Hippo Tang issue?

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Fish is eating well. I’ll try to provide a photo later tonight.

Make sure the pic is under white, not blue lights. Sometimes, a video tells us more.

 

[himynameis]

Make sure the pic is under white, not blue lights. Sometimes, a video tells us more.

I haven’t been able to get a good video or photo this time around.

Looks like the blenny is improving though, I still see small raised areas where I last saw white specks, but they look like they’re starting to fade away and only visible at the perfect angle. And he looks to have not been scratching or twitching anymore, as I observed for a good amount of time. Will keep updating as time progresses or if I have more questions.

 

[himynameis]

Things look good so far. Is it normal to see my rocks start to get white? I assume this is due to algae die off, due to the low salinity.

Should I still be doing any water changes throughout the process or only if I see any issues? (Ammonia/instability)

 

[himynameis]

Additionally, my hippo tang looks much better overall, but I am still noticing what I think is rapid breathing. See video. Basically always like that, I haven’t noticed a change in the breathing in weeks. Is this just normal @Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081 ?

I have continued running my skimmer, and an extra bubbler for aeration since the beginning of this thread. I have not noticed rapid breathing in any of the other fish.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Things look good so far. Is it normal to see my rocks start to get white? I assume this is due to algae die off, due to the low salinity.

Should I still be doing any water changes throughout the process or only if I see any issues? (Ammonia/instability)

Yes on rocks

 

[vetteguy53081]

Additionally, my hippo tang looks much better overall, but I am still noticing what I think is rapid breathing. See video. Basically always like that, I haven’t noticed a change in the breathing in weeks. Is this just normal @Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081 ?

I have continued running my skimmer, and an extra bubbler for aeration since the beginning of this thread. I have not noticed rapid breathing in any of the other fish.

Breathing now I can see other than my phone is a little rapid
Is fish eating yet?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Additionally, my hippo tang looks much better overall, but I am still noticing what I think is rapid breathing. See video. Basically always like that, I haven’t noticed a change in the breathing in weeks. Is this just normal @Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081 ?

I have continued running my skimmer, and an extra bubbler for aeration since the beginning of this thread. I have not noticed rapid breathing in any of the other fish.

Yes - it is breathing really fast and shallow. The low salinity would have dealt with gill flukes by now. Have you tested the ammonia?

 

[himynameis]

@vetteguy53081 all fish have been eating plenty lately, no issues with appetite loss that I have noticed. Im feeding a mix of dry (TDO chromaboost, hikari marine herbivore, nyos true algae, new life spectrum, new life spectrum Thera+A) and frozen (hikari bio pure mysis), 3x daily, soaking in selcon once a day. Plus half sheet of garlic soaked nori about every other day.

@Jay Hemdal First few days after dropping salinity I checked daily and never showed any ammonia. Checked this morning, still zero ammonia. Using Red Sea Marine Care test kit.

 

[himynameis]

Would high-ish po4 play a role? Measured .54ppm po4 and 9.5ppm no3 today. I haven’t seen my phosphates this high before, probably due to the heavier feeding lately.

 

[vetteguy53081]

@vetteguy53081 all fish have been eating plenty lately, no issues with appetite loss that I have noticed. Im feeding a mix of dry (TDO chromaboost, hikari marine herbivore, nyos true algae, new life spectrum, new life spectrum Thera+A) and frozen (hikari bio pure mysis), 3x daily, soaking in selcon once a day. Plus half sheet of garlic soaked nori about every other day.

@Jay Hemdal First few days after dropping salinity I checked daily and never showed any ammonia. Checked this morning, still zero ammonia. Using Red Sea Marine Care test kit.

For an assurance, while Red Sea kits are good, they are tricky to read. Take a water sample to a store that does NOT use Api kits and have them test your ammonia and nitrates and compare readings- then you'll know where your levels truly are at

 

[himynameis]

For an assurance, while Red Sea kits are good, they are tricky to read. Take a water sample to a store that does NOT use Api kits and have them test your ammonia and nitrates and compare readings- then you'll know where your levels truly are at

OK I’ll try that tomorrow.

I check my nitrates, phosphates, and alkalinity, with Hanna checkers. So far haven’t seen anything crazy with those, relatively reliable.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Would high-ish po4 play a role? Measured .54ppm po4 and 9.5ppm no3 today. I haven’t seen my phosphates this high before, probably due to the heavier feeding lately.

Phosphate won't cause this, but what about lack of aeration? I looked at the video again and I got a brief glimpse of the yellow tang and it may be breathing too fast also. What source of aeration does the tank have?

 

[himynameis]

Phosphate won't cause this, but what about lack of aeration? I looked at the video again and I got a brief glimpse of the yellow tang and it may be breathing too fast also. What source of aeration does the tank have?

Sump has a skimmer running constantly, and also an aerator. Display has surface agitation from a gyre pump and return pump. I have two more Wavemakers I plan to install but have not yet, maybe I can add them and see if it makes any changes.

Yellow tang doesn’t seem to be breathing fast or heavy to me.

 

[himynameis]

System looking pretty good. Today is the 30 day mark since last visible symptoms of any spots or visible sickness. I’ll start raising salinity slowly. Hopefully all goes well.

Thanks again @Jay Hemdal and @vetteguy53081 for the help!