Sailfin Tang, Rapid breathing and flared gills...Help

[Acro maniac]

I have had this fish for 10+ years in a mixed reef. In Febuary I started a new tank 180g its in the build section of this forum. I had no issues with any fish during the transfer. Recently, about a week ago i noticed above average respirations. Today the fish was hiding in the back of the tank with gills flared as if to not let them close. Fish still looks healthy otherwise, good color, nice and thick, clear fins and eyes. He did come out for food but appetite is less than normal.
The system the fish is currently in has alot of aiptasia. I have been planning on breaking down this system and plumbing a 100 gal tub into a current running 90gal frag system this week, to seed new dry rock and house the existing fish. I do have a hospital tank i could setup and will work towards doing so as well.
Any ideas on diagnosing and treatment?? Thanks

 

[Billldg]

#reefsquad

@HotRocks
@4FordFamily

 

[HotRocks]

Have you added anything new recently without QT?

 

[Acro maniac]

Have you added anything new recently without QT?

No
2 anthias
1 chromis green
1 clown
1 royal gramma
All 10+ years old
1 orange shoulder tang 3years old
1 naso tang 2 years old
2 green chromis 1 year old
All introduced at the same time

 

[HotRocks]

No
2 anthias
1 chromis green
1 clown
1 royal gramma
All 10+ years old
1 orange shoulder tang 3years old
1 naso tang 2 years old
2 green chromis 1 year old
All introduced at the same time

What about any new corals? Or any inverts? Anything that was "wet" and came from another system?

 

[Acro maniac]

I have been only removing corals to prepare for breaking this system down and drying the rock out to eradicate aiptasia.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I'll add that your water is very cloudy. That could lead to heavy breathing due to lack of oxygen.

 

[Acro maniac]

I'll add that your water is very cloudy. That could lead to heavy breathing due to lack of oxygen.

Glass needs to be cleaned, i planned on draining this week. Last water change was 10 days ago

 

[Acro maniac]

Heres a front glass pic

 

[Big G]

With nothing new added or no changes in the tank, 10+ years is a long life for a fish. It could be nearing its end of life cycle. Sorry. Beautiful fish.

 

[Acro maniac]

With nothing new added or no changes in the tank, 10+ years is a long life for a fish. It could be nearing its end of life cycle. Sorry. Beautiful fish.

Is that normal the hyper breathing and overextended gill flaps at the end? I have had fish die after years of care and for me they would just get slower and slower over a week or so.

 

[Big G]

It varies with the species. But as in humans, breathing can become difficult near the end. Sounds like it has been a very healthy fish. Good on you to have kept such a beautiful fish for so many years when many struggle just to keep their fish alive in terms of months. Good job.
Methylene Blue would help the fish to transpire oxygen across the gills.

 

[Acro maniac]

It varies with the species. But as in humans, breathing can become difficult near the end. Sounds like it has been a very healthy fish. Good on you to have kept such a beautiful fish for so many years when many struggle just to keep their fish alive in terms of months. Good job.
Methylene Blue would help the fish to transpire oxygen across the gills.

Thanks for the response. Yes its been healthy the whole time other than an initial bout with ich on first arrival to my care along with the others that are 10+ years old. It had high respiration for that aswell. All others spent time in a quarantine tank prior to being introduced

 

[Big G]

Thanks for the response. Yes its been healthy the whole time other than an initial bout with ich on first arrival to my care along with the others that are 10+ years old. It had high respiration for that aswell. All others spent time in a quarantine tank prior to being introduced

Curious, did you treat the fish way back when in your QT prophylactially with copper and a dewormer like General Cure/Prazipro & metro?

 

[Acro maniac]

Curious, did you treat the fish way back when in your QT prophylactially with copper and a dewormer like General Cure/Prazipro & metro?

No never used copper. I actually beat the ich by raising magnesium levels and trying to keep as stress free environment

 

[Acro maniac]

So is old age the consensus?
Fish is eating better today. Just seems something is off

 

[Smo]

Are you sure you are not an ICH manager? I do not believe you can eradicate ICH simply by raising Mg. Could start killing off snails however.
Point being, your fish may have suffered an ICH flare up due to stress and now its immune system is fighting it back but it and all the other fish in your DT are infected.

 

[Acro maniac]

Are you sure you are not an ICH manager? I do not believe you can eradicate ICH simply by raising Mg. Could start killing off snails however.
Point being, your fish may have suffered an ICH flare up due to stress and now its immune system is fighting it back but it and all the other fish in your DT are infected.

Maybe your right, but I have had no signs of ich for the past 10 years and I have moved those fish to 2 other system and done 1 tank overhaul due to a crash. Also 1 house move. All with no signs of stress. All the fish with the exception of the royal gramma will eat from hand. They have all been healthy and seemingly stress free sence that time.

 

[Smo]

Have you added anything new to the tank that was wet and not quarantined, such as CUC, coral frags or live rock from someone else’s tank?

 

[Acro maniac]

Have you added anything new to the tank that was wet and not quarantined, such as CUC, coral frags or live rock from someone else’s tank?

Sorry I never saw the alert for your post I thiught this thread went to sleep.
The fish has been in a qt for a couple weeks or more. I was directed by a marine biologist to dose prazipro and metroplex. Currently there has been no change.
Also the fish has not had an appetite for a few weeks.
One thing observed is the thin retractable parts of the end of the gills are deteriorating. Also getting thin but color is still good