Sick Clownfish-Staying near surface breathing rapidly

[chad 1079]

HI There so I recently got a pair of clownfish for my 125 FOWLR tank from one of my LFS and the first day they seemed fine but by the next day they were spending all there time near the surface and seemed to be breathing rapidly. I noticed later that night that my rabbit fish was doing the same thing(again). I got the water tested(which I'm putting the results below) the LFS said they couldn't find anything in water that would cause the fish to act like that. Since I didn't see any visible signs on the fish I thought perhaps it was gill flukes, so I dosed it with Prazipro yesterday. So far it doesn't to be helping them though. I'm wondering could it be some other internal thing that causes the same symptoms that Prazipro doesn't treat ? Thanks !

 

[MnFish1]

Your magnesium is really low - and may be wrong. Probably not affecting your issue. Did you QT the fish? Breathing fast and being at the surface suggests either a gill problem - or a low O2 level in the tank. I'm assuming you have good oxygenation - especially with medication?

 

[chad 1079]

Your magnesium is really low - and may be wrong. Probably not affecting your issue. Did you QT the fish? Breathing fast and being at the surface suggests either a gill problem - or a low O2 level in the tank. I'm assuming you have good oxygenation - especially with medication?

Yeah , I've been trying to get the magnesium up. But it was explained to me that each time you add magnesium(seachem) it only add something like 5 ppm or something and mine needs to come up a couple hundred. SO I add it a few times a week but it's taking a while. I'm assuming so on the O2 question I have two Fluval 110's and a large airstone in the middle for extra circulation. Interestingly enough a guy at my local fish store the other day told me because I have glass tops on it and I keep them closed(except to feed them briefly) I might not be letting Co2 escape and that could be messing with the water? I've started cracking the lids open a little bit just in case he's right. Didn't QT b/c I was told these fish came from a breeder and that they have been in captivity a couple of years(plus I don't have a lot of fish in the tank now anyway).

 

[vetteguy53081]

HI There so I recently got a pair of clownfish for my 125 FOWLR tank from one of my LFS and the first day they seemed fine but by the next day they were spending all there time near the surface and seemed to be breathing rapidly. I noticed later that night that my rabbit fish was doing the same thing(again). I got the water tested(which I'm putting the results below) the LFS said they couldn't find anything in water that would cause the fish to act like that. Since I didn't see any visible signs on the fish I thought perhaps it was gill flukes, so I dosed it with Prazipro yesterday. So far it doesn't to be helping them though. I'm wondering could it be some other internal thing that causes the same symptoms that Prazipro doesn't treat ? Thanks !

Breathing at surface will be foul water, flukes or more velvet
Can’t open video
Can you post a YouTube video?

 

[chad 1079]

OK so I don't do upload alot on YouTube does this work? Also I'm trying to lower my phosphates so I've got Phosbond and those phosphate reducing pads in my filters . I've been told they don't remove medication but I just thought I'd mention it. Also how could the water be foul? What would cause that?


Thanks!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

OK so I don't do upload alot on YouTube does this work? Also I'm trying to lower my phosphates so I've got Phosbond and those phosphate reducing pads in my filters . I've been told they don't remove medication but I just thought I'd mention it. Also how could the water be foul? What would cause that?


Thanks!

Lots of mucus trapping bubbles at the surface of the tank, not sure what that’s about - any chance of a foreign chemical getting in there?

Are any invertebrates affected? If not, you should consider some gill disease if only the fish are affected.

Jay

 

[chad 1079]

Lots of mucus trapping bubbles at the surface of the tank, not sure what that’s about - any chance of a foreign chemical getting in there?

Are any invertebrates affected? If not, you should consider some gill disease if only the fish are affected.

Jay

Hey Jay Thanks for responding. Yes come to think of it there could be a chance of foreign chemicals in there. Sometimes I use Freebreeze in this room. I turn the fan off before spraying but the tank I'm having the issue with is only 6 feet from the closest chair. And there have been a few occasions when I have recently put hand sanitizer on and put my hands in the water. Not sure how bad that is though compared to the possible Freebreeze. If it's that would carbon remove it? If it's gill disease what would you recommend? I've had prazipro in for a week(put second dose in yesterday) doesn't seem to be working. I've got metroplex and Paraguard on hand.

 

[chad 1079]

Hey Jay Thanks for responding. Yes come to think of it there could be a chance of foreign chemicals in there. Sometimes I use Freebreeze in this room. I turn the fan off before spraying but the tank I'm having the issue with is only 6 feet from the closest chair. And there have been a few occasions when I have recently put hand sanitizer on and put my hands in the water. Not sure how bad that is though compared to the possible Freebreeze. If it's that would carbon remove it? If it's gill disease what would you recommend? I've had prazipro in for a week(put second dose in yesterday) doesn't seem to be working. I've got metroplex and Paraguard on hand.

Oh and the only inverts I currently have are some blue leg hermit crabs and they seem fine.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Oh and the only inverts I currently have are some blue leg hermit crabs and they seem fine.

I use invertebrate health as a proxy for if an issue is a fish disease or not. Trouble is, hermits are really tough, so this could still be a water quality issue, not a fish disease. In the video, I saw lots of white things floating around - last night on my phone I thought these were air bubbles, but this morning, I'm not so sure....are they bubbles?

Of the meds that you have, the most likely to help (after the second prazi dose) would be the metroplex.

Jay

 

[chad 1079]

I use invertebrate health as a proxy for if an issue is a fish disease or not. Trouble is, hermits are really tough, so this could still be a water quality issue, not a fish disease. In the video, I saw lots of white things floating around - last night on my phone I thought these were air bubbles, but this morning, I'm not so sure....are they bubbles?

Of the meds that you have, the most likely to help (after the second prazi dose) would be the metroplex.

Jay

Thanks Jay, I'm not sure I'll have to look again when I'm home. One thing I think this has convince me to do is to get a protein skimmer for the tank. I figure it can't hurt right ?