Help, Everyone is breathing fast and not moving

[ChloeB]

I have two clown fish, 1 cleaner shrimp, and 1 red scooter blenny. All are down in the sandbed and breathing rapidly. Even the little crabs arent really moving. I just did a water change two hours ago and i took a nap and i woke up and everyone was not moving and breathing hard. Please help, im not sure what is wrong

Ph: 8-8.4
Ammonia: 0-0.25
nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20-40
Salinity: 1.025

*this was the same levels before water change*

I added a clear acrylic breeder for my anemone about 1 week ago, and i added a fake levitating rock for coral frags about 1 week ago.
I have corals in the tank as well but they are open and fine.* i do have two dead corals in tank i have not removed*

not sure what happened but i did nothing different with the water change so Im not sure what to do.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

While we get more info about your situation, I would suggest double checking your salinity or recalibrating the tool you use to monitor it.
Also add some fresh activated carbon if you have not already.
Your ammonia is pretty high

 

[mojo8427]

Skimmer/air stone running? Sure of your salt mix?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

You need to get that ammonia down. Either another water change, seachem’s prime, bacteria in a bottle

 

[ChloeB]

I dont have a skimmer or a air stone running. Not sure the brand of salt, but i never had any problems till now

 

[Dom]

Do you quarantine?

Rapid, labored breathing could be a Velvet outbreak.

 

[Reefahholic]

Check Salinity and Temp. Remove the things you recently added. Two good places to start.

Could be stray voltage. Do you have palythoa’s in the system?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I dont have a skimmer or a air stone running. Not sure the brand of salt, but i never had any problems till now

Pointing your power heads up so the water breaks at the surface will increase the oxygen available in your tank. Your fish could be experiencing ammonia burns on their gills making it difficult to breath.

 

[ChloeB]

I have an aqualife 4 stage twist rodi, but when i do a water test the ammonia is still at 0-0.25 is that noral or should it be completely at 0

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I dont have a skimmer or a air stone running. Not sure the brand of salt, but i never had any problems till now

So long as it was not table salt eh?

 

[Reefahholic]

I have an aqualife 4 stage twist rodi, but when i do a water test the ammonia is still at 0-0.25 is that noral or should it be completely at 0

How big was the water change?

 

[outhouse]

should it be completely at 0

should be 0 always, your nitrates high too. Normally id suggest a large water change, but not sure why that made your fish possibly sick

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I have an aqualife 4 stage twist rodi, but when i do a water test the ammonia is still at 0-0.25 is that noral or should it be completely at 0

Needs to be zero. You should add a dechlorinator to your new salt water mix going forward. Something like seachems prime

 

[davidcalgary29]

False high readings is typical for API ammonia tests. If you're using another test kit, and get anything above 0, I'd certainly add some Prime (and do a water change).

Is it possible that you had any chemical residue at your water mixing station or in the containers themselves? I had a bleaching incident this past summer that took out the snails and most of the fish in one of my tanks -- I didn't smell the telltale bleach odor until after the water change.

 

[outhouse]

Pointing your power heads up so the water breaks at the surface will increase the oxygen

Correct, airstones do almost nothing

 

[NowGlazeIT]

should be 0 always, your nitrates high too. Normally id suggest a large water change, but not sure why that made your fish possibly sick

I think because the ammonia has not broken down just yet. If the tank was cycled then ammonia was lowered naturally over time before the fish were added. My guess nothing more

 

[polyppal]

It sounds like from your former posts these clownfish previously showed some signs of disease, if it’s another ich (or something else) outbreak that hit the whole tank (may not be visible tropants yet) it’d explain the situation

 

[outhouse]

I think because the ammonia has not broken down just yet. If the tank was cycled then ammonia was lowered naturally over time before the fish were added. My guess nothing more

That or the decaying coral went beyond the tanks bioload

 

[ChloeB]

False high readings is typical for API ammonia tests. If you're using another test kit, and get anything above 0, I'd certainly add some Prime (and do a water change).

Is it possible that you had any chemical residue at your water mixing station or in the containers themselves? I had a bleaching incident this past summer that took out the snails and most of the fish in one of my tanks -- I didn't smell the telltale bleach odor until after the water change.

I was spraying lysol all over the apartment, and I didnt go anywhere near the tank but i was thinking because i was spraying alot everywhere it could have been blown near the tank. But i dont know. I just remember seeing some form of chemical floating in the surface of the water before the water change. But i didnt think anything if it till now

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I was spraying lysol all over the apartment, and I didnt go anywhere near the tank but i was thinking because i was spraying alot everywhere it could have been blown near the tank. But i dont know. I just remember seeing some form of chemical floating in the surface of the water before the water change. But i didnt think anything if it till now

The fumes alone concentrate in a smaller space could be the cause