Is my cowfish ok?

[coralcroucher05]

I got him on Friday threw divers den, so I have had him for about 5 full days now. The first 3 days he was acting Normal and eating. Yesterday he stopped eating as much as he used to and was moving very slowly, and today he is hanging out towards the bottom, and still hasn’t eaten today. When he does come up he seems to be swimming very quickly. He does seem to be breathing quite quickly. From what I can tell there are no white dots on him and no flukes, but he does seem to be in distress. I have done a water change, along with adding in my bubbler.

Tank perimeters:

• only have a Boxfish and cleaner shrimp in my tank
• Lighting: uv lights
• Tank has been established for 10 months
• 16 gallon tank
• Temp: 77.00 degrees Fahrenheit
• Salinity: 34.7
• Ammonia: 0

 

[coralcroucher05]

Also the fish has been putting its mouth on the glass, not like he’s eating algae off of it but like it sees its reflection and is trying to get to it.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Also the fish has been putting its mouth on the glass, not like he’s eating algae off of it but like it sees its reflection and is trying to get to it.

Lots of algae on your glass, and the curved glass makes it tough to see (grin). Can you try for a better video?
It *looks* like it is breathing way too fast though, and that is very serious. Good be gill disease or water quality issues. Adding the aeration is an important first step.
I think you can rule out shipping stress since the fish was doing well at first. That leaves gill disease as the most likely cause of this, and if it is, that is going to be tough to deal with.
I would let Divers Den know about this.
Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

Cow fish for years have been very challenging and even when eating soon shut down, eyes get sunken in and one day on the bottom listless.
Can’t open video on my phone. Work with Jay on this

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Cow fish for years have been very challenging and even when eating soon shut down, eyes get sunken in and one day on the bottom listless.
Can’t open video on my phone. Work with Jay on this

I really agree with this! If you look at the longevity of cowfish in aquariums, there are two main mortality events; within 30 days of acquiring them (probably due to disease) and then, a slower, less obvious mortality over the next year or so. Finding cowfish that have lived in aquariums for 1+ years is pretty rare!

Jay

 

[coralcroucher05]

Is gill disease always fatal? Is there anything I’m able to do to help the fish? It’s been a few hours and my Cowfish has started doing almost somersaults in the water and has been breathing heavily still. They seem very on edge but still have a lot of energy.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Is gill disease always fatal? Is there anything I’m able to do to help the fish? It’s been a few hours and my Cowfish has started doing almost somersaults in the water and has been breathing heavily still. They seem very on edge but still have a lot of energy.

Yes, gill diseases are usually fatal if untreated. It could also be a water quality issue, and those can be fatal if not corrected.

That the fish has been turning over is a very serious sign - it means it is moribund, close to death.

You say "They seem very on edge" Who is "they"?

Jay

 

[coralcroucher05]

What can I use to help treat gill disease?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

What can I use to help treat gill disease?

You say "They seem very on edge" Who is "they"? I'm trying to get a full picture of what is going on....

Jay

 

[coralcroucher05]

I was just referring to the Cowfish. Sorry for the confusion. The only things in the tank are my Cowfish, and a cleaner shrimp who is completely fine.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

You can start with a five minute freshwater dip to buy some time. Have you done on of those before? If not, here are some hints:

“Freshwater dips” are commonly used to dislodge parasites from the skin and gills of marine fishes. To perform these dips, the fish is captured and placed in a dimly lit container of clean freshwater the same temperature as the aquarium system it came from. Do not use reverse osmosis or deionized water, as there is no buffer capacity and the pH can drop too low. Dechlorinated tap water is suitable unless it is very acidic. The dip container should be covered with a clear material so that the fish is kept from jumping out, yet can still be observed for overt signs of stress. Hold the fish in the freshwater for five minutes. If acute stress is seen, the dip may need to be terminated early. The idea is to dislodge the parasites, without unduly harming the fish. Many aquarists opt to use reverse osmosis water, and adjust the pH to match the aquarium, but this is simply not necessary if the pH of the freshwater is between 7.5 and 8.5. Some advocate to not aerate the water during the dip, but this is incorrect. The water motion from air bubbles can help keep the fish active so that they can be better assessed for stress. Additionally, the air bubbles help dislodge some parasites during the dip process.

Some caveats:
1) Some fish will give extreme reactions to being dipped (hepatus tangs for example), as long as they were swimming well before the dip, it is best to ignore that behavior and continue for a full five minutes.
2) Moribund fish can be dipped, but understand that the acute stress from the dip may prove fatal. The dip water should still be checked for parasites in order to possibly help any remaining fish. Moribund would include any fish that was easy to capture or a fish with a respiration rate of 200+ BPM.
3) Choose the type of net wisely, some fish have spines that will become caught in the netting. Have a pair of scissors handy to cut the net if this happens.
4) Dropping a fish while moving it to and from the dip is common, take care. Some fish have venomous spines, so know that before trying to handle any fish.
5) Fish shaking their heads violently after capture is one cause of mechanical exophthalmos (popeye), so try to gently restrain them in the net while moving them.

Jay

 

[MnFish1]

Agree with @vetteguy53081 and @Jay Hemdal Hope he does ok.