Watchman Goby Breathing Hard

[aLu]

I know this is something that is talked about but couldn’t find my specific issue. New goby is breathing hard from store and is quarantined with 3 other fish. I have started copper but have not gotten all the way up to 2.5 yet. All other fish seem normal and are eating fine. He is breathing hard, haven’t seen him eat, doesn’t appear to be coughing, and is moving around for as much as a watchman goby moves. Was thinking about FW dip but not coughing so not sure if flukes are the problem. Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I know this is something that is talked about but couldn’t find my specific issue. New goby is breathing hard from store and is quarantined with 3 other fish. I have started copper but have not gotten all the way up to 2.5 yet. All other fish seem normal and are eating fine. He is breathing hard, haven’t seen him eat, doesn’t appear to be coughing, and is moving around for as much as a watchman goby moves. Was thinking about FW dip but not coughing so not sure if flukes are the problem. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Can you post a short video? That can help with see the actual respiration rate.
How long has the goby been in your tank?

What copper product are you using and what test kit? You can take Coppersafe up to full dose quite quickly - I often move fish right into full dose. I'm guess that's what you are using as Copper Power and Cupramine are dosed at 2 and .5 ppm respectively,

Jay

 

[maleks.reef]

I know this is something that is talked about but couldn’t find my specific issue. New goby is breathing hard from store and is quarantined with 3 other fish. I have started copper but have not gotten all the way up to 2.5 yet. All other fish seem normal and are eating fine. He is breathing hard, haven’t seen him eat, doesn’t appear to be coughing, and is moving around for as much as a watchman goby moves. Was thinking about FW dip but not coughing so not sure if flukes are the problem. Any suggestions would be helpful.

If its a new addition then it just might be normal stress. Have you tried target feeding?

 

[vetteguy53081]

If its a new addition then it just might be normal stress. Have you tried target feeding?

Heavy breathing is not normal stress and agree with jay on immediate treatment. Ive had many watchmen and normal breathing has been the consensus. Likely infected gills or similar.
Last thing one wants to do is to try and feed a fish that is laboring to breathe.

 

[aLu]

I am using copper power and haven’t tried to target feed yet. I have had him for two days and was going to try to get him to eat tomorrow.

 

[aLu]

Also I am using a Hanna checker for copper and am at around 1.5 on the checker today. Like I said over the next day or two I will increase to the 2.5ppm. I can do it quicker if you think he needs it but usually go slower.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Also I am using a Hanna checker for copper and am at around 1.5 on the checker today. Like I said over the next day or two I will increase to the 2.5ppm. I can do it quicker if you think he needs it but usually go slower.

Tough to see at the angle, but it looks really skinny. It may have gone without food for too long at this point - perhaps far back in the supply chain. One other possible cause for this - if the salinity of the store's tank was substantially lower than yours (say a specific gravity rise of 1.020 to 1.025) the fish will dehydrate, even with acclimation, with smaller fish faring worse. This can cause the fish to suddenly look skinny and can cause rapid breathing.

While the fish could still have a gill disease (which getting it into copper soon will help), I can't be sure that it doesn't have a systemic issue causing the rapid breathing and thinness......

Jay

 

[aLu]

So the YWG is still with us but still breathing very hard. I have been able to get him to eat a little and he has been in copper this whole time. I am getting to the end of the copper treatment on the other fish in there and plan on moving them to the DT. However I am going to keep him and the other YWG in the quarantine longer. Not sure if maybe still fill flukes and the general cure didn’t do it yet or if something else going on. Any suggestions?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

So the YWG is still with us but still breathing very hard. I have been able to get him to eat a little and he has been in copper this whole time. I am getting to the end of the copper treatment on the other fish in there and plan on moving them to the DT. However I am going to keep him and the other YWG in the quarantine longer. Not sure if maybe still fill flukes and the general cure didn’t do it yet or if something else going on. Any suggestions?

I missed where you said you dosed the tank with General Cure. Did you do both doses? API General Cure has an error in their dosing - they say to dose again after 48 hours, but that won't stop flukes eggs that may be in the tank from hatching out and reinfecting the fish. The normal interval for praziquantel is 7 to 10 days between dose one and two. Did the General Cure offer ANY relief though? If it was working, you should have seen a slight improvement in the breathing rate and then a relapse.

Jay

 

[aLu]

The fish ate some which was an improvement and maybe slowed the breathing down some. Honestly if it did it was drastic enough for me to be sure. I have other fish in there with him and they all seem to be doing great. I think I do need to remove some of the PVC as he is very small and hard to see. Will probably wait to do that until the bigger fish go in the DT.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

The fish ate some which was an improvement and maybe slowed the breathing down some. Honestly if it did it was drastic enough for me to be sure. I have other fish in there with him and they all seem to be doing great. I think I do need to remove some of the PVC as he is very small and hard to see. Will probably wait to do that until the bigger fish go in the DT.

Yes - I would wait on removing hiding places until the fish is by itself, you don't want it to feel less secure. Still, moving the other fish out of a QT into a DT with an unknown issue still in progress has some risk associated with it.....

Jay

 

[aLu]

Yea I was thinking that. I don’t think I can tell her but my wife had an awesome idea of using a plastic basket with suction cups. Then putting him in that to keep a better eye while we figure this out. Then the other fish couldn’t get to it anyway.