Hello. My cardinalfish just died today with all symptoms occurring in less than 24 hours. I have two clowns and one cardinal fish. These fish have been with be for two months at this point (we had a weird start). Sorry in advance for the novel, just wanted whoever was kind enough to help all the information.
I guess what I am just looking for here is some advice or thoughts on how I handled it, what was really wrong and what I could do better. I absolutely HATE losing fish because of me missing something or not paying as much attention as I should have. I am devastated that we got this far (through observed QT, then in the DT for 3 days, then back to QT for brook, then copper to QT properly and now this) and I lost him. I am determined to get better and not let it happen again.
Timeline before:
Symptoms:
At that point in the day, I suspect it could be ammonia poisoning because of the un-cycled tank and the feeding. Plus the labored breathing and lethargy that online research said could be from ammonia poisoning. I dosed prime before I thought to measure ammonia so I don't actually know how much was in there. Clownfish seem fine if not a little lack of appetite for 50% of feedings so I am not sure. One feeding they will eat plenty and the next nothing at all. Clowns had no lethargy or labored breathing from what I can tell.
What I did when I noticed symptoms (in order):
I sanitized everything from the old 20gal QT this morning before all this happened and will be moving the clowns and filter media back to it tomorrow. I have not treated for any parasites, but I will if you suggest I need to. I will keep a close eye on the clowns for similar symptoms. I will lower the feedings to 2 per day and up the water changes.
I guess what I am just looking for here is some advice or thoughts on how I handled it, what was really wrong and what I could do better. I absolutely HATE losing fish because of me missing something or not paying as much attention as I should have. I am devastated that we got this far (through observed QT, then in the DT for 3 days, then back to QT for brook, then copper to QT properly and now this) and I lost him. I am determined to get better and not let it happen again.
Timeline before:
- Last Saturday set up 10gal and 3-4x dosed with bio-spira. 10gal had heater, sponge filter, a media bag of matrix and a PVC pipe. Not cycled with DT media because DT was going fallow. No ammonia alert. No medications.
- Finished metro and copper QT on Monday (I did this with copper power at 2.3-2.4ppm for 14 days). Was in a 20gal cycled with DT media from before fish infected the DT. Should be clean of brook, ich and velvet from this.
- Moved to 10gal on Tuesday. Put in some more bio-spira.
- Fed as normal, if not probably a little heavily (yes I realize this was stupid considering the non-cycled tank). They were eating fine. Fed 3-4 times a day alternating between LRS fish frenzy tiny bit cut up into little pieces and TDO pellets. Highest fed day was yesterday at 5 times since they were eating it. Some food was always dropping to the bottom of the tank.
- No water changes since Tuesday when they were moved into the 10gal
Symptoms:
- Lack of appetite this morning around 8am. Was fine last night. Maybe ate 1-2 pieces this morning but usually eats way more.
- Lethargy. First was just a little slower around 10am. Then husband noticed fish laying on the bottom of the tank upright at 12pm and then eventually on its side by the time I got home around 12:30.
- Very labored breathing. Heavy breaths at first then turned into quicker breaths near the end. (here is a link to video that my husband took at 12pm today)
- NO red gills (or at least I didn't see any red but it was hard because of the black and grey coloring)
At that point in the day, I suspect it could be ammonia poisoning because of the un-cycled tank and the feeding. Plus the labored breathing and lethargy that online research said could be from ammonia poisoning. I dosed prime before I thought to measure ammonia so I don't actually know how much was in there. Clownfish seem fine if not a little lack of appetite for 50% of feedings so I am not sure. One feeding they will eat plenty and the next nothing at all. Clowns had no lethargy or labored breathing from what I can tell.
What I did when I noticed symptoms (in order):
- Dose Prime (1.5x recommended dose)
- Water Change about 40% including vacuuming up the food at the bottom of the tank.
- Went out and bought methylene blue after research
- Did a bath in bucket for methylene blue at 1.5mL for 1.5 gallons per Humblefish recommendation (don't care if you agree with him or not, he is the only one that had something for ammonia burns). Was heated and aerated with airstone the entire bath. Fish was in there for 27 minutes.
- While it was in the bath I did another about 40% water change and dosed Stability and Stress Guard.
- Put back in tank and left to see if it would recover. It did not really show any signs of improvement.
- Died around 5pm.
I sanitized everything from the old 20gal QT this morning before all this happened and will be moving the clowns and filter media back to it tomorrow. I have not treated for any parasites, but I will if you suggest I need to. I will keep a close eye on the clowns for similar symptoms. I will lower the feedings to 2 per day and up the water changes.