Powder Blue tang breathing rapidly

[Blue Spot Octopus]

I added a Dottyback that was supposedly ORA, so I did not QT it, I have not seen it since I put the fish in, maybe scared maybe eaten not sure, I have a Powder Blue tang that I have had for over 13 years or more, he is my fish and the reason I am upgrading to a 240 gallon tank.

So the problem is the PBT is hanging in one spot, not usual, breathing fast, so spots or marks, not hungry VERY RARE, the other fish seem fine, all eating.
Any ideas of what disease he might have?

I am thinking hard about catching him and putting him in a QT tank that I have, maybe tonight or early tomorrow.
Thanks in advance

 

[GrandmaRaff]

I would check ammonia level first to see if there is a spike because of a decaying fish. Also he's 13 or more so maybe its his time to go. I just lost a foxface that was more than 5 years old and all the other fish are fine and many are a lot older. I hope its just an ammonia spike and you can control it with Prime and save him.

 

[The0wn4g3]

I had a kole's tang that started breathing rapidly 3 weeks ago ended up being an ich outbreak. I captured, QT'd, and ran cupramine for 2 weeks. He's doing much better now.

You have to weigh the stress of capture vs the natural ability to recover from disease. My rank is a 75 gallon and it was not hard to remove several rocks and net the tang. In hing sight, I think I could have left him in the tank and treated with focus + Metroplex + mysis because he was still eating.

If he is not eating at all, no matter what, it probably best to QT, determine ailment, and treat.

If it is eating, you have to weigh the stress of in tank treatment vs capture and QT.

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

Thank you I checked the Ammonia levels via a API test and it cameback 0.50. So I put some Prime in, hopefully, that is what it is. I will also add more air via air pump.

 

[The0wn4g3]

Thank you I checked the Ammonia levels via a API test and it cameback 0.50. So I put some Prime in, hopefully, that is what it is. I will also add more air via air pump.

Can you post a photo or video of the PBT?

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

Hopefully I can net him when he is asleep, it will definitely stress him out being in a QT, that is a PBT weak link.

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

I will post it tomorrow, as usual, he hid, so I cleaned the glass, he hates that, so he comeback out to flash it.

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

Update I was not able to get a good photo of the fish, as soon as he saw the camera he hid behind the rock all day, he went three days no food, so I put more prime in the tank and WOW he is back to his old self and eating, so thanks to everyone it looks like an Amnoina spike.