Cowfish looks likes he is dieing

[merlberg]

A few days ago i created a topic explaining that my cowfish seemed sick n my nitrate was 5.0 and Ph was 7.4. Because of all the feedback i was told it is most likely my PH.

Within a few days I got my Ph back up to 8.2 but my cowfish is the only one tht looks extremly bad, not eating and just laying on the sandbed. I thought he died this morning and was so sad. I was about to net hom out then i seen him move and still breathing.

I have a shrimp in my tank, domino damsel, valentini puffer, gold head goby & 2 pajama cardinal and they are all well and eating.

How can i help my poor little cowfish that i really do not want to lose?! Should i do a water change or just leave the tank alone at this point! Please help :/

 

[redfishbluefish]

The successful cowfish tanks that I've seen (at an LFS), don't have powerheads. They prefer slow moving water and tank-mates who are also slow moving (for feeding purposes). I don't think they make a great addition to a reef tank.

At this point, I'd get him out of the DT and into a separate tank with only an HOB filter, (no powerheads). I'd be concerned he might poison the DT. Try feeding mysis to get it back into eating. Good luck.

I'll also put a shout-out to @Humblefish to see if he can add anything else.

 

[merlberg]

I dnt have a powerhead and i also have a HOB filter in my DT. And prior to the ph decrease he has been doing very well with his tankmates for months.

The thing about putting him in another tank is that my nitrite is always high when i have a QT and can never get it to 0. Although when i first got him he was in the qt for a month and did fine with the high nitrite i didnt want to risk it this time since he is doing so bad.

 

[merlberg]

@Humblefish any tips from you as to what i should do now that i have the ph up again?!

 

[eatbreakfast]

Nitrite is not an issue with saltwater fish.

It is possible that although he was eating he was not getting enough, as it is difficult to tell if a cowfish is getting skinny.

 

[Humblefish]

It sounds like you raised the pH too quickly. On Monday, you said it was 7.4... and now it's 8.2. I advised you in your OP to only raise it 0.1-0.2 per day. A healthy fish can withstand that... but a sick or weakened fish is going to be much more sensitive to changing water chemistry.

From a disease standpoint, do you see any kind of spots or "dust" anywhere on the fish? Is he breathing heavy?

 

[merlberg]

It sounds like you raised the pH too quickly. On Monday, you said it was 7.4... and now it's 8.2. I advised you in your OP to only raise it 0.1-0.2 per day. A healthy fish can withstand that... but a sick or weakened fish is going to be much more sensitive to changing water chemistry.

From a disease standpoint, do you see any kind of spots or "dust" anywhere on the fish? Is he breathing heavy?

[emoji85] I only added a tsp of powdered buffer each time within the last 2 days n this morning a half a teaspoon.

I thought u seen spots on his tail but i think its just from the sand but his color looks regular and he is still moving around slowly and close to the sand but not swimming high like he usually does. And yes he was breathing very hard this morning. At least the last few days he was eating n up and about the tank here n there but yeaterday he did not eat at all n now he is not swimming around :/. I have no clue how to help him. I feel like im just watching him die slowly :/ [emoji85]

 

[Humblefish]

[emoji85] I only added a tsp of powdered buffer each time within the last 2 days n this morning a half a teaspoon.

I thought u seen spots on his tail but i think its just from the sand but his color looks regular and he is still moving around slowly and close to the sand but not swimming high like he usually does. And yes he was breathing very hard this morning. At least the last few days he was eating n up and about the tank here n there but yeaterday he did not eat at all n now he is not swimming around :/. I have no clue how to help him. I feel like im just watching him die slowly :/ [emoji85]

It would be a Hail Mary at this point, you but could try a FW dip (more info below). If he's breathing hard, it's possible a disease such as ich, velvet or flukes is afflicting his gills. I must warn you though... if he's in a very weakened state, he might not survive the dip. You must decide if that's a risk you are willing to take.

Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes, Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium); possibly even Ich & Uronema marinum (both unproven). Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes.

How To Treat - Fill a bucket with RODI water, and use a heater to match the temperature to the water the fish is coming from. Aerate the water heavily for at least 30 minutes prior to doing the dip, then discontinue aeration while performing the dip. Fish aren’t overly pH sensitive for short durations like this, but you can squirt a little tank water into the dip just before the fish goes in to help bring it up.

Place the fish in the freshwater (FW) dip and observe closely. It is not unusual for them to freak out a little at first. Also, tangs are notorious for “playing dead” during a FW dip. The important thing is to watch their gills; they should be breathing heavily at all times during the dip. If breathing slows, it’s time to exit the dip. Dip the fish for no longer than 5 minutes. Multiple dips may be done, but it’s important to give your fish a day to recuperate in-between dips.

For flukes, use a dark (preferably black) bucket so you can see if tiny white worms fall out of the fish (especially out of the gills) at around the 3-4 minute mark. The worms will settle to the bottom, so you can use a flashlight to look for them there as well.

Pros - Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases in a chemical free environment. Can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.

Cons/Side Effects - Not a permanent “fix” for any disease, as FW dips are not potent enough to eradicate all of the parasites/worms afflicting the fish. Some fish can have an adverse reaction to a FW dip by appearing unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to the aquarium. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.

 

[merlberg]

Sad to say he didnt make it but thanks for all the advice :/.

 

[merlberg]

I do also want to say that i dnt think he released any toxins as i read some places. All my other fish are doing and eating well.

 

[Humblefish]

Sad to say he didnt make it but thanks for all the advice :/.

 

[Reeferbadness]

I have a small cowfish that is sick, hiding and likely going to die any day. I don’t know where he is. Lots of clean up crew if he dies but if he does, should I be worried about reliesing toxins ?