Red Firefish not doing well after transfer to main tank.

[huckjai]

Hey Reefers,
Not sure what happened. Maybe extreme stress? Video below.

I transferred 2 Firefish from QT to my main tank last night. A red one and a purple one. The red one was in QT with a diamond goby. I transferred the goby to the main tank a few days ago as I wanted to transfer both the red and purple firefish at the same time. Needed a few more days to observe the purple one.

I transferred in the purple one first, at it seemed more timid. It would hide from me most of the time in QT. The red one was always out and about, never scared. No signs of sickness or anything.

The purple firefish hid as soon as it was put in. 15 minutes later I put in the red one. When the purple saw the red, it came out from hiding and both were swimming next to each other fine. No aggression. Then later the red one was acting funny. Darting all over the tank. It finally settled down, and rested between some rocks, but breathing heavily with the mouth constantly open. The purple swam next to it, they were fine with each other. Later, the red moved to the back of the bank, still breathing hard and tucked itself between a rock and the back glass. Woke up this morning, and it was still there. I prodded it and it barely moved. I got it away between the rock and the glass, and it was almost upside down, barely moving and breathing hard. Moved it back into the quarantine tank. Dosed some Kanaplex and Furan 2. Then had to leave for work.

Any idea what could have caused it? I'm certain there was no aggression from any of the other fish. 2 clowns, diamond goby was in his burrow, and new purple firefish.

Hoping he will pull through, but don't have high hopes. He is my 2nd red firefish, as my first red one in QT died almost the same way. Transferred it into intial QT. Next morning it was on the floor breathing hard, and when I got home from work, it was dead. =(

 

[4FordFamily]

Dartfish in general are not the hardiest fish initially. One established, they can be somewhat hardy. One of the more common killers is ammonia.

Do you have a seachem ammonia alert badge on the QT tank? Did you use biospira or a similar product to seed it to aid with the nitrogen cycle to reduce ammonia?

 

[huckjai]

Dartfish in general are not the hardiest fish initially. One established, they can be somewhat hardy. One of the more common killers is ammonia.

Do you have a seachem ammonia alert badge on the QT tank? Did you use biospira or a similar product to seed it to aid with the nitrogen cycle to reduce ammonia?

I do have Seachem Ammonia Alert Badge in QT. I dose a bit of prime daily. Water change every 3 days in QT after TTM was completed. Using microbacter 7 in the filter media. I highly doubt that it was ammonia. He got like that after I transferred him to the main tank. Then I moved him back to QT. Yeah I read that the are easily stressed if going to a new environment.

Matched temp and salinity in QT prior transferring to DT.

Main tank:
Seachem Alert Badge: 0 ammonia
78.5 degrees
1.026 salinity
8.12 PH
0 Nitrites
5ppm Nitrates

 

[4FordFamily]

I do have Seachem Ammonia Alert Badge in QT. I dose a bit of prime daily. Water change every 3 days in QT after TTM was completed. Using microbacter 7 in the filter media. I highly doubt that it was ammonia. He got like that after I transferred him to the main tank. Then I moved him back to QT. Yeah I read that the are easily stressed if going to a new environment.

Matched temp and salinity in QT prior transferring to DT.

Main tank:
Seachem Alert Badge: 0 ammonia
78.5 degrees
1.026 salinity
8.12 PH
0 Nitrites
5ppm Nitrates

Hmm, if the TTM process involved a large tank and transfer, I am not sure how to help. I've tried TTM on several occasions and despite prime, I have had many losses to ammonia. Others have had much more success with this than me.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Firefish are easily intimidated by most other fish and they are intolerant of other firefish. It's normal you dont notice aggression. It's the hiding that indicates it is being intimidated.

An intimidated firefish will hide, stop eating and waste away. A comfortable firefish will be out and aboutall day long.

 

[huckjai]

Firefish are easily intimidated by most other fish and they are intolerant of other firefish. It's normal you dont notice aggression. It's the hiding that indicates it is being intimidated.

An intimidated firefish will hide, stop eating and waste away. A comfortable firefish will be out and aboutall day long.

I wouldn't disagree with that, but I just don't see how he can get so sick like that in a matter of hours. The fish were hardly close to each other the whole time, in a 95 gallon tank with a lot of hiding spaces.

 

[huckjai]

Hmm, if the TTM process involved a large tank and transfer, I am not sure how to help. I've tried TTM on several occasions and despite prime, I have had many losses to ammonia. Others have had much more success with this than me.

Most people say that there shouldn't be enough ammonia build up with TTM if you're transferring to new water every 72 hours. And prime will make your water test positive for ammonia. Did you see ammonia poisoning on your fish?

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Was he out and about in the QT? Could have been stressed and not eating well for a while.

 

[huckjai]

Was he out and about in the QT? Could have been stressed and not eating well for a while.

Fully out and about in QT. I fed him about a half hour before to make sure he had food in his system before the transfer. It was eating normally. Hopefully he is doing ok when I get back home from work. Praying for a recovery. If it passes, don't think I will try to add another firefish. They do seem pretty hard to get established.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Hoping for the best!

They are tough to get established in a tank that already has established fish.

Good luck to you

 

[huckjai]

Hoping for the best!

They are tough to get established in a tank that already has established fish.

Good luck to you

Thx Golden, I guess sometimes stuff just happens and we need to let it go and move on. The fish is only $15, but that's not the point. Just wanted to make sure it had a good life whether is was a $100 or $10 fish.

 

[huckjai]

Just got home from work, and it is still alive. Still breathing, and not as hard as it was this morning. Can't seem to get it to swim. Wouldn't take food from tweezers. It's laying semi upside down. Maybe swim bladder is damaged?