Fox face Breathing Rapidly, not swimming

danenelsen · Dec 15, 2023

Hello,

Two weeks ago I purchased a One Spot Foxface for my aquarium. He was doing well, eating, getting along with everyone, etc. but all the sudden, he stopped eating and isn’t active. I just went to check on him and he was suctioned on to the overflow. He is breathing very rapidly, but is no longer stuck. Water parameters are good, but I’m doing a water change anyways. Is there anything else I can do?

Lavey29 · Dec 15, 2023

Need better pics. Was the fish QT medicinally prior to adding to the tank? What other fish are in the tank and the tank size?

danenelsen · Dec 15, 2023

Lavey29 said:
Need better pics. Was the fish QT medicinally prior to adding to the tank? What other fish are in the tank and the tank size?

He is just laying on those back rocks so I can’t get a better pic at the moment, he was not QT prior to adding. The only other fish are two clowns and a Royal Gramma. Should I put him in a 5 gallon bucket with fresh water?

danenelsen · Dec 15, 2023

Here are some more pictures:

Lavey29 · Dec 15, 2023

danenelsen said:
He is just laying on those back rocks so I can’t get a better pic at the moment, he was not QT prior to adding. The only other fish are two clowns and a Royal Gramma. Should I put him in a 5 gallon bucket with fresh water?

You can try to isolate him in his own QT tank of 5g matched salinity with an airstone and a heater but if he is laying on his side not moving then the prognosis is grim.

What is your tank size and how old is the tank?

danenelsen · Dec 15, 2023

Lavey29 said:
You can try to isolate him in his own QT tank of 5g matched salinity with an airstone and a heater but if he is laying on his side not moving then the prognosis is grim.

What is your tank size and how old is the tank?

I relocated him, I don’t have an airstone on me, but I put a heater in. He looks as if he is trying to escape the water. Is this a sign of anything? My tank is a year old, and is 55 gallons.

Lavey29 · Dec 15, 2023

danenelsen said:
I relocated him, I don’t have an airstone on me, but I put a heater in. He looks as if he is trying to escape the water. Is this a sign of anything? My tank is a year old, and is 55 gallons.

well he needs something for flow to give 02 gas exchange in the small QT tank. You just need to make sure you have the tank prepped properly so ammonia doesn't spike and salintiy is correct. an HOB filtration can work or just daily water changes for ammonia. If you can put some existing media in there too like a rock or something from your sump to help put a little good bacteria there also.

danenelsen · Dec 15, 2023

Lavey29 said:
well he needs something for flow to give 02 gas exchange in the small QT tank. You just need to make sure you have the tank prepped properly so ammonia doesn't spike and salintiy is correct. an HOB filtration can work or just daily water changes for ammonia. If you can put some existing media in there too like a rock or something from your sump to help put a little good bacteria there also.

Okay, I’ll pick up an airstone from Petco today. Would you recommend treating the water with anything else?

danenelsen · Dec 15, 2023

He is now swimming in slow circles around the bucket, every minute or so, he’ll spend 10 seconds on his side, and then continues swimming

Jay Hemdal · Dec 15, 2023

danenelsen said:
Okay, I’ll pick up an airstone from Petco today. Would you recommend treating the water with anything else?

Is the foxface breathing rapidly? If you don't know, try posting a video and I can tell you.

I agree, the prognosis is poor - a fish that is weak enough to be trapped on a pump intake may be beyond help. the issue then becomes, did it bring an infectious disease into the tank?

Jay

Lavey29 · Dec 15, 2023

danenelsen said:
Okay, I’ll pick up an airstone from Petco today. Would you recommend treating the water with anything else?

Well if you properly prepared saltwater with RODI then your salinity should be fine but if you are going to be keeping the fish in there for multiple days you need to get it functioning with some basic inexpensive filtration and flow like a small circulation pump. Main thing is ammonia because it is not a cycled ready QT tank.

danenelsen · Dec 15, 2023

Jay Hemdal said:
Is the foxface breathing rapidly? If you don't know, try posting a video and I can tell you.

I agree, the prognosis is poor - a fish that is weak enough to be trapped on a pump intake may be beyond help. the issue then becomes, did it bring an infectious disease into the tank?

Jay

He is breathing rapidly , but it has appeared to have slowed a little since I found him.

danenelsen · Dec 15, 2023

Lavey29 said:
Well if you properly prepared saltwater with RODI then your salinity should be fine but if you are going to be keeping the fish in there for multiple days you need to get it functioning with some basic inexpensive filtration and flow like a small circulation pump. Main thing is ammonia because it is not a cycled ready QT tank.

Okay, I do have an extra small pump on hand. Should I add it?

Lavey29 · Dec 15, 2023

danenelsen said:
Okay, I do have an extra small pump on hand. Should I add it?

yes have it ripple the surface.

danenelsen · Dec 15, 2023

Lavey29 said:
yes have it ripple the surface

Okay, I just don’t want the current to be too strong for him…

Edit: He was stuck to where the water comes into the pump so I turned it off.

Lavey29 · Dec 15, 2023

danenelsen said:
Okay, I just don’t want the current to be too strong for him…

Edit: He was stuck to where the water comes into the pump so I turned it off.

you just need to have surface ripple for the QT for gas exchange so the fish can get 02. if he makes it through the night then maybe try some food soaked in selcon .

MnFish1 · Dec 15, 2023

Most of the time that healthy fish (i.e. no other problems) get sucked into things - is that they aren't really healthy. Did you QT the fish - is it a 'baby' - which would be more likely to be affected by current. I agree with what everyone else has said - I'll add - other fish in the same tank - if any - may come down with the same illness/problem

danenelsen · Dec 15, 2023

MnFish1 said:
Most of the time that healthy fish (i.e. no other problems) get sucked into things - is that they aren't really healthy. Did you QT the fish - is it a 'baby' - which would be more likely to be affected by current. I agree with what everyone else has said - I'll add - other fish in the same tank - if any - may come down with the same illness/problem

I did not QT the fish, and it is small, only around 2.5 inches.

MnFish1 · Dec 15, 2023

danenelsen said:
I did not QT the fish, and it is small, only around 2.5 inches.

So I will backtrack a bit (but only a bit) - on the possibility that the fish was just healthy, swimming around, and got sucked against. If so - I would consider an antibiotic treatment - in a hospital tank - in case of infection after a significant injury. I would be careful about putting a pump in that tank - instead an ayirstone (as someone else suggested). I would say neomycin or kanamycin - but in reality this could be almost anything - parasite or bacteria. Hope this helps. Sorry not to be more specific.