Longnose Hawkfish Illness?

[Badnade]

Hello, I recently moved switched to a new tank. I've had a longnose hawkfish and a yellow eye kole tang for almost 3 years now. They have been in the old tank for the entire time.

I started this new tank and moved livestock over, including the hawkfish. The hawkfish just stopped eating completely, never acted interested. It had been doing an odd thing with its mouth, almost like a snake does to reset its jaws or something. No flashing or anything. Tang has no issues, eats like a pig. Nothing at all has been added to this tank in nearly 3 years. Never had any sickness of any kind.

I started thinking it may have flukes for some reason and dosed prazi pro 9 days ago. I randomly feed today and the hawkfish starts eating like a pig. The hawkfish went 2 weeks without eating.

Any insight? Should I do a second dose of prazi pro? The hawkfish has no external signs of illness or parasites, nor does the tangs. They've always been healthy.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello, I recently moved switched to a new tank. I've had a longnose hawkfish and a yellow eye kole tang for almost 3 years now. They have been in the old tank for the entire time.

I started this new tank and moved livestock over, including the hawkfish. The hawkfish just stopped eating completely, never acted interested. It had been doing an odd thing with its mouth, almost like a snake does to reset its jaws or something. No flashing or anything. Tang has no issues, eats like a pig. Nothing at all has been added to this tank in nearly 3 years. Never had any sickness of any kind.

I started thinking it may have flukes for some reason and dosed prazi pro 9 days ago. I randomly feed today and the hawkfish starts eating like a pig. The hawkfish went 2 weeks without eating.

Any insight? Should I do a second dose of prazi pro? The hawkfish has no external signs of illness or parasites, nor does the tangs. They've always been healthy.

Please post a 20 second video under white lighting for assessment.
If flukes, you will see heavy breathing. darting across tank, scratching, loss of appetite and hiding as examples which dont seem to be there. Can be skin irritation, or other possibly revealed with a video

 

[Uncle99]

Hard for me to positively connect those two events.
I’d just try and feed again, if he feeds he’s good.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Did it close its mouth at all or does it look stuck open?
Was it immediately after the move or was there time in between?

 

[Badnade]

Please post a 20 second video under white lighting for assessment.
If flukes, you will see heavy breathing. darting across tank, scratching, loss of appetite and hiding as examples which dont seem to be there. Can be skin irritation, or other possibly revealed with a video

 

[Badnade]

Did it close its mouth at all or does it look stuck open?
Was it immediately after the move or was there time in between?

Immediately after moving is when he stopped eating. Hasn't eaten in the new tank until about an hour ago. He was put in the new tanks 2 weeks ago.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Sounds like stress from the transfer to me - it’s not h common for fish to stop eating after a move.
I wouldn’t be too worried as long as it co to use eating.

 

[vetteguy53081]

The breathing rate is not as labored as I thought to see. I dont suspect flukes but may be a change in parameters, salinity, temporary spike in nitrates or ammonia or gill irritation in which iy appears to have responded to prazi. Prazi does reduce oxygen and appetite and may have played a role and you stopped treatment and it eats, would make sense. Unless it shows signs which i gave you, - you can stop for now..

 

[Badnade]

The breathing rate is not as labored as I thought to see. I dont suspect flukes but may be a change in parameters, salinity, temporary spike in nitrates or ammonia or gill irritation in which iy appears to have responded to prazi. Prazi does reduce oxygen and appetite and may have played a role and you stopped treatment and it eats, would make sense. Unless it shows signs which i gave you, - you can stop for now..

So I only dosed prazi after it stopped eating thinking it may have flukes. It did not eat in the new tank prior to prazi.

 

[vetteguy53081]

So I only dosed prazi after it stopped eating thinking it may have flukes. It did not eat in the new tank prior to prazi.

Ok, I was confused there. Yes, do a water change then another dose lasting 8 days and see if it still respond to treatment and eat as it is now

 

[Badnade]

Ok, I was confused there. Yes, do a water change then another dose lasting 8 days and see if it still respond to treatment and eat as it is now

Is it possible to have flukes in the tank without any new additions in nearly 3 years?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Is it possible to have flukes in the tank without any new additions in nearly 3 years?

While possible, not convinced you have them based on a tank transfer.

 

[Badnade]

While possible, not convinced you have them based on a tank transfer.

That was kind of what I was thinking. I started totally fresh. New everything, including biological filtration.

I didn't really want to does prazi again unless I had to, considering the above.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

That was kind of what I was thinking. I started totally fresh. New everything, including biological filtration.

I didn't really want to does prazi again unless I had to, considering the above.

Was the ammonia level at zero through this new tank set up?

Given the long snout on these fish and that the not eating began right after moving, plus the "repositioning" of its jaw, I'd say mechanical damage is likely.

Jay

 

[Badnade]

Was the ammonia level at zero through this new tank set up?

Given the long snout on these fish and that the not eating began right after moving, plus the "repositioning" of its jaw, I'd say mechanical damage is likely.

Jay

Yes, ammonia has remained at zero.