SOS!! SOS!!(?)

LbulletM · Feb 22, 2017

Clown was swimming around happily, eating, swimming, what have you, then out of nowhere he's on the bottom of the tank in the corner, maybe gasping? I tried to grab him with a net and he swam around for a little while then returned to the spot. When the female comes over, he moves a little, then lays back down. I fed a little bit more to see if he would go for it, he didn't swim to the food, but when a pellet came to him, he grabbed and ate it.

He's a juvenile, so I don't think it's spawning behavior. He doesn't appear to have any dicoloring or abrasions. 0 ammonia. Steady 78 degrees and 1.026 SG.

Whites are ramping down, but blues are still on full for a little while longer.

Brew12 · Feb 22, 2017

How long have you had him? Did you put him through any type of QT?

saltyfilmfolks · Feb 22, 2017

keep the whites on and see if you can get a pic.

#reefsquad

LbulletM · Feb 22, 2017

:-( It was literally one minute swimming around eating, next minute here.

LbulletM · Feb 22, 2017

Question mark because a lot of stuff on the Googles says it may be normal? Just tired/sleeping?

LbulletM · Feb 22, 2017

I definitely don't think it's a tank issue. All corals are coloring back up from a botched shipping (didn't arrive until 3:30) including an Acro and a Mille. Euphyllia, zoas, Chalice, Acan Lord, Rose Corals, Blastos, Favia all look happy. CUC is chugging along. Parameters have been stable.

I tried to clear the corner a little better near the silicon using my Flipper Nano and he got up and swam for about a minute, got up behind the female, then right back to where he was. He'll almost do a fluttering thing with his fins like he's trying to flatten out the spot, and then either hold himself up by alternating fins, or lay against some shells to stay upright.

saltyfilmfolks · Feb 22, 2017

So a bunch of new corals today?

LbulletM · Feb 22, 2017

Bunch of new corals last Thursday. All looking happy except for a super bleached Trachy that might be slowly regaining color (I may just be hopeful) and a Bubble that has definitely seen better days, but no brown jelly yet. I also run carbon 24/7, so I don't suspect warfare.

saltyfilmfolks · Feb 22, 2017

No sign of velvet or ick or spots ?
Do you have an ammonia test?

LbulletM · Feb 22, 2017

Full tank coral list:
- 3 hammer
- 2 frogspawn
- torch
- 2 chalice
- 2 favia
- Acan Lord
- 2 Roses
- Trachy
- Lobo
- Bubble
- Unknown maybe Pachy?
- Candy Cane
- Mille
- Acro
- 7 zoa
- Ricordia
- Blasto
- Cyphasterea

Everything looks very happy except the Trachy and Bubble, and that's from shipping. I thought maybe he got tagged by a hammer or torch, but do not see any markings.

LbulletM · Feb 22, 2017

No sign of distress at all. No spots. No growths. Coloration is perfect.

Ammonia tested immediately after he laid down with Red Sea. Tested 0 as mentioned in first post. Ammonia Alert badge also showing 0 ppm. Nitrates ~15ppm. Nitrites 0.

LbulletM · Feb 22, 2017

Literally did an ammonia test, popped a goose egg, and then ran up to post this.

saltyfilmfolks · Feb 22, 2017

Dang. No its not normal imo. Id try to get o2 into the tank, and probably prep a treatment tank if you have one. Methylene blue I believe is what you'll want.
Id like the fish experts to chime in..

@Humblefish Are you up?

Maritimer · Feb 22, 2017

Possible gasping has me wondering about flukes... Has this guy ever been treated for them?

A freshwater dip can help (though not eradicate) and can let you know if they're there - see this excellent explanation by @melypr1985:

http://reef2reef.com/ams/video-how-to-do-a-freshwater-dip.214/

She and Humblefish are our resident piscine illness gurus and go-tos - in fact the Disease forum can keep them so busy at times I wonder how they manage it!

The other possibility that's rummaging about in my mind would be an internal parasite. What's this little fellow's poop been like lately?

~Bruce

melypr1985 · Feb 22, 2017

His behavior makes me think Brook. The new corals could have brought in any number of parasites. Can you get a picture of the clown from the side? Can you do a freshwater dip like Bruce suggested?

Frop · Feb 22, 2017

When I first got my fish he would go haywire when I turned the blue lights on. Then I turned them off he'd go calm. He calmed down after a few days.

TroutbumNV · Feb 22, 2017

Video may be helpful, id like to see its breathing.

LbulletM · Feb 22, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
Dang. No its not normal imo. Id try to get o2 into the tank, and probably prep a treatment tank if you have one. Methylene blue I believe is what you'll want.
Id like the fish experts to chime in..

@Humblefish Are you up?

Thanks for the shout!

Maritimer said:
Possible gasping has me wondering about flukes... Has this guy ever been treated for them?

A freshwater dip can help (though not eradicate) and can let you know if they're there - see this excellent explanation by @melypr1985:

http://reef2reef.com/ams/video-how-to-do-a-freshwater-dip.214/

She and Humblefish are our resident piscine illness gurus and go-tos - in fact the Disease forum can keep them so busy at times I wonder how they manage it!

The other possibility that's rummaging about in my mind would be an internal parasite. What's this little fellow's poop been like lately?

~Bruce

Was not treated, just observed in QT for 2 weeks. Gonna go read that article before bed, but I'm out of RODI. I'll have to make some tomorrow. Hopefully it's not too late with such sudden onset of symptoms.

melypr1985 said:
His behavior makes me think Brook. The new corals could have brought in any number of parasites. Can you get a picture of the clown from the side? Can you do a freshwater dip like Bruce suggested?

I'll try to get a pic from the side! Freshwater will most likely have to wait until tomorrow unless it's super important that it happens right now. If it has to, I'll stay up and go make some RODI and heat it.

Frop said:
When I first got my fish he would go haywire when I turned the blue lights on. Then I turned them off he'd go calm. He calmed down after a few days.

I've had him in the DT for a couple of weeks now, so unfortunately I don't think that's it. Can I pretend it is though? I like that option a lot more than the others hahaha.

Chased him with the scraper again and he swam around for a couple of minutes before going back to the same spot. Is it a good or a bad sign that he goes back to the exact same spot every time?