Frogfish

[jordanrb]

My tuberculated frogfish is floating at the surface. He doesnt look bloated and I tried to burp and that doesnt seem to help.

Is there any other issues that can cause floating?

 

[BryanM]

#reefmedics

Now that they are tagged, they will want a video under white lights. Best bet is to upload that to youtube and post a link to that here.

 

[jordanrb]

#reefmedics

Now that they are tagged, they will want a video under white lights. Best bet is to upload that to youtube and post a link to that here.

Thank you. Attached here.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

#reefmedics

Now that they are tagged, they will want a video under white lights. Best bet is to upload that to youtube and post a link to that here.

Close there - it's #fishmedic

For the OP, some questions that help the medics determine what's wrong:

I'd suggest at a minimum posting the info suggested in the quote below, and if possible reading through the link below that (particularly the "Aquarium Parameters," "Water quality," and "In-depth Information" sections) to figure out what info you can share here with the #fishmedic to get the best diagnosis and treatment advice possible:

Please provide as much of the following as you are able:

• Brief description of the issue you are observing and answers to the following questions:
  • How long have you had the fish with the condition?
  • Did you quarantine with medication when you first acquired the fish? (If Yes, which medication?)
• Current water quality measurements
• Clear photos of the issue taken using WHITE light and/or a short video of any behaviors (post in your response or on YouTube).

If you can help us by providing as much of the above info as possible, it will make diagnosing and providing recommendations for treatment MUCH easier! The Fish Medic team will get back to you as quickly as possible. In the meantime, other members of our community may also share their experience with similar situations and advice that they may have regarding your situation.

You may also feel free to provide a more detailed description of the condition if you wish to share more info than the above list.

Some Helpful Hints When Posting or Responding to Threads in the Fish Disease Treatment and Diagnosis Section

Aquarium Fish Disease Problem Solving Determining the best course of action for a problem with your aquarium can be a difficult task. Even advanced aquarists will often need to seek the help of others for complicated or unique issues. Our intent here on Reef 2 Reef is to offer expert advice...

www.reef2reef.com

Also, for future reference (don't use it this time) with these sorts of issues, posting in the forum linked below can get you help faster:

Fish Disease Treatment and Diagnosis

A forum for discussing treatment and diagnosing saltwater reef fish.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[BryanM]

Oops, thanks for the correction!

 

[jordanrb]

Close there - it's #fishmedic

For the OP, some questions that help the medics determine what's wrong:

I've had the fish for 2 days. Was not floating after acclimation. It did not get air during transfer to main tank.

It started floating this morning. I did not feed it so also wouldn't have taken in air from feeding. I tried burping with no luck.

Water parameters are as follows:
Calcium 450
Magnesium 1350
Salinity 35
Alkalinity 8.0
Nitrates 20
Phosphates 0.05

Tank is 8 months old and parameters have been steady for a while.

 

[jordanrb]

Still floats to surface. Is able to gulp enough to propell down but looks like it gets tired and gives up to floats for a bit.

Any help?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Still floats to surface. Is able to gulp enough to propell down but looks like it gets tired and gives up to floats for a bit.

Any help?

Sorry, I was offline overnight.

This is a tough issue to correct. While it might have ingested air, it might also have a swim bladder inflation issue. It could also have bacterial decomposition from a previous meal producing gas in the gut.

I built a pressure chamber many years ago. I would put water and the affected fish in it a pressurize it to 1 atm, about 15 psi. This would relieve the symptoms. However, even after many hours, when I reduced the pressure the problem would always return.

Some people have resorted to drawing off the gas with a syringe. You need a fish anesthetic to do that. I’ve tried that close to a hundred times over the years, and in every case, the gas either returned, or I wasn’t able to extract it.

 

[jordanrb]

Sorry, I was offline overnight.

This is a tough issue to correct. While it might have ingested air, it might also have a swim bladder inflation issue. It could also have bacterial decomposition from a previous meal producing gas in the gut.

I built a pressure chamber many years ago. I would put water and the affected fish in it a pressurize it to 1 atm, about 15 psi. This would relieve the symptoms. However, even after many hours, when I reduced the pressure the problem would always return.

Some people have resorted to drawing off the gas with a syringe. You need a fish anesthetic to do that. I’ve tried that close to a hundred times over the years, and in every case, the gas either returned, or I wasn’t able to extract it.

No problem at all!

Would you say best option for now is to wait it out and see what happens?

It was at the supplier for about 3 weeks before I purchased it. It did seem ok on day one but the next morning is when it was noticeable.

I do not know what or when it was being fed.

 

[jordanrb]

Sorry, I was offline overnight.

This is a tough issue to correct. While it might have ingested air, it might also have a swim bladder inflation issue. It could also have bacterial decomposition from a previous meal producing gas in the gut.

I built a pressure chamber many years ago. I would put water and the affected fish in it a pressurize it to 1 atm, about 15 psi. This would relieve the symptoms. However, even after many hours, when I reduced the pressure the problem would always return.

Some people have resorted to drawing off the gas with a syringe. You need a fish anesthetic to do that. I’ve tried that close to a hundred times over the years, and in every case, the gas either returned, or I wasn’t able to extract it.

When burping a frogfish. How much pressure do I need to put on the stomach? I have tried burping a few times and the stomach went fairly flat but never seemed to help. It is a fairly small one so I dont want to press to hard.

I read it suggests to do it tail up. My thought it face up would allow any trapped air to release better.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

When burping a frogfish. How much pressure do I need to put on the stomach? I have tried burping a few times and the stomach went fairly flat but never seemed to help. It is a fairly small one so I dont want to press to hard.

I read it suggests to do it tail up. My thought it face up would allow any trapped air to release better.

I always burp fish tail down, with the head pointing to the surface.

 

[jordanrb]

I always burp fish tail down, with the head pointing to the surface.

Ok I will try again and see if anything changes.

Thank you

 

[jordanrb]

I always burp fish tail down, with the head pointing to the surface.

Still nothing. Would it be a bad idea to feed the fish as I do not know the last time it ate. It feels pretty empty when I press on its stomach to burp it.

It was at the supplier for about 3 weeks prior to me purchasing.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Still nothing. Would it be a bad idea to feed the fish as I do not know the last time it ate. It feels pretty empty when I press on its stomach to burp it.

It was at the supplier for about 3 weeks prior to me purchasing.

I know you want to do something to help the fish, but the medical phrase, "first, do no harm" comes to mind. I think force-feeding it would be too stressful. Then, if the gas is from food decomposition, the new food will just make things worse. Finally, to reduce stress, you would need to use a fish anesthetic when force-feeding it.

 

[jordanrb]

I know you want to do something to help the fish, but the medical phrase, "first, do no harm" comes to mind. I think force-feeding it would be too stressful. Then, if the gas is from food decomposition, the new food will just make things worse. Finally, to reduce stress, you would need to use a fish anesthetic when force-feeding it.

Ok that is completely understandable. Would you not recommend putting a few feeder fish with it to see if it chooses to eat?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Ok that is completely understandable. Would you not recommend putting a few feeder fish with it to see if it chooses to eat?

That’s a tough one - I doubt that it will feed on a free swimming feeder, but putting a live one on a broom straw or similar thin item might get it to feed. But then, the same question remains about adding more food to an already “sour” stomach (if that is even the case).