Established CBB: Not eating, rapid breathing

LobsterOfJustice · Jan 1, 2019

Tank has been set up for 2 years and was moved from a previously established tank before that. I have had the CBB for several years. Only new fish addition recently is a leopard wrasse a few weeks ago who was quarantined and treated with PP 3x.

Noticed rapid breathing yesterday and today is not eating. Looks like he is breathing shallow and not closing his mouth, wondering if something is stuck in his throat? When he angles towards me I can see in his mouth and it looks clear from what I can see. He’s also a little on zombie mode, just kinda zoned out, not cruising the tank alert. He’s staying upright but swimming aimlessly and letting the flow push him around a little.

This is a well cared for mixed/SPS reef so don’t think water quality is an issue. Strong skimmer and flow. Other big fish are regal angel, majestic angel, and gem tang who regularly give him crap but he’s used to it.

No ammonia or nitrite
Nitrate 25
PO4 0.06
Ca 405
Alk 8.6
Mg 1230
pH 7.8 - 8.0 depending on the day

KMench · Jan 1, 2019

Post pictures? Did you run copper with the leopard wrasse or any other treatments beside the PP?

LobsterOfJustice · Jan 1, 2019

LobsterOfJustice · Jan 1, 2019

KMench said:
Post pictures? Did you run copper with the leopard wrasse or any other treatments beside the PP?

I only prophylactically treat with PP when in QT. Otherwise just observation.

drawman · Jan 1, 2019

Not sure if it's my imagination but he does almost look a little bloated near the gills. This is an odd one for me. No other fish showing anything unusual?

LobsterOfJustice · Jan 1, 2019

All other fish normal. By the time the lights went out tonight he was resting on the bottom and starting to lose balance. I netted him out and moved him to QT - in the stress of the transfer he stopped breathing and got stiff for about 30 seconds but began breathing again as I moved him back and forth in front of a powerhead in QT to keep water moving over the gills. Laying on its side on the bottom of QT now, not expecting good news in the morning.

Really bummed to lose this fish... waited years to get one from a fellow reefer taking down their system as I had tried them several times over the years from stores with no luck.

KMench · Jan 1, 2019

Sorry to hear. Do you have any idea how old the fish is? Maybe it’s just their time

Reefahholic · Jan 1, 2019

I'd be willing to bet that the wrasse introduced something into the system. Only treating will prazipro 3x doesn't cover enough. He looks stressed because it's probably being attacked right now.

drawman · Jan 2, 2019

LobsterOfJustice said:
All other fish normal. By the time the lights went out tonight he was resting on the bottom and starting to lose balance. I netted him out and moved him to QT - in the stress of the transfer he stopped breathing and got stiff for about 30 seconds but began breathing again as I moved him back and forth in front of a powerhead in QT to keep water moving over the gills. Laying on its side on the bottom of QT now, not expecting good news in the morning.

Really bummed to lose this fish... waited years to get one from a fellow reefer taking down their system as I had tried them several times over the years from stores with no luck.

Very sorry to hear this. I can't say I see anything white that would indicate velvet/ich but is there a "red/brown" patch over the top of it's gill on the yellow band? Possibly a bacterial infection or a fluke or something irritating the gill?

RMS18 · Jan 2, 2019

My CCB had the same breathing patterns with the mouth open, then Ick showed up 2 days later on his body while in QT (Thanks to Bluezoo) I put an air stone in and it seemed to help a bit but the breathing did not improve until day 3 of copper. What mine did not have was that Zombie look.

The wrasse could have brought something into the tank - reason why every fish I have goes through copper, PP and GC.

How is the fish doing?

Not to X the fish off already but i can vouch for a vendor on here who has them readily available and eating in case it comes to that.

LobsterOfJustice · Jan 3, 2019

The fish was dead the following morning.

I do find it hard to believe that something would lay low through several weeks of QT and several more weeks after introduction to the tank only to pop up and be lethal within 48 hrs. But, I am the one asking for advice and I don’t have any other explanation, so I admit it’s a possibility.

So now my question is, let’s say I start to see these symptoms on another fish - what’s the immediate course of action once moved to QT? One of the reasons I didn’t take immediate action with the CBB was I didn’t have a planned treatment if I were to move it to QT. I wasn’t sure getting into copper ASAP would help with generalized rapid breathing and loss of appetite.

drawman · Jan 3, 2019

LobsterOfJustice said:
The fish was dead the following morning.

I do find it hard to believe that something would lay low through several weeks of QT and several more weeks after introduction to the tank only to pop up and be lethal within 48 hrs. But, I am the one asking for advice and I don’t have any other explanation, so I admit it’s a possibility.

So now my question is, let’s say I start to see these symptoms on another fish - what’s the immediate course of action once moved to QT? One of the reasons I didn’t take immediate action with the CBB was I didn’t have a planned treatment if I were to move it to QT. I wasn’t sure getting into copper ASAP would help with generalized rapid breathing and loss of appetite.

If you notice other symptoms on fish and they start going downhill fast my first suspicion would be velvet (solely due to the fact that it's acting quickly). At this point I would just watch the other fish closely for any signs. Was there a red sore on the dead CBB?