Blue tang breathing fast

[littlefoxx]

So my blue tang I posted about (the one with the beat up fins and lots of dents/scars) started hiding and breathing super fast. He is eating but only if the food comes near the crack he hides in. He has been with me a week. Been doing this for 2 days now. Attached a picture of him when I first got him for reference to the marks.

 

[vetteguy53081]

So my blue tang I posted about (the one with the beat up fins and lots of dents/scars) started hiding and breathing super fast. He is eating but only if the food comes near the crack he hides in. He has been with me a week. Been doing this for 2 days now. Attached a picture of him when I first got him for reference to the marks.

View attachment 3046822

Any behaviors like flashing or occasionally darting?
Gasping at surface?
What is current ammonia and nitrate level?
Hiding between rocks or corner ?

 

[littlefoxx]

Any behaviors like flashing or occasionally darting?
Gasping at surface?
What is current ammonia and nitrate level?
Hiding between rocks or corner ?

He is hiding between rocks and on his side. No darting or flashing. I think the issue is water quality. Just tested it and ammonia and nitrites are super high. I used a red sea test kit last night and everything was normal but then l used a different test I got from my LFS and a completely different result, I dont know if I messed the red sea test kit up somehow or not, but everything read 0 on that but its off the charts with this other test. Its a 32 biocube, how much water should I change to combat this?

 

[threebuoys]

What test kit are you using? The tank appears to be established so I assume it was cycled.

The photo and video are too blurry and do not show enough of the fish to be helpful in diagnosis.

I'm not sure what the original diagnosis was. Battered and torn fins certainly sounds like aggression at some point but not enough info to know if that was confirmed. Certainly stress will cause a fish to hide and often breathe rapidly. But many other reasons could cause the same behavior

 

[vetteguy53081]

He is hiding between rocks and on his side. No darting or flashing. I think the issue is water quality. Just tested it and ammonia and nitrites are super high. I used a red sea test kit last night and everything was normal but then l used a different test I got from my LFS and a completely different result, I dont know if I messed the red sea test kit up somehow or not, but everything read 0 on that but its off the charts with this other test. Its a 32 biocube, how much water should I change to combat this?

I suspected water as an issue. Change 15-20% and then change 1-2 gals every other day for 2 weeks and tank should balance out. I would not recommend adding chemicals which wont do much

 

[Jay Hemdal]

What actual readings have you been getting for ammonia?
Are the other fish symptom free?

Jay

 

[littlefoxx]

What actual readings have you been getting for ammonia?
Are the other fish symptom free?

Jay

Ammonia is 0.6
Nitrite 0.1
Nitrate 5

This is after a 10 gallon water change (32 total gallons).

Domino my clown seems to be doing fine, she is just doing her usual up and down clown swim.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Ammonia is 0.6
Nitrite 0.1
Nitrate 5

This is after a 10 gallon water change (32 total gallons).

Domino my clown seems to be doing fine, she is just doing her usual up and down clown swim.

That level of ammonia can be tough on fish long term or at a high pH. I prefer to see a level below 0.25 ppm
Jay

 

[littlefoxx]

That level of ammonia can be tough on fish long term or at a high pH. I prefer to see a level below 0.25 ppm
Jay

Yeah Im about to do a 5 gallon water change to get it down lower number. Do you think this is a good idea?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yeah Im about to do a 5 gallon water change to get it down lower number. Do you think this is a good idea?

This may not be the root cause of the issue, but getting the ammonia Nader control will help.
Jay

 

[littlefoxx]

This may not be the root cause of the issue, but getting the ammonia Nader control will help.
Jay

What is that? And he is still laying on his side in the cave and breathing fast. My clown seems fine, but her male has been MIA for a few days now. I have a QT tank set up that has the survivors from my DT velvet outbreak, but its a 10 gallon with a baby engineer goby, yellow watchmen, filefish and firefish. Should I try moving him there? I dont want to do too many things at once and stress him further

 

[vetteguy53081]

What is that? And he is still laying on his side in the cave and breathing fast. My clown seems fine, but her male has been MIA for a few days now. I have a QT tank set up that has the survivors from my DT velvet outbreak, but its a 10 gallon with a baby engineer goby, yellow watchmen, filefish and firefish. Should I try moving him there? I dont want to do too many things at once and stress him further

He meant UNDER control.
Is the QT currently medicated? If so, you can and if not already add air stone for added oxygen.
How are you testing ammonia?

 

[littlefoxx]

He meant UNDER control.
Is the QT currently medicated? If so, you can and if not already add air stone for added oxygen.
How are you testing ammonia?

Fluval test kit is what I have been using. I have red sea but that read 0 but then the Fluval read very high (way above 0.6), so lm not sure if l did the red sea wrong but l stuck with the one I was familiar with after that. And yes the QT is medicated

 

[vetteguy53081]

Fluval test kit is what I have been using. I have red sea but that read 0 but then the Fluval read very high (way above 0.6), so lm not sure if l did the red sea wrong but l stuck with the one I was familiar with after that. And yes the QT is medicated

May not hurt to take a water sample to a store that does not use api kits and see what reading they get and will give a clue which kit may be more true to your readings

 

[littlefoxx]

May not hurt to take a water sample to a store that does not use api kits and see what reading they get and will give a clue which kit may be more true to your readings

My LFS uses the same test kit I have. He is now darting his side against a rock and breathing very heavy

 

[vetteguy53081]

My LFS uses the same test kit I have. He is now darting his side against a rock and breathing very heavy

Very much associated with flukes.

 

[Rmckoy]

Although hiding between rocks is normal when threatened or sleeping . Damaged fins or flashing is not normal . I’d follow jay and vetteguy recommendations for best treatment

every blue tang I’ve had always slept between the rocks on its side .
but is generally very active especially when food is added .
What size tank is he going into after quarantine ?
I would strongly suggest a larger tank for a blue tang . 32 gals is far too small for long term

 

[littlefoxx]

Although hiding between rocks is normal when threatened or sleeping . Damaged fins or flashing is not normal . I’d follow jay and vetteguy recommendations for best treatment

every blue tang I’ve had always slept between the rocks on its side .
but is generally very active especially when food is added .
What size tank is he going into after quarantine ?
I would strongly suggest a larger tank for a blue tang . 32 gals is far too small for long term

He is going to go in a 70 gallon with a upgrade to a 180 or 200 in November/December of this year.

 

[vetteguy53081]

He is hiding between rocks and on his side. No darting or flashing. I think the issue is water quality. Just tested it and ammonia and nitrites are super high. I used a red sea test kit last night and everything was normal but then l used a different test I got from my LFS and a completely different result, I dont know if I messed the red sea test kit up somehow or not, but everything read 0 on that but its off the charts with this other test. Its a 32 biocube, how much water should I change to combat this?

Yes, that will do it. Water change and even a 1 gallon water change daily will help after initial water change of 5-10 gallons. Biocubes have some what limited filtration and would not hurt to add a compact protein skimmer such as IceCap K1-50 (coralvue.com) which will remove inorganics, proteins and increase oxygen