Sailfin fish dying
- Thread starter AJR82
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vetteguy53081
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Could use a clearer pic under bright lighting. First glance may suggest velvet but cannot confirm without more lighting
Is fish eating
are either breathing normal or rapid?
Has tang been swimming into path of water flow ?
How was tang acclimated/introduced and for how long ?
Sharkbait19
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The fins look really damaged - was it like that when you got it?
What other fish are in the tank and how long have they been there?
Have any of them exhibited any issues or been treated for anything during the time you have had them?
Have you had any deaths in the tank since you set it up?
Do you have coral or invertebrates?
Do you have aragonite gravel or live rock or calcareous rocks in the tank?
Which water quality tests do you perform and with which test kits? current readings?
Have any of them exhibited any issues or been treated for anything during the time you have had them?
Have you had any deaths in the tank since you set it up?
Do you have coral or invertebrates?
Do you have aragonite gravel or live rock or calcareous rocks in the tank?
Which water quality tests do you perform and with which test kits? current readings?
Jay Hemdal
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Fish Medic
Welcome to Reef2Reef!
Looks like the Fish Medics are on this for you!
Please just answer their questions ASAP and we'll try to help out....a short video would help as well.
Jay
Looks like the Fish Medics are on this for you!
Please just answer their questions ASAP and we'll try to help out....a short video would help as well.
Jay
OP
OP
AJR82
New Member
Fish was eating the night before and looked fine.
It does have heavy breathing and rapid breathing
Tang stays towards bottom of tank near some rocks not near water flow
Tang was acclimated for about 20-30 minutes. (just set bag on water)
Fins were not like that when purchased.
Only other fish in there are a damsel and apogonidae have been in there nearly 2 months and have shown no signs of sickness. (Damsel is showing similar but less extreme symptoms like the tang)
Nothing has been treated for the tank in the time fish have been introduced.
No deaths so far
Yes invertebrates snails and small cleaner hermit crabs.
I have calcareous rocks in the tank that have began to grow bacteria but that’s it.
Use hydrometer to measure Salinity levels.
It does have heavy breathing and rapid breathing
Tang stays towards bottom of tank near some rocks not near water flow
Tang was acclimated for about 20-30 minutes. (just set bag on water)
Fins were not like that when purchased.
Only other fish in there are a damsel and apogonidae have been in there nearly 2 months and have shown no signs of sickness. (Damsel is showing similar but less extreme symptoms like the tang)
Nothing has been treated for the tank in the time fish have been introduced.
No deaths so far
Yes invertebrates snails and small cleaner hermit crabs.
I have calcareous rocks in the tank that have began to grow bacteria but that’s it.
Use hydrometer to measure Salinity levels.
Sharkbait19
10K Club member
What are the current params (specifically ammonia)?
Torn up fins like that would lead me to believe aggression from the damsel, though rapid breathing is also a symptom of velvet.
Torn up fins like that would lead me to believe aggression from the damsel, though rapid breathing is also a symptom of velvet.
The breathing is very rapid, about 175 per minute. That is a symptom of velvet.
Appears to be some white spots on the body, although they could be on the glass. On the body would be signs of ich.
The ragged fins are serious and could be from the damsel for sure. The damsel could have also inflicted damage to the body and all of the stress could contribute to the high breathing rate. If I understand your first post, the fins and body were normal the previous night?
Do you notice any mucus or slime on the tang?
First thing I would do is isolate the damsel from the tang. Even if the damsel did not create the issues, the weakened state of the tang will tempt the damsel to do more damage.
If the white spots are on the fish and not the glass, or if slime/mucus are present you will need to begin copper treatment for possible ich/velvet. Problem is that you cannot perform that treatment in the display tank with live rock, aragonite, calcareous rock or invertebrates. Also, you will need to treat all of the fish because of the likelihood they will all be carriers of the parasites. Your tank will need to remain fishless (fallow) for 6 to 8 weeks to insure the life cycle of the parasites is broken.
The link below explains how to set up a QT.
Note, if the parasite is velvet, you will need to move quickly. Velvet is a quick killer.
Appears to be some white spots on the body, although they could be on the glass. On the body would be signs of ich.
The ragged fins are serious and could be from the damsel for sure. The damsel could have also inflicted damage to the body and all of the stress could contribute to the high breathing rate. If I understand your first post, the fins and body were normal the previous night?
Do you notice any mucus or slime on the tang?
First thing I would do is isolate the damsel from the tang. Even if the damsel did not create the issues, the weakened state of the tang will tempt the damsel to do more damage.
If the white spots are on the fish and not the glass, or if slime/mucus are present you will need to begin copper treatment for possible ich/velvet. Problem is that you cannot perform that treatment in the display tank with live rock, aragonite, calcareous rock or invertebrates. Also, you will need to treat all of the fish because of the likelihood they will all be carriers of the parasites. Your tank will need to remain fishless (fallow) for 6 to 8 weeks to insure the life cycle of the parasites is broken.
The link below explains how to set up a QT.
Note, if the parasite is velvet, you will need to move quickly. Velvet is a quick killer.
Another question, do you have any wave pumps or equipment in the tank with which the tang may have tangled? That or the damsel are the only ideas I have about that much damage to the fins and body just overnight.
