Fish emergency!

[Bryan47]

Just found my trigger against the power head in his own tank. I got him and he's still breathing and moving a bit. He's in the main tank which has way better parameters. Not sure what could have caused him to get stuck he's a strong swimmer and my most aggressive fish hence why he has his own tank. He is propped up in his own little box in the main tank. If anyone has any ideas on what I should do as far as give him rest or meds or what please respond back or give me a call 401-932-4249

Thanks guys. I can post a video or picture of need be. I really don't want to lose this guy. He's a Picasso maybe 3 inches? Thank you

 

[Mike J.]

Is it showing any pink coloration or any other descriptions you can give us? Why do you say the parameters in the main tank are better? Maybe ammonia in his tank if it's newly set up?

 

[Bryan47]

Well I have an ammonia alert and it says it is fine. No pink coloring. I just took a video of him. How can I post it? It says video sharing disabled

 

[Bryan47]

I just pay more attention to the main tank and I have a puffer I took home quarantined with ich being treated. I got him to name after Phil or Phil-Up as I call him. Taking care of 3 tanks has been difficult the tank actually never cycled that he was in. No ammonia spike happened. The only difference was I added a good size pencil anemone that I can't tell if it is still alive or not. So I moved the urchin to my main sump which can absorb the nitrates if he is dead. I don't have the heart to just toss the urchin unless I know he is dead. Or if that would even have an effect on the trigger. He hasn't been as active.

 

[Bryan47]

Now that I've looked up close there is a little bit of pink on him

 

[Bryan47]

 

[Mike J.]

Well, I'd say you're dealing with acclimation stress; it's caused by abrupt change in salinity which ruptures capillaries. Are the tanks the same specific gravity? Or ammonia poisoning can also cause the pinkish pigmentation. Hopefully it will recover.

 

[Bryan47]

Let me check ammonia and salinity

 

[Bryan47]

Just went to check on him and I think he's in the fish tank in the sky. I'm so upset he was my favorite fish he had such a personality. Losing a pet is awful. ;(

 

[Mike J.]

Sorry. The moral of the story is you have to be very careful with acclimating a fish to a move to another tank. I recently moved my Maroon Clown that I've had for over nine years to another tank and he showed distress even though I very carefully over a period of weeks made sure both tanks had the same parameters. Luckily he came out of it after a couple hours. Then he had to learn he wasn't the big boss any more in fight with the Powder Blue, which it definitely out weighs. Now, everything is peaceful again and it's the first time I've seen the Maroon Clown not act like a piranha.

 

[Triggreef]

Bryan, just a couple things that will kill an otherwise healthy fish fairly fast....

Ammonia esp if nitite also present. Nitrite with no ammonia present is not horrible.

Fast salinity change. Going up fast is not good. Going down fast is a little more tolerable as fish are used to that a bit more. Think about heavy rains.

Fresh made salt water. IMO responsible for many fish deaths, especially when I was starting out. They say new mix should not be used for 24 he's which I generally abide by now.


Carpet surfing. Pretty big killer of healthy fish.

Sometimes just residual effects from how they are caught, but I don't think we see much of that anymore. Notice any twitching for no reason?

Notice any scraping/itching on rocks by any chance?

And, sorry for your loss.

 

[Bryan47]

He was in the tank for a good two months, I really don't know what caused him to be swimming weak enough to get caught. That pencil urchin did die so that could have been the problem. I'm taking down that tank because the more I have the less time I can put into the main tank