Diamond Goby Rapid Breathing and not eating for 3 days VIDEO

[MattSD]

Hi all,

Newbie here. I'm afraid I'm about to lose this little Diamond Goby. She was purchase as part of a pair 9 days ago and acclimated well into my FOWLR 55g AIO tank. She and her partner were always side by side and while the male was more active, she was sifting and ate some of the mixed Mysis and spirulina/brine shrimp I had been feeding.

4 days ago, I did not see her come out of the cave they had made.
Finally saw her, but the past 3 days I have not seen her even attempt to eat the food around her. I would feed the other fish on the opposite side of the aquarium and made sure she had food (mysis, brine shrimp, and small chroma boost pellets) falling around her, but she hasn't even tried for the past couple days.

She is wasting away and becoming cachectic and rapid breathing. She's still coming out intermittently and will clear some sand from cave entrance, but not sifting for a few days.

These 2 fish were not quarantined.

Other fish in the tank are small clown pair added 4 months ago, threadfin anthias, royal gramma, scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp, all doing well and acting normal. Her partner seems completely fine. All fish and tank inhabitants have come from same LFS.

Since getting the clowns, one of them has had white stringy poo off and on despite trying to feed metroplex/focus chroma boost pellets. Seems to help intermittently, but recurs. I thought it had resolved before putting them in the DT from our QT tank, but it came back. I have not treated the water with metro as I understood trying to treat intestinal issue may be better with food.

About 1 month ago, I had gotten a bangai cadinal which had a similar history as this one. Did fine for 9-10 days, but then became more lethargic than usual and stopped eating. Rapid breathing ensued and fish died. I did notice this one also had a small white stringy poo the day before dying.

Filtration is sponges, skimmer, several rocks in a back compartment have been maturing for 6 months. Have a UV sterilizer running 98% of the time.
Was using seneye for pH monitoring, but the replacement slide hasn't worked for 2 weeks. Prior to this ammonia was 0 and pH around 7.8-7.9
Temp: 79-81F
SG 1.026
pH 7.8
Alk 6.8\
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 7-9ppm with hanna checker
Phos 0.4-0.5 with hanna ULR

Hoping the video comes through. I'm feeling pretty hopeless about her recovering at this point and I'm sure I could not catch her in my tank. Clearly wondering if she has an internal parasite that is not bothering the other fish. Wondering if there is anything notable about the more yellow, maybe swollen gills? Happy to provide more info if needed and sadly admit I have rolled the dice with not QTing recent fish, but figured if disease broke out, I could treat my tank as it is FOWLR only. I feel terrible, wondering why this fish is not ok when all others seem fine. And knowing my inexperience is part of the problem.

Thanks for any input, I'll do my best.

Matt

FTS

 

[fishguy242]

#fishmedic

 

[MattSD]

Full tank vid for context. Sick goby is hiding in her cave not seen. Anthias is only fish that goes to be cleaned, but I bought her with the shrimp from the same tank at the LFS, so I think she is just used to it? Though I know that can be a warning sign... She's seemed healthy for the 3 months we have her and the shrimp.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Can’t open video on my phone. -How is breathing rate (normal or labored?)
-Has fish ever eaten?
-Any skin damage or imperfections?
- is fish thin?

 

[MattSD]

Can’t open video on my phone. -How is breathing rate (normal or labored?)
-Has fish ever eaten?
-Any skin damage or imperfections?
- is fish thin?

does that link work?
Very rapid and labored. Can see compared to normal partner in the video.
Fish was never super enthusiastic, but yes, I’d say she took a few bites of shrimp the first couple days. Then disappeared for a day or so, and when she re-emerged 3 days ago, was not going to food that fell right in front of her. And I haven’t seen her eat since despite putting food near her and into her cave. She’s extremely thin, was always a little skinny, but definitely more now. No skin issues or fin problems that I can see at all. Just the more yellow color around the gill slits that the other goby doesn’t have. Interesting scenario since they were obtained at the same time and only one struggling. I read maybe something can lodge in the digestive tract?

 

[MattSD]

full tank view

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks for video
Thin it is but the heavy breathing and not eating suggests either internal parasite issue or gill flukes
I could suggest seachem metroplex IF this fish were eating. I then suggest ruby rally pro for 7-10 days

 

[MattSD]

Thanks for video
Thin it is but the heavy breathing and not eating suggests either internal parasite issue or gill flukes
I could suggest seachem metroplex IF this fish were eating. I then suggest ruby rally pro for 7-10 days

Thank you. I’ll see where I can get the ruby rally pro quickly, but I’m afraid I may have waited too long already. I appreciate you’re expertise and advice.
So those parasites are likely in the tank and will threaten any stressed fish that I add from here on?

 

[MattSD]

I asked my LFS about dosing metroplex into the entire tank and he said he’d never done it. I’ll do some reading here on others experience. But happy for additional advice on this.