Hawkfish stopped eating after a year

[Kynzo]

Had a longnose hawkfish for about a year now with a clown in a 30 gallon. The hawk would always be the first to eat and always looking to eat.

Recently I noticed it had stopped eating and has been perching with no interest in food. The clown has always left the hawk alone so I don't believe it's stress.

The tank has been up for 3 years.

I also noticed the hawk has been breathing pretty heavily as well. I do have an hob filter so there is surface agitation so I'm not sure if it's from lack of oxygen.

I'm feeding LRS a couple times a day.

Any advice is appreciated, not sure how to go about this.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Had a longnose hawkfish for about a year now with a clown in a 30 gallon. The hawk would always be the first to eat and always looking to eat.

Recently I noticed it had stopped eating and has been perching with no interest in food. The clown has always left the hawk alone so I don't believe it's stress.

The tank has been up for 3 years.

I also noticed the hawk has been breathing pretty heavily as well. I do have an hob filter so there is surface agitation so I'm not sure if it's from lack of oxygen.

I'm feeding LRS a couple times a day.

Any advice is appreciated, not sure how to go about this.

Can you post a short video under white light?
The clown is showing no symptoms?
How long has the hawk gone without food?

Jay

 

[Uncle99]

How long in days has he not ate?
Any video?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Had a longnose hawkfish for about a year now with a clown in a 30 gallon. The hawk would always be the first to eat and always looking to eat.

Recently I noticed it had stopped eating and has been perching with no interest in food. The clown has always left the hawk alone so I don't believe it's stress.

The tank has been up for 3 years.

I also noticed the hawk has been breathing pretty heavily as well. I do have an hob filter so there is surface agitation so I'm not sure if it's from lack of oxygen.

I'm feeding LRS a couple times a day.

Any advice is appreciated, not sure how to go about this.

Pic is very dark blue and I can almost see the clown. The symptoms you mention suggest either velvet or Flukes with flukes as my prime suspect with the heavy breathing and loss of appetite minus other velvet signs. Unless a larger type, you wont see flukes however you can give the fish a 5 minute freshwater dip in the same temperature as display tank which will often dislodge flukes and offer the fish temporary relief.
Look on bottom of container for fw dip for what looks like circular like fish scales. if you see those- Flukes
If flukes, treatment will be Praziquantel which is PraziPro in a quarantine setting.

 

[Kynzo]

Can you post a short video under white light?
The clown is showing no symptoms?
How long has the hawk gone without food?

Jay

The clown is still acting normal and eating, yes.

The hawk hasn't eaten in maybe a week or a little over. I've only noticed and tried to target feed for like maybe 4 days now.

About a week ago I noticed the hawk didn't go right after the food I had put in.

 

[Kynzo]

How long in days has he not ate?
Any video?

Maybe a week or a little more. I can try and take a video, but home at the moment.

 

[Kynzo]

Pic is very dark blue and I can almost see the clown. The symptoms you mention suggest either velvet or Flukes with flukes as my prime suspect with the heavy breathing and loss of appetite minus other velvet signs. Unless a larger type, you wont see flukes however you can give the fish a 5 minute freshwater dip in the same temperature as display tank which will often dislodge flukes and offer the fish temporary relief.
Look on bottom of container for fw dip for what looks like circular like fish scales. if you see those- Flukes
If flukes, treatment will be Praziquantel which is PraziPro in a quarantine setting.

I'll try the dip. I haven't added anything to the tank other than emerald crab about a month ago. Would the flukes have come from them?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The clown is still acting normal and eating, yes.

The hawk hasn't eaten in maybe a week or a little over. I've only noticed and tried to target feed for like maybe 4 days now.

About a week ago I noticed the hawk didn't go right after the food I had put in.

Could be flukes, but also could be some internal issue. Flukes are the most treatable. Fish can have chronic flukes for many months before turning acute . Not the norm, but it does happen.
Jay

 

[Kynzo]

Could be flukes, but also could be some internal issue. Flukes are the most treatable. Fish can have chronic flukes for many months before turning acute . Not the norm, but it does happen.
Jay

I haven't added anything to the tank aside from some emerald crab like a month ago. Would those have transmitted the flukes?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I haven't added anything to the tank aside from some emerald crab like a month ago. Would those have transmitted the flukes?

Unlikely, but not impossible - depends a lot on the tank the crabs came from, if it had fish in it with egg laying flukes, then it is possible.
Jay

 

[Kynzo]

I did the dip and right after I put him back in he didn't look any better and just laid at the bottom the tank.

Didn't see anything in the bowl after the dip that resembled flukes.

Clown is normal and eating

 

[Kynzo]

Unlikely, but not impossible - depends a lot on the tank the crabs came from, if it had fish in it with egg laying flukes, then it is possible.
Jay

I didn't see flukes after a dip. Would you still recommend prazipro in a quarantine?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I didn't see flukes after a dip. Would you still recommend prazipro in a quarantine?

You can do Prazi or- General cure . I dont like recommending meds without symptoms or indicators.
IF flukes, some things you will notice are : rapid breathing, fish acting lethargic or swimming near the water surface, hiding in the corner of tank or behind rocks, loss of appetite, shaking its head, flashing/darting, develop clamped fins, , or scratching against objects. They may also exhibit what looks like yawning from gill irritation develop, cloudy eyes and loss of color .

 

[Seansea]

Whats your nitrates at? WIth a hob the back filter they can produce some nitrates unless you got something removing them like a refugium or algae scrubber. Your corals look normal?

 

[Kynzo]

You can do Prazi or- General cure . I dont like recommending meds without symptoms or indicators.
IF flukes, some things you will notice are : rapid breathing, fish acting lethargic or swimming near the water surface, hiding in the corner of tank or behind rocks, loss of appetite, shaking its head, flashing/darting, develop clamped fins, , or scratching against objects. They may also exhibit what looks like yawning from gill irritation develop, cloudy eyes and loss of color .

I was able to get a closer look and his gills look red and definitely inflamed. I dosed general cure in a quarantine but I think it's too late unfortunately

 

[Kynzo]

Whats your nitrates at? WIth a hob the back filter they can produce some nitrates unless you got something removing them like a refugium or algae scrubber. Your corals look normal?

Not sure, I ran out of reagent this past month but they were around 10-20ppm. Corals are normal as well

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I didn't see flukes after a dip. Would you still recommend prazipro in a quarantine?

You won’t see gill flukes without a microscope, but a FW dip should help with the breathing rate after about 24 hours if it is flukes. If not, then it is something else. Flukes are just the most easily treated thing that causes rapid breathing in just some fish on a group.
Jay

 

[Uncle99]

Maybe a week or a little more. I can try and take a video, but home at the moment.

The fish had been well for a year.
Good, then bad, disease, always the potential.
Could he have been loser in a argument?
Any damage to the snout?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I was able to get a closer look and his gills look red and definitely inflamed. I dosed general cure in a quarantine but I think it's too late unfortunately

Red gills are a sure sign Sad to hear it is weakened.

 

[Kynzo]

Red gills are a sure sign Sad to hear it is weakened.

I appreciate your experience and help. Will try and take this info info the future to prevent another loss