Fish Not Eating, Lethargic

[rooneyj889]

Hey all,

I just added a couple new clownfish to my 75g tank. The first went in last tuesday and the second on sunday. The first is eating plenty and doing great, save for some nipping on his tail from azure damsels which i had to get rid of earlier this week because one was bullying the other. However, the second one, who is bigger than the first by a decent amount, had not really eaten since being added to the tank. Additionally, he has been pretty listless, though slightly more active today and has been breathing very hard. As this is my first tank i'm not really sure how to look out for diseases besides ich and any help would be appreciated.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Can you get a respiration count on it, gill beats per minute....count the breaths in 15 seconds and multiply by 4. Is it closing it’s mouth between breaths, or just open mouth breathing? What other fish are in the tank? Can you give us the water quality values?
Jay

 

[rooneyj889]

Can you get a respiration count on it, gill beats per minute....count the breaths in 15 seconds and multiply by 4. Is it closing it’s mouth between breaths, or just open mouth breathing? What other fish are in the tank? Can you give us the water quality values?
Jay

The gill beats per minute I couldnt count because the gills were beating too fast. It is closing its mouth in between breaths. Ph is about 8.0, Ammonia of 0, Nitrite of 0.05 and Nitrate of around 10. It is in the tank with just one more clown and a royal gramma basslet.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

At this point, the respiration rate is probably over 200, and that can’t go on for long. I can only suggest that you try a FW dip, that might offer it some relief, if it does, then it points us to a possible treatment . On the other hand , the stress Of the dip could kill it. Let me know if you need advice on how to do a FW dip if you go that route.
Jay

 

[rooneyj889]

At this point, the respiration rate is probably over 200, and that can’t go on for long. I can only suggest that you try a FW dip, that might offer it some relief, if it does, then it points us to a possible treatment . On the other hand , the stress Of the dip could kill it. Let me know if you need advice on how to do a FW dip if you go that route.
Jay

Yeah I was thinking about doing a freshwater dip. Any recommendations could be helpful.

 

[rooneyj889]

Put him in a hospital tank with general cure. Here's a photo in case anyone is seeing anything i'm not

 

[RyanFish]

I have found that methylene blue helps with fish respiration. I’ve read that it helps oxygen absorption (anyone correct me if I’m wrong.) Also a freshwater dip may give him temporary relief and you can see if any flukes fall off him. My fish are used to a pH of 8.2-8.3 in a fish only tank. When it drops to 8.0, especially if its a quick drop, they start to breathe quickly. Maybe this fish is used to a higher pH environment? Did you slowly acclimate the fish before adding him to the tank?

 

[najer]

How is he, have you got an air bubbler you can add?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Yeah I was thinking about doing a freshwater dip. Any recommendations could be helpful.

I'm sorry, I misread your post last Thursday! Were you asking about how to perform a FW dip? At this point, if the fish seems stable, I wouldn't rush to do a FW dip, but in case you do, here are the steps that I suggest:


Osmotic differential baths

Formalin is not the only irritant that can be used to dislodge parasites during a diagnostic bath. Osmotic differential baths (exposing a marine fish to freshwater, and vice versa) are also effective at loosening parasites. However, there is a greater possibility that the shape of the organism will be disrupted by osmotic pressure to such an extent that proper identification would be difficult. “Freshwater dips” are commonly used to dislodge parasites from the skin of marine fishes. To perform these dips, the fish is captured and placed in a dimly lit container of clean freshwater the same temperature as the aquarium system it came from. The dip container should be covered with a clear material so that the fish is kept from jumping out, yet can still be observed for overt signs of stress. Hold the fish in the freshwater for five minutes to seven minutes. If acute stress is seen, the dip may need to be terminated early. The idea is to dislodge the parasites, without unduly harming the fish. Many aquarists opt to use reverse osmosis water, and adjust the pH to match the aquarium, but this is simply not necessary if the pH of the freshwater is between 7.5 and 8.5. Some advocate to not aerate the water during the dip, but the water motion from air bubbles can help keep the fish active so that they can be better assessed for stress. Additionally, the air bubbles help dislodge some parasites during the dip process.

Some caveats:

• Some fish will give extreme reactions to being dipped (hepatus tangs for example), as long as they were swimming well before the dip, it is best to ignore that behavior and continue for a full five minutes.
• Moribund fish can be dipped, but understand that the acute stress from the dip may prove fatal. The dip water should still be checked for parasites in order to possibly help any remaining fish. Moribund would include any fish that was easy to capture or a fish with a respiration rate of 200+ BPM.
• Choose the type of net wisely, some fish have spines that will become caught in the netting. Have a pair of scissors handy to cut the net if this happens.
• Dropping a fish while moving it to and from the dip is common, take care. Some fish have venomous spines, so know that before trying to handle any fish.
• Fish shaking their heads violently after capture is one cause of mechanical exophthalmos (popeye), so try to gently restrain them in the net while moving them.

Jay

 

[rooneyj889]

I have found that methylene blue helps with fish respiration. I’ve read that it helps oxygen absorption (anyone correct me if I’m wrong.) Also a freshwater dip may give him temporary relief and you can see if any flukes fall off him. My fish are used to a pH of 8.2-8.3 in a fish only tank. When it drops to 8.0, especially if its a quick drop, they start to breathe quickly. Maybe this fish is used to a higher pH environment? Did you slowly acclimate the fish before adding him to the tank?

Yeah, I drop acclimated him over the course of an hour. Moved him over to a hospital tank and he seems to be doing okay. Still not eating but is more active