Clownfish Fast Breathing Help

[tpv]

Looking for some advice on what could be wrong with my Longfin Clownfish. We are on morning of day 3 of him fast breathing and no real appetite but still moving around. I don’t see anything physically wrong with him.

Time in tank - 2.5 weeks
Recent changes: 6 Chromis and 1 Royal Gramma added at 2 week mark; one Chromis recently died (I think my bigger Clown killed it as I seen her go after them a couple times and the other 5 are doing just fine)
Bad: I didn’t notice the dead Chromis until I had a pile of hermit crabs in one spot and the fish was basically gone.

Water parameters:
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 10 (had been at 2 up until now)
Ammonia - .1
pH - 8.6

 

[vetteguy53081]

Looking for some advice on what could be wrong with my Longfin Clownfish. We are on morning of day 3 of him fast breathing and no real appetite but still moving around. I don’t see anything physically wrong with him.

Time in tank - 2.5 weeks
Recent changes: 6 Chromis and 1 Royal Gramma added at 2 week mark; one Chromis recently died (I think my bigger Clown killed it as I seen her go after them a couple times and the other 5 are doing just fine)
Bad: I didn’t notice the dead Chromis until I had a pile of hermit crabs in one spot and the fish was basically gone.

Water parameters:
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 10 (had been at 2 up until now)
Ammonia - .1
pH - 8.6

Video is very short - Need at least 20 seconds and the container has many spots making it impossible to see the clown's ski. Heavy breathing is often water quality or disease.
Your ammonia level is high (you want < .025) and ignore nitrite which affects freshwater moreso and an indicator you are using API kits which can offer false readings. I suggest a large water change and clearer video of length and also taking 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

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Looking for some advice on what could be wrong with my Longfin Clownfish. We are on morning of day 3 of him fast breathing and no real appetite but still moving around. I don’t see anything physically wrong with him.

Time in tank - 2.5 weeks
Recent changes: 6 Chromis and 1 Royal Gramma added at 2 week mark; one Chromis recently died (I think my bigger Clown killed it as I seen her go after them a couple times and the other 5 are doing just fine)
Bad: I didn’t notice the dead Chromis until I had a pile of hermit crabs in one spot and the fish was basically gone.

Water parameters:
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 10 (had been at 2 up until now)
Ammonia - .1
pH - 8.6

The pH is really high, that makes the ammonia more poisonous to the fish, zero is the best reading for that.

However, if it was an ammonia problem, the other fish would be affected to the same degree.

I think this is a gill disease, but I can’t tell you which one. Most gill diseases are contagious, so watch the other fish.

Coppersafe in a treatment tank will control gill protozoans, a common cause of rapid breathing.

 

[MnFish1]

Video is very short - Need at least 20 seconds and the container has many spots making it impossible to see the clown's ski. Heavy breathing is often water quality or disease.
Your ammonia level is high (you want < .025) and ignore nitrite which affects freshwater moreso and an indicator you are using API kits which can offer false readings. I suggest a large water change and clearer video of length and also taking 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

Just for the OP - the API test kit does not measure anything that would give a result of 0.1 ppm (total ammonia). And - with an API total ammonia test kit the lowest ammonia is 0 followed by 0.25. Perhaps the OP made a typo, isn't using an API kit - or could (I guess) be using an alert badge (which measures free ammonia) but 0.1 also does not fit this. I didn't see Jay's post - until I wrote this one, some fish are more sensitive than others - but agree that it's unlikely to be an ammonia issue. It would be nice to know what kit you're using though

 

[tpv]

Video is very short - Need at least 20 seconds and the container has many spots making it impossible to see the clown's ski. Heavy breathing is often water quality or disease.
Your ammonia level is high (you want < .025) and ignore nitrite which affects freshwater moreso and an indicator you are using API kits which can offer false readings. I suggest a large water change and clearer video of length and also taking 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

Here’s a longer video. Also .1 is too high for ammonia?

Just for the OP - the API test kit does not measure anything that would give a result of 0.1 ppm (total ammonia). And - with an API total ammonia test kit the lowest ammonia is 0 followed by 0.25. Perhaps the OP made a typo, isn't using an API kit - or could (I guess) be using an alert badge (which measures free ammonia) but 0.1 also does not fit this. I didn't see Jay's post - until I wrote this one, some fish are more sensitive than others - but agree that it's unlikely to be an ammonia issue. It would be nice to know what kit you're using though

I took a guess on the .1 I’m using a red sea test kit and their scale is 0-.2 the color of the test wasn’t really .2 and so I guesstimated at .1 based on the color of the test

 

[MnFish1]

Here’s a longer video. Also .1 is too high for ammonia?

I took a guess on the .1 I’m using a red sea test kit and their scale is 0-.2 the color of the test wasn’t really .2 and so I guesstimated at .1 based on the color of the test

Thanks - and 0.1 is not too high for total ammonia. I don't see the new video?

 

[tpv]

Video is very short - Need at least 20 seconds and the container has many spots making it impossible to see the clown's ski. Heavy breathing is often water quality or disease.
Your ammonia level is high (you want < .025) and ignore nitrite which affects freshwater moreso and an indicator you are using API kits which can offer false readings. I suggest a large water change and clearer video of length and also taking 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

Looking for some advice on what could be wrong with my Longfin Clownfish. We are on morning of day 3 of him fast breathing and no real appetite but still moving around. I don’t see anything physically wrong with him.

Time in tank - 2.5 weeks
Recent changes: 6 Chromis and 1 Royal Gramma added at 2 week mark; one Chromis recently died (I think my bigger Clown killed it as I seen her go after them a couple times and the other 5 are doing just fine)
Bad: I didn’t notice the dead Chromis until I had a pile of hermit crabs in one spot and the fish was basically gone.

Water parameters:
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 10 (had been at 2 up until now)
Ammonia - .1
pH - 8.6

 

[tpv]

Thanks - and 0.1 is not too high for total ammonia. I don't see the new video?

just posted!

 

[MnFish1]

just posted!

Correct - I can't see it - its best to post a YouTube video link if at all possible?

PS - It would be doubtful that an ammonia issue would still be an issue at day 3. Unless there was some event (over feeding, a dead fish left in the tank for a while, etc).

 

[tpv]

Correct - I can't see it - its best to post a YouTube video link if at all possible?

PS - It would be doubtful that an ammonia issue would still be an issue at day 3. Unless there was some event (over feeding, a dead fish left in the tank for a while, etc).

The one fish died but within a day the hermit crabs already ate it all.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you for video. I do not see signs of disease and other clown appears active. Please change water for starters and yes .1 ammonia IS elevated as recommended is .025 or below. If you are not utilizing air stone, add one if possible. Tank looks awfully clean and may experience as Jay mentioned high Ph leading to the higher ammonia and even spikes with a newer tank.
Is this a reef ready tank or a standard tank with a hang on filter which I suspect?

 

[tpv]

Thank you for video. I do not see signs of disease and other clown appears active. Please change water for starters and yes .1 ammonia IS elevated as recommended is .025 or below. If you are not utilizing air stone, add one if possible. Tank looks awfully clean and may experience as Jay mentioned high Ph leading to the higher ammonia and even spikes with a newer tank.
Is this a reef ready tank or a standard tank with a hang on filter which I suspect?

I'm going to do a 30% water change right now. And to answer your question the tank is setup on two FX6 canister filters (I know not the best setup and sumps are preferred, however this is my first tank so it's a learning curve).

Unfortunately I just got a good look at the side of the fish. Last night there was no physical signs of anything but I just snapped a couple pictures of him and I believe it may be fin rot? See the before pics when I first got him vs what I just took

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm going to do a 30% water change right now. And to answer your question the tank is setup on two FX6 canister filters (I know not the best setup and sumps are preferred, however this is my first tank so it's a learning curve).

Unfortunately I just got a good look at the side of the fish. Last night there was no physical signs of anything but I just snapped a couple pictures of him and I believe it may be fin rot? See the before pics when I first got him vs what I just took

May also be aggression. What also is your nitrate level?
The canisters are capable of running tank however, they can quickly clog due to the small surface area and allow ammonia and nitrate to increase. As with another tank yesterday, Canister has capability to accumulate biological surface, due to need for regular cleaning and changes and tank is lacking biological and chemical filtration. The canister is a mechanical unit and you want to have mechanical , biological and chemical to manage proper water quality. The aquaclear will polish water and trap particles via the cartridge.
Chemical is what traps and breaks down chemical compounds such as feces and uneaten food often accomplished carbon and GFO
Biological is what utilizes the natural process of biological filtration such as use of ceramic nuggets, bio blocks, and microscopic bacteria surfaces as examples. Best it to add or use a hang on refugium such as Reef octopus or AquaMaxx unit and even add a hang on skimmer such as ice cap K1- or K2 100

 

[tpv]

May also be aggression. What also is your nitrate level?
The canisters are capable of running tank however, they can quickly clog due to the small surface area and allow ammonia and nitrate to increase. As with another tank yesterday, Canister has capability to accumulate biological surface, due to need for regular cleaning and changes and tank is lacking biological and chemical filtration. The canister is a mechanical unit and you want to have mechanical , biological and chemical to manage proper water quality. The aquaclear will polish water and trap particles via the cartridge.
Chemical is what traps and breaks down chemical compounds such as feces and uneaten food often accomplished carbon and GFO
Biological is what utilizes the natural process of biological filtration such as use of ceramic nuggets, bio blocks, and microscopic bacteria surfaces as examples. Best it to add or use a hang on refugium such as Reef octopus or AquaMaxx unit and even add a hang on skimmer such as ice cap K1- or K2 100

Nitrate increased from 2 to 10 in the last week. As for the canisters there’s no way either of them should be clogged yet with them only being operational for 2 1/2 weeks with only 2 small fish up until this past weekend.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Nitrate increased from 2 to 10 in the last week. As for the canisters there’s no way either of them should be clogged yet with them only being operational for 2 1/2 weeks with only 2 small fish up until this past weekend.

Typical and at least check is every 4 weeks

 

[tpv]

Typical and at least check is every 4 weeks

I will! Even though it may be aggression from the larger Clown, should I still go ahead and quarantine and treat as if it is fin rot since I have everything to do it?

 

[vetteguy53081]

In lieu of

I will! Even though it may be aggression from the larger Clown, should I still go ahead and quarantine and treat as if it is fin rot since I have everything to do it?

In lieu of quarantine, you can safely use ruby Rally Pro which is reef safe and will address an array of issues safely especially as Im not convinced on rot but will address that also