New melanurus wrasse gulping air at surface!

[Tnops]

I got this melanurus wrasse yesterday, it is currently in my qt. Its been breathing and swimming around surface for a couple hours, gulping in air. I decided to test the water and it is showing some signs of ammonia (.2-.5).

Should I transfer him to my other qt which is heavily aerated and ammonia free? I’m concerned because I only got him yesterday and the qt he is currently in has a salinity of 20 ppt while the one I’m thinking of transferring him to has a salinity of 35 ppt. Please help!

 

[Tnops]

Also the qt I’m thinking of transferring it to was treated with prazi 2 days ago, hence the heavy aeration

 

[Lavey29]

Put some prime in it to clear ammonia and add airstone

 

[Tnops]

Put some prime in it to clear ammonia and add airstone

Thanks, I did both of that an hour ago and it is still gulping air at the surface. I also poured in some prime last night

 

[davidcalgary29]

It's certainly in respiratory distress. What do you have for water flow? I agree that an airstone is a must. Do you have any methylene blue on hand? If so, I'd transfer to another clean container (with airstone) andthe appropriate dose of methylene blue.

 

[Tnops]

It's certainly in respiratory distress. What do you have for water flow? I agree that an airstone is a must. Do you have any methylene blue on hand? If so, I'd transfer to another clean container (with airstone) andthe appropriate dose of methylene blue.

There is a power head pointed at the surface too. I don’t have any MB with me

 

[davidcalgary29]

Remember that Seachem states that Prime can be dosed at 5x the recommended rate in an emergency. How much did you add?

 

[Tnops]

Remember that Seachem states that Prime can be dosed at 5x the recommended rate in an emergency. How much did you add?

Just the recommended amount. So I should go ahead and dose some more? Also I’m running 2 air stones in the tank now. Is there such a thing as too much oxygen?

 

[davidcalgary29]

Just the recommended amount. So I should go ahead and dose some more? Also I’m running 2 air stones in the tank now. Is there such a thing as too much oxygen?

You're in no danger of overoxygenation under these circumstances. If possible, just do a complete water change (at the appropriate salinity and temperature) -- I'd go to Prime if that does nothing. Anoxic conditions usually resolve fairly quickly when water flow improves and the surface tension is broken to allow better gas exchange, so you might be dealing with some type of contaminant, too.

 

[Tnops]

You're in no danger of overoxygenation under these circumstances. If possible, just do a complete water change (at the appropriate salinity and temperature) -- I'd go to Prime if that does nothing. Anoxic conditions usually resolve fairly quickly when water flow improves and the surface tension is broken to allow better gas exchange, so you might be dealing with some type of contaminant, too.

Speaking of contaminants I had 2 rounds of prazi pro in that tank. The last dose was a week before the wrasse was added. Maybe that’s the problem? I did do a 30% water change before adding the wrasse

 

[davidcalgary29]

I would doubt it. I've created anoxic conditions in the past by dosing NoPox without using an airstone (and creating a bacterial bloom), but the situation was improved rapidly by adding an airstone. Which doesn't seem to be helping you. Can't you get the wrasse into another quarantine tank?

 

[Tnops]

I would doubt it. I've created anoxic conditions in the past by dosing NoPox without using an airstone (and creating a bacterial bloom), but the situation was improved rapidly by adding an airstone. Which doesn't seem to be helping you. Can't you get the wrasse into another quarantine tank?

Yea I mentioned that I have another qt tank with a hawkfish and dwarf angelfish in it but its salinity is 35 ppt meanwhile the wrasse’s salinity is a bit below 20 ppt as the lfs ran hypo and I added prazipro to it 2 days ago to kill flukes. I fear that since I only added the wrasse yesterday and the change in salinity it would be too stressful for it. What do you think?

 

[davidcalgary29]

Well don't do that. Don't you have a garbage bag or tote that you can turn into a temporary QT? Just add new water, a heater, and the airstones, and see if that improves breathing.

 

[Lavey29]

Yea I mentioned that I have another qt tank with a hawkfish and dwarf angelfish in it but its salinity is 35 ppt meanwhile the wrasse’s salinity is a bit below 20 ppt as the lfs ran hypo and I added prazipro to it 2 days ago to kill flukes. I fear that since I only added the wrasse yesterday and the change in salinity it would be too stressful for it. What do you think?

Why were they running him in hypo? Did he have ich? Wrasses are very disease resistant. I would bring that salinity up some and keep the airstone in. Is your RODI clean?

 

[Jekyl]

What tests? I wouldn't trust API. First day of having the fish in there wouldn't spike ammonia.

 

[Tnops]

Why were they running him in hypo? Did he have ich? Wrasses are very disease resistant. I would bring that salinity up some and keep the airstone in. Is your RODI clean?

Lfs run their stuff hypo to minimize disease in all their fish and to save money I think

 

[Tnops]

What tests? I wouldn't trust API. First day of having the fish in there wouldn't spike ammonia.

Yea it was API. I don’t have anything else on my at the moment

 

[Jekyl]

Yea it was API. I don’t have anything else on my at the moment

I would Starr a post in the disease forum. Include white light pics and a video. Explain in there what's going on. Not sold this is an ammonia issue. It takes a little while for things to break down into ammonia.

 

[Tnops]

Well don't do that. Don't you have a garbage bag or tote that you can turn into a temporary QT? Just add new water, a heater, and the airstones, and see if that improves breathing.

It seems to be getting better. It has settled now and when swimming it only occasionally gulped some air compared to before where it was constantly gulping the air. I hope this is because things are getting better and not because it is getting overly exhausted. I am going to do a 30% water change to be safe

 

[Tnops]

I would Starr a post in the disease forum. Include white light pics and a video. Explain in there what's going on. Not sold this is an ammonia issue. It takes a little while for things to break down into ammonia.

What is the disease forum? Also it seems to be getting better