment. As for test kits, they are notorious for false reading and hanna and Salifert brands are best. To see how your tests are reading- take a water sample to a store that does NOT use Api kits and have them test your ammonia and nitrates and compare readings- then you'll know where your levels truly are at
For PraziPro treatment, dose at 85% of recommended and apply initial dosage known as an interval for 8 days, do a water change and do one more 8 day dose interval
Use airstone with prazi as it does reduce both oxygen and appetite

For skimmer, assure its in the water and not too high making it suck air and create micro bubbles - What skimmer are you using?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

G

Thank you both! Yes they are micro bubbles in the video. I’m sorry about that… I have really been struggling with my protein skimmer I feel like I’ve only had about 2 weeks where it isn’t either overflowing or with a bunch of micro bubbles. So Jay to answer your question most of the time they are breaking the surface I think. (I feel like the protein skimmer is the one piece of equipment I don’t really understand..) Also, for the fish treatment will API general cure suffice since it has praziquantel? And would I just follow the instructions for that medication if so? Also I’m assuming I should do this in a hospital tank? I don’t have corals in my display but I do have some snails and a hermit.
Thank you so much.

General Cure is not really invertebrate safe, but Prazipro is….the benefit in that is not having to move all of the fish out to treat them like you would with GC.
To dose Prazipro, run your skimmer, but don’t collect the skimmate. Dose once, then 8 days later do a 25% water change and dose a second time. Three days after that do a 25% water change and start collecting skimmate again.
Jay

 

[StacyMarie]

general cure should work but is a broad treatment and Prazi will address flukes and worms. In this instance, its the best treatment. As for test kits, they are notorious for false reading and hanna and Salifert brands are best. To see how your tests are reading- take a water sample to a store that does NOT use Api kits and have them test your ammonia and nitrates and compare readings- then you'll know where your levels truly are at
For PraziPro treatment, dose at 85% of recommended and apply initial dosage known as an interval for 8 days, do a water change and do one more 8 day dose interval
Use airstone with prazi as it does reduce both oxygen and appetite

For skimmer, assure its in the water and not too high making it suck air and create micro bubbles - What skimmer are you using?

Thank you! I am using the coral life skimmer

 

[StacyMarie]

G

General Cure is not really invertebrate safe, but Prazipro is….the benefit in that is not having to move all of the fish out to treat them like you would with GC.
To dose Prazipro, run your skimmer, but don’t collect the skimmate. Dose once, then 8 days later do a 25% water change and dose a second time. Three days after that do a 25% water change and start collecting skimmate again.
Jay

Thank you, I’ll definitely get my hands on prazipro then. And I’m sorry what does it mean to not collect the skimmate? Do I take the lid off, or the whole top cup?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Just take the entire lid and cup off and let the water bubble up and back into the tank.
Jay

 

[StacyMarie]

So I found him dead this morning yesterday/last night I definitely noticed more labored/quick breathing and weird behavior. Do you think the flukes or if it was another parasite had just been there too long or too imbedded that it killed him? I followed all the instructions, did about 80% dosage of prazipro and had an air stone.

Now I’m just a little worried about my other fish (two clowns and a royal gramma). They are all still normal/healthy. Do I continue to protocol with a water change and another dose in 8 days? Or should I do a water change now since I had a fish die? (I don’t think it was very long before he was taken out though)

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So I found him dead this morning yesterday/last night I definitely noticed more labored/quick breathing and weird behavior. Do you think the flukes or if it was another parasite had just been there too long or too imbedded that it killed him? I followed all the instructions, did about 80% dosage of prazipro and had an air stone.

Now I’m just a little worried about my other fish (two clowns and a royal gramma). They are all still normal/healthy. Do I continue to protocol with a water change and another dose in 8 days? Or should I do a water change now since I had a fish die? (I don’t think it was very long before he was taken out though)

Sorry...

I would continue the Prazi treatment, "In for a penny, in for a pound" as the saying goes. It won't hurt, and could help the remaining fish. If the issue wasn't fluke-related, the Prazi won't help of course.

Jay