Pyamid Butterflyfish in QT breathing heavy

[lexinverts]

Hello, All:

I have three pyramid butterflyfish in my QT that I am prophylactically treating with general cure. The fish looked perfect and were eating really well for several days. I added the first dose of API general cure last night, and now this morning the fish seem to be breathing heavy and aren't eating as well. The ammonia badge reads 0 so it is not an ammonia spike. Any idea what this could be?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

 

[HotRocks]

Hello, All:

I have three pyramid butterflyfish in my QT that I am prophylactically treating with general cure. The fish looked perfect and were eating really well for several days. I added the first dose of API general cure last night, and now this morning the fish seem to be breathing heavy and aren't eating as well. The ammonia badge reads 0 so it is not an ammonia spike. Any idea what this could be?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

How is your oxygenation in your tank? Prazi weighs heavily on the available oxygen in the aquarium. Need heavy aeration at the surface. Airstone, HOB crashing water down, whatever you can do to agitate the water at the surface.

 

[lexinverts]

How is your oxygenation in your tank? Prazi weighs heavily on the available oxygen in the aquarium. Need heavy aeration at the surface. Airstone, HOB crashing water down, whatever you can do to agitate the water at the surface.

Thank you! I'll add an airstone.

 

[HotRocks]

Thank you! I'll add an airstone.

You can also aim wavemaker upward so that the surface of the water flows like a river this will help tremendously. You should see a rather quick improvement if this is the issue at hand.

 

[foxt]

FWIW, I have had issues with ammonia badges in the past, and don't rely solely on them. If it seems like ammonia might be an issue, just check it with a test kit - worst thing that can happen is that you can confirm that it is zero.

 

[lexinverts]

How is your oxygenation in your tank? Prazi weighs heavily on the available oxygen in the aquarium. Need heavy aeration at the surface. Airstone, HOB crashing water down, whatever you can do to agitate the water at the surface.

I added an air stone and the fish were back to breathing normally again within 5 minutes.

@HotRocks you Rock!