I’m stumped, need some experts!

[Jerry Barnes]

Ive got a 300 FOWLR full of tangs, angels, wrasses etc. Filtration is live rock, bio-spheres, skimmer, 90watt UV. I do 100 gallon water changes weekly.
About three months ago I picked up a couple wrasses about a week later I see my tangs breathing heavy. No big deal I throw some copper power in and the tangs look fine. Then I get a bacteria bloom (I assume as the water turned cloudy). Things seem ok for couple weeks then I notice all the fish heavy breathing. I shut down my skimmer and UV and add Prazipro and copper power. So for the last couple months the fish have heavy breathing, no sign of parasites. Copper was dosed at 2.5ppm per Hanna. Fish are still eating fine but are definitely in distress. My water is still very cloudy. Have had skimmer and UV shutdown during this entire time.
So I’m confused on what is stressing the fish. Do they have a parasit? Is this cloudy water causing the stress? Been doing this a lot of years and I’m stumped? Ammonia is 0. Im thinking at this point I stop all treatment, turn on my skimmer and UV.
Looking for any advice you have?
Thanks, Jerry

 

[proxy001]

Cloudy water probably bacteria bloom using up oxygen, which is why your fish are breathing heavy. Turn UV back on and skimmer. Powerhead with surface agitation.

 

[deerhunter06]

Prazi can really reduce your oxygen. You have a lot of surface agitation? I’d turn your skimmer back on. It only makes sense to me if they are struggling to breath there is a lack of oxygen.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Ive got a 300 FOWLR full of tangs, angels, wrasses etc. Filtration is live rock, bio-spheres, skimmer, 90watt UV. I do 100 gallon water changes weekly.
About three months ago I picked up a couple wrasses about a week later I see my tangs breathing heavy. No big deal I throw some copper power in and the tangs look fine. Then I get a bacteria bloom (I assume as the water turned cloudy). Things seem ok for couple weeks then I notice all the fish heavy breathing. I shut down my skimmer and UV and add Prazipro and copper power. So for the last couple months the fish have heavy breathing, no sign of parasites. Copper was dosed at 2.5ppm per Hanna. Fish are still eating fine but are definitely in distress. My water is still very cloudy. Have had skimmer and UV shutdown during this entire time.
So I’m confused on what is stressing the fish. Do they have a parasit? Is this cloudy water causing the stress? Been doing this a lot of years and I’m stumped? Ammonia is 0. Im thinking at this point I stop all treatment, turn on my skimmer and UV.
Looking for any advice you have?
Thanks, Jerry

Jerry,
I’m leaning towards the cloudiness being caused by free-floating heterotrophic bacteria, they scavenge oxygen. The UV and the skimmer will help with that. The skimmer also helps with gas exchange: raising oxygen and reducing co2. I don’t see why you need to remove the meds though.

Jay

 

[Jerry Barnes]

Is it typical for this bacteria to hang around this long? I shutdown the skimmer and UV ad per the instructions for Prazipro and Copper Power. Here’s a few pics to show you how cloudy it is.

 

[MnFish1]

My experience is you cant reliably dose Copper (etc) in a tank with rock, sand. The levels might not be accurate - and additionally - you make kill some bacteria and allow some others to 'over grow'. My guess is that either your copper level is too high or too low - or the possibility that one of your fish or something else is dead - causing the cloudiness. Hopefully you get the answers - I would take the fish out - treat them, leave the tank fallow for 76 days - and use carb0n/water changes for the main tank. But there are far more expert people them me. 1. No one even knows what the fish are 'ill' with. For all we know - there is no 'parasite' - its just the treatments you've used.

 

[Jerry Barnes]

Removing the fish to quarantine is not possible. Too many, too large. Remember its a FOWLR so I'm not worried about any inverts getting hurt by the copper. I'm going to take everyones advice and turn my skimmer and UV back on. I'll report back what I find. Have never had a bacteria bloom last this long in the past. Thanks everyone for your feedback, much appreciated.

 

[Snoopy 67]

Turn the return water towards the surface along with any power heads you have.
Surface agitation is best for gas exchanges & increasing oxygen in the water.