Filefish

[Jon Schuch]

I just added a filefish from Bluezoo and he has been doing great until just now he is setting on the bottom and not acting well. Water parameters are great and live rock from gulf has been in the tank for a month. Any ideas?

 

[Smarkow]

Mine hover off the bottom looking for snails. Dad calls them “the helicopter fish” bc of this behavior. Does this sound like what they are doing?

 

[Jon Schuch]

Nope he has been swimming and hovering and doing great but then all of a sudden he acted like he was floating erratically and the wayer inlet of the protein skimmer tube held him for a bit now he is on the botom in the back corner doing nothing. S moving but otherwise doing nothing

 

[Smarkow]

Eeessh. If params good then not a ton you can do. Other fishies acting fine? Have any carbon lying about?

 

[Jon Schuch]

No carbon don't have any other fish just emeral crabs and peppermint shrimp but yes they are all fine

 

[fishguy242]

can you post a short video? few pics how long have you had him?

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Evening,

Sorry this is going on. Can you post a pic? I have a file that will squat in a corner for a while, but not at the bottom. Has yours eaten a lot since you got him? What is the color and breathing like. Notice any scratching? Can you give your temp, ph, ammonia if available?

 

[Smarkow]

If this is the only fish, then I would add hypoxia (increase surface agitation) and faulty test kits to the differential (consider water change?)

 

[Smarkow]

If you had other fish in there which were acting fine, I would be more inclined to blame the fish :/

 

[JumboShrimp]

I had so-called Aptasia Eating Filefish (large ones and small ones), and it was extremely common for them to take an odd, still, 'pose'-- like floating motionless at a strange angle for periods of time-- but a video would help to know whether that it what you are describing.

 

[Jon Schuch]

can you post a short video? few pics how long have you had him?

I hav

e only had him since yesterday

Evening,

Sorry this is going on. Can you post a pic? I have a file that will squat in a corner for a while, but not at the bottom. Has yours eaten a lot since you got him? What is the color and breathing like. Notice any scratching? Can you give your temp, ph, ammonia if available?

No i tried feeding this morning but wasn't interested. Then this just started a half hour ago

I had so-called Aptasia Eating Filefish (large ones and small ones), and it was extremely common for them to take an odd, still, 'pose'-- like floating motionless at a strange angle for periods of time-- but a video would help to know whether that it what you are describing.

Yeah I posted a video and now he is sucked up against the filter intake as in the video

 

[Jon Schuch]

Temp is 77, PH is 8 to 8.2, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 0 to a trace of nitrate

 

[JumboShrimp]

I'll admit, seemingly not having the strength to pull away from an intake-- especially for a fish of that size-- is never good. Can you put him in a small hospital tank with just an air stone or two and hopefully better acclimate him there?

 

[Jon Schuch]

I'll admit, seemingly not having the strength to pull away from an intake-- especially for a fish of that size-- is never good. Can you put him in a small hospital tank with just an air stone or two and hopefully better acclimate him there?

I would have to suck some water out into a container and try that not sure if I have an airpump available or not

 

[fishguy242]

files are an odd fish,color looks good, breathing and eye movement seem normal,do not really like seeing poss weakness stuck to filter,but a strong one will do that too,iv'e seen it,best wishes,keep us posted

 

[JumboShrimp]

In place of an air stone, your HOB filter overflow will probably break the water surface enough in your DT for you to pull out that small powerhead for a few days, and use it to break the water surface in the hospital tank.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

I would agree with Fish and Shrimp . They are right on. I believe that is a female. Has she eaten? If you donot have a hospital tank or 5 gallon bucket to set up, doyou have anything to use to act as a guard around the intake?

 

[Shooter6]

salinity? Alk, cal,mag? Temp? Was it acclimated properly? Shipped? No qt or meds obviously so could be internal parasites....

 

[DracoKat]

what are you trying to feed him? Mine refused pellets for a good long time until he learned from the other fish pellets are food. He prefers frozen food

 

[Westside Guy]

My filefish often times assumes a position head downward touching the sand in a corner of my tank for long periods of time.