Flame angel breathing heavy

wheel6251 · Sep 4, 2025

Hi everyone, we bought this very large flame angel from our local fish store about 60 days ago. He appeared very healthy when we got him. However, he has never been much of an eater. Scarce at best. We offer him the full gamet of options. He’s in QT, PH 8.2, Ammonia, nitrate,nitrite all 0. We put him through one round of Prazipro when we got him, then he just finished thirty days in copper. Tonight, we realized that he’s starting to breathe heavy. I’ve posted a video. Would love to hear any suggestions you may have. I am doing a water change and adding some cuprasorb to get the copper down so we can treat him with a medicine if that’s what will help him. TIA

vetteguy53081 · Sep 4, 2025

wheel6251 said:
Hi everyone, we bought this very large flame angel from our local fish store about 60 days ago. He appeared very healthy when we got him. However, he has never been much of an eater. Scarce at best. We offer him the full gamet of options. He’s in QT, PH 8.2, Ammonia, nitrate,nitrite all 0. We put him through one round of Prazipro when we got him, then he just finished thirty days in copper. Tonight, we realized that he’s starting to breathe heavy. I’ve posted a video. Would love to hear any suggestions you may have. I am doing a water change and adding some cuprasorb to get the copper down so we can treat him with a medicine if that’s what will help him. TIA

Video extremely short to fully see anything but upper fin is ragged suggesting possible aggression from another tank mate. Flukes is a possible suspect but cant say for sure . Some signs would be rapid breathing, loss of appetite, loss of color, swollen or red gills and hiding as examples.

Jay Hemdal · Sep 4, 2025

wheel6251 said:
Hi everyone, we bought this very large flame angel from our local fish store about 60 days ago. He appeared very healthy when we got him. However, he has never been much of an eater. Scarce at best. We offer him the full gamet of options. He’s in QT, PH 8.2, Ammonia, nitrate,nitrite all 0. We put him through one round of Prazipro when we got him, then he just finished thirty days in copper. Tonight, we realized that he’s starting to breathe heavy. I’ve posted a video. Would love to hear any suggestions you may have. I am doing a water change and adding some cuprasorb to get the copper down so we can treat him with a medicine if that’s what will help him. TIA

What copper product did you use and at what concentration?

A single prazi dose won’t permanently cure egg laying flukes, so that may be the issue here.