Help! Yellow Tang Breathing Fast

[MnFish1]

It seems to me - for whatever the reason - which is impossible - IMHO - you should make an intervention. Unless the fish is better now that in the other tank

 

[Uncle99]

This is why I was asking about 'breaking tank down' - there are a couple scenarios here - that some will agree with and some will not - regarding H2S - which can cause fast breathing.

Good point.
I can’t see nothing so I’m just throwing darts.
I’ll wait for something visual, maybe that helps…

 

[reef wrangler]

Thanks - assuming your tests are correct - it's probably not an issue. Note that an alkalinity of 7 is fine

Alkalinity was 7 a few weeks ago. Today it's in the 5 range and so is the mixing tank.

 

[MnFish1]

In this case a video/picture under white light is indeed worth 1000 words - hopefully the OP can post one.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I thought that I saw ich spots on the video on his body toward the tail but then I saw that the spots were on the glass. Please look again and let me know if you still see things on his body and if so, where specifically.

I did not treat with copper. Just tested in case coppper was coming from water pipes that feed my RODI system.

My mature yellow tang started breathing heavily a few days ago and has stopped eating. I had a flame hawkfish end up dead a couple of weeks ago. I figured that he was being bullied by my two angelfish. All other fish are doing fine (for now). I have not added anything new to the tank for years. I just tested my display tank water after I broke the tank down and took the tang out. Parameters are listed below. My Alk is way low. I tested my new saltwater and found that the Alk is 5.8 so some of the display issues are from that for sure but not sure how much. Last time I tested it was 7.0 and I brought it up to 8.5 and then adjusted the doser. I've never test new saltwater before but I usually only have to do regular dosing to keep the Alk within range in the display tank. I admit that it's been a while since I test the display tank. Maybe 30-45 days ago. My PH is low at 8.0. Usually runs 8.2 or 8.4. I know that the magnesium is high but it always runs that high from the reef crystals that I use.

Any idea what is wrong with my tang? I've been treating him with general cure for almost 4 days. Nothing has changed. I'm wondering if it's a bacterial infection? He has a few dark spots on his mouth but I think that happened when he was put in the QT tank. He ran into the sides really hard a few times. Before I took him out of the display tank, he had no outward signs other then his breathing. No sign of Ich, Velvet or Brook.

Alk: 5.5
PH: 8.0
Amonia: 0
Nitrate: 0.3
Phosphate: 0.37
Calcium: 440
Mag: 1720
Copper: 0.02

I revisited video and spots are on glass as im on a larger screen. I see a mark on its nose which may be post injury. I also see spheres (circular rock) - Is that rock or bio Balls?
Again, cause of this is poor water quality or disease, being flukes or velvet. While video was not lengthy, I did not see any behaviors other than rapid breathing associated with flukes leaving ich or velvet as suspect cause.
Assure water temp is not elevated and for either ich or velvet, it reverts back to treatment needed using coppersafe. I would not attempt with this high breathing rate to use Hyposalinity

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Breaking the tank down = I had to take all the rocks out to catch the tang.

1. Hawkfish was probably around 5yrs old.

2. Put the tang on QT.

3. Other fish are: potters angel, keyhole angel, melanurus wrasse, yellow Chris wrasse, bargain cardinal, and two wheelers gobies. I've had all of them from 3 to 5 years.

4. Not sure what you mean by mixing salt before dissolving. I use instant ocean reef crystals in the 6 gallon bucket (160 gal) and scoop the salt mix from it. I weigh it out and then dump into the 55 gal mixing tank while pouring in the redirect water. I always check the salinity before using it. It's at 1.026. Didn't double check tests.

5. I'll try to upload the video to you tube but won't be able to for a few hours. Dosed general cure per instructions - 1 packet per 10 gal. 20 gal QT tank.

Tested copper just to make sure there wasn't any thing coming from my pipes. My tank is a mixed reef tank.

I could view the video. Other than breathing fast and a ding on its snout (from moving it?) I don’t see any issues.

There are very few issues that will cause rapid breathing in just one fish in a group like this: low oxygen, water quality issues and gill diseases will affect all fish in the tank to some degree.

Can you post a video of the whole tank and some of the other fish? I want to see if they also have elevated respiration rates.

At this point, the hawk fish loss may or may not be related. I presume you didn’t see any cloudy skin, cloudy eyes or rapid breathing in that fish before it died?

Jay

 

[reef wrangler]

I could view the video. Other than breathing fast and a ding on its snout (from moving it?) I don’t see any issues.

There are very few issues that will cause rapid breathing in just one fish in a group like this: low oxygen, water quality issues and gill diseases will affect all fish in the tank to some degree.

Can you post a video of the whole tank and some of the other fish? I want to see if they also have elevated respiration rates.

At this point, the hawk fish loss may or may not be related. I presume you didn’t see any cloudy skin, cloudy eyes or rapid breathing in that fish before it died?

Jay

I'll post a video of the main tank as soon as I can. I didn't see anything on the hawkfish a few days before he died but it wasn't until I realized that I hadn't seen him for a couple of days that I found him dead. He kind of lurked in the shadows a lot. I was busy when I fed the fish the couple of days before he died so I didn't really pay attention to him.

 

[reef wrangler]

I'll post a video of the main tank as soon as I can. I didn't see anything on the hawkfish a few days before he died but it wasn't until I realized that I hadn't seen him for a couple of days that I found him dead. He kind of lurked in the shadows a lot. I was busy when I fed the fish the couple of days before he died so I didn't really pay attention to him.

Ok, I've taken videos of all my other fish. I forgot when I listed the fish earlier that I also have an orange tailed damsel. My melanurus wrasse has spots on him. He has showed up with them them off and on over the years. I've always just figured that he either got bit by one of the angels or he ran into something. They always go away. But maybe it's something else? This is probably the most spots that I've seen on him.

I looked at the expiration date of the alkalinity reagent and it was expired. I got fresh reagent and tested the alkalinity again. It's still in the 5 range. Sounds like I got a bad batch of salt. Could this be the issue?

Please excuse the tank. It's a mess. I'm working on getting the nitrates and phosphates down.

 

[reef wrangler]

I revisited video and spots are on glass as im on a larger screen. I see a mark on its nose which may be post injury. I also see spheres (circular rock) - Is that rock or bio Balls?
Again, cause of this is poor water quality or disease, being flukes or velvet. While video was not lengthy, I did not see any behaviors other than rapid breathing associated with flukes leaving ich or velvet as suspect cause.
Assure water temp is not elevated and for either ich or velvet, it reverts back to treatment needed using coppersafe. I would not attempt with this high breathing rate to use Hyposalinity

The tang is in a hospital tank. The circular rocks that you see are just decorations to give him hiding spots. The tang is about 5-6 inches long. I've never had a fish with flukes and I haven't added anything to the DT for at least two years that I took him out of. The only issue that I see with him is that he's breathing fast. My other fish aren't.

If this was a water quality issue, wouldn't he stop having it now that he's been in new saltwater for 4 days?

 

[vetteguy53081]

The tang is in a hospital tank. The circular rocks that you see are just decorations to give him hiding spots. The tang is about 5-6 inches long. I've never had a fish with flukes and I haven't added anything to the DT for at least two years that I took him out of. The only issue that I see with him is that he's breathing fast. My other fish aren't.

If this was a water quality issue, wouldn't he stop having it now that he's been in new saltwater for 4 days?

Should have in which I stated - either water / low oxygen or disease, either flukes or ich and I do wonder if those rocks are leaching something causing this. Typical is PVC or something Non-porous

 

[reef wrangler]

Should have in which I stated - either water / low oxygen or disease, either flukes or ich and I do wonder if those rocks are leaching something causing this. Typical is PVC or something Non-porous

The rocks aren't porous and I've used them before but I'll take them out in the morning. He's too big for a PVC pipe but I can build something out of PVC that he can go behind.

He was breathing as fast as he is in the video when i took him out of the display tank 4 days ago. He's been in General Cure for 4 days because I didn't have prazi-pro and it contains praziquental. Should I expect some improvement by now if it is flukes?

 

[vetteguy53081]

The rocks aren't porous and I've used them before but I'll take them out in the morning. He's too big for a PVC pipe but I can build something out of PVC that he can go behind.

He was breathing as fast as he is in the video when i took him out of the display tank 4 days ago. He's been in General Cure for 4 days because I didn't have prazi-pro and it contains praziquental. Should I expect some improvement by now if it is flukes?

General cure takes 2-3 days to take effect and the level of prazi is small but present in General cure

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Ok, I've taken videos of all my other fish. I forgot when I listed the fish earlier that I also have an orange tailed damsel. My melanurus wrasse has spots on him. He has showed up with them them off and on over the years. I've always just figured that he either got bit by one of the angels or he ran into something. They always go away. But maybe it's something else? This is probably the most spots that I've seen on him.

I looked at the expiration date of the alkalinity reagent and it was expired. I got fresh reagent and tested the alkalinity again. It's still in the 5 range. Sounds like I got a bad batch of salt. Could this be the issue?

Please excuse the tank. It's a mess. I'm working on getting the nitrates and phosphates down.

Thanks for posting all those videos - however, as is sometimes the case, the videos don't tell me what's wrong, but they do help rule out some issues. None of those other fish are breathing too fast. Some have a few nicks and "dings", but that isn't all that unusual. Is the potter's wild caught? If so, you must have had it for awhile since Hawaii collections have been closed.

IMO - an issue with the salt would first affect the invertebrates, and if it was bad enough, it would affect all of the fish to some degree. I have just never seen a water quality issue single out one or two fish and leave everything else in the tank o.k.

How did you treat the tang with General Cure? Did you use the label instructions?

Jay

 

[reef wrangler]

Thanks for posting all those videos - however, as is sometimes the case, the videos don't tell me what's wrong, but they do help rule out some issues. None of those other fish are breathing too fast. Some have a few nicks and "dings", but that isn't all that unusual. Is the potter's wild caught? If so, you must have had it for awhile since Hawaii collections have been closed.

IMO - an issue with the salt would first affect the invertebrates, and if it was bad enough, it would affect all of the fish to some degree. I have just never seen a water quality issue single out one or two fish and leave everything else in the tank o.k.

How did you treat the tang with General Cure? Did you use the label instructions?

Jay

Yes - potter's angel was wild caught. I've had it for 4 years, maybe more.

I followed the label instructions of one packet per 10 gallons. It's a 20 gal tank so two packets. I waited 48 hours but read the directions incorrectly and did a 25% water change after the first 48 hours instead of dosing again at 48 hours, waiting another 48 hours, then the 25% water change. The directions then say to put in activated carbon after the 25% water change. It's been about 60 hours since I did the second dose. I'm not sure what I should do next. I'm in hopes that someone could help me figure out the issue. I really have no idea what is wrong with him.

I haven't added anything to the tank in probably 3 years and I've never had an issue with flukes before. What are the chances that the issue is flukes? No signs of ich, velvet or brook. Could it be an internal bacterial infection? Any idea of what to do moving forward?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yes - potter's angel was wild caught. I've had it for 4 years, maybe more.

I followed the label instructions of one packet per 10 gallons. It's a 20 gal tank so two packets. I waited 48 hours but read the directions incorrectly and did a 25% water change after the first 48 hours instead of dosing again at 48 hours, waiting another 48 hours, then the 25% water change. The directions then say to put in activated carbon after the 25% water change. It's been about 60 hours since I did the second dose. I'm not sure what I should do next. I'm in hopes that someone could help me figure out the issue. I really have no idea what is wrong with him.

I haven't added anything to the tank in probably 3 years and I've never had an issue with flukes before. What are the chances that the issue is flukes? No signs of ich, velvet or brook. Could it be an internal bacterial infection? Any idea of what to do moving forward?

The general cure instructions are a bit odd: the dose they give is for the metronidazole component. Prazi needs to be dosed at an 8 day interval for flukes. Still, you should see some benefit at least temporarily, following the label instructions. You can always dose a third time, 8 days after the second.

Jay