What’s wrong with my Blenny?

[AnAngryDruggist]

Let me start by saying, I’m new to the hobby. With the help of my friends who have had reef tanks for ~2 years, I purchased a used FOWLR 30 gal tank with 10 gal sump last Thursday. Owner reported tank had been up-and-running for 6 months. It came with two large black ocellaris clowns, live rock, and various small snails. We moved the tank in and got it set up without issue. We preserved ~20 gallons of the water already in the tank and topped it off with ~20 gallons of RODI.

On Monday, we made an obligatory trip to our local reef store. I brought home bicolor blenny, yellow watchman goby, banggai cardinal fish, tiger pistol shrimp, various hermit crabs, and various medium sized snails. We introduced without quarantine. All tank mates seemed to acquiesce. I have been feeding the tank a half cube of Hikari frozen mysis shrimp daily since Tuesday.

Fish behavior was normal until last night (Thursday) toward lights-out time, I noticed the blenny seemed to be bothering his tail.

I came to tank this morning (Friday) to discover the blenny lethargic, breathing rapidly, displaying stress colors, with what appears to be whitened mucus around his dorsal fin and possibly upper mouth (not sure if it’s mucus around his mouth or part of his stress coloring). Of note, he did eat this morning when I fed the mysis shrimp.

Alkalinity = 7.7; nitrate = 0.1; Phosphate = 0.02; salinity is high at 1.029 which I was planning to correct with my next water change. I do not have a means to test pH at this time.

I’ve attached 2 photos under bright white light. Any advice and insight is appreciated. Also, since I’m new, I’m not sure which information is relevant to my blenny’s problem, so I’m sorry if I’ve provided any irrelevant details!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Are all of the other fish symptom-free?
What manner of aeration does the tank have? (not just circulation, but something breaking the surface tension or making bubbles)

The rapid breathing implies either low oxygen, or a gill disease. No way to tell which, so you should rule out low oxygen with good aeration, and then that leaves gill disease. Due to the rapid onset, it is probably a protozoan gill disease (possibly bacterial, but unlikely to be flukes). However, to treat that, you would need a separate treatment tank.....

Jay

 

[MnFish1]

Unfortunately - the pictures are kind of dark - but thanks for the white light. The fish looks kind of 'bedraggled' - I can't think of the right word - and I see the film you're talking about. If it is breathing rapidly - I would remove it to a QT tank and given your history - treat with antibiotics. I really wonder about flukes here. I would carefully watch the rest of the fish for any signs of disease. It may also be that the new blenny was bullied resulting in injury - Its not clear that there is an infection - but the breathing - suggests flukes or another parasite to me

 

[MnFish1]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Are all of the other fish symptom-free?
What manner of aeration does the tank have? (not just circulation, but something breaking the surface tension or making bubbles)

The rapid breathing implies either low oxygen, or a gill disease. No way to tell which, so you should rule out low oxygen with good aeration, and then that leaves gill disease. Due to the rapid onset, it is probably a protozoan gill disease (possibly bacterial, but unlikely to be flukes). However, to treat that, you would need a separate treatment tank.....

Jay

I did not see that you had responded it just popped up - I think we agreed though. What you recommend he treat with - to start - in the hospital tank - I was kind of torn - and hoped you would answer

 

[vetteguy53081]

Agree with all- My suspicion is bacterial or marks from scratching
Treatment best with Seachem Neoplex which is a broad spectrum treatment with added oxygen with use of an airstone in a separate quarantine tank

 

[AnAngryDruggist]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Are all of the other fish symptom-free?
What manner of aeration does the tank have? (not just circulation, but something breaking the surface tension or making bubbles)

The rapid breathing implies either low oxygen, or a gill disease. No way to tell which, so you should rule out low oxygen with good aeration, and then that leaves gill disease. Due to the rapid onset, it is probably a protozoan gill disease (possibly bacterial, but unlikely to be flukes). However, to treat that, you would need a separate treatment tank.....

Jay

Thanks for your reply! My tank has a reef octopus classic protein skimmer for aeration/filtration. The only other fish that may have symptoms is the male clown. His one eye is slightly cloudy and he has the tiniest white spot near his tail since Tuesday that my friends thought was related to his very brief (<3 second) escape onto my floor during the tank move (oops). I haven’t noticed any behavior changes with the clown.

 

[MnFish1]

Thanks for your reply! My tank has a reef octopus classic protein skimmer for aeration. The only other fish that may have symptoms is the male clown. His one eye is slightly cloudy and he has the tiniest white spot near his tail since Tuesday that my friends thought was related to his very brief (<3 second) escape onto my floor during the tank move (oops). I haven’t noticed any behavior changes with the clown.

realize the skimmer is not only oxygenating. its also removing treatments

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Just checking - you wrote:
We preserved ~20 gallons of the water already in the tank and topped it off with ~20 gallons of RODI.
You meant 20 gallons of RODI mixed to the proper specific gravity, right?

You might consider doing a 5 minute FW dip on the clown, just to see if that offers any temporary relief (not right away, but tomorrow morning).

Jay

 

[AnAngryDruggist]

Just checking - you wrote:
We preserved ~20 gallons of the water already in the tank and topped it off with ~20 gallons of RODI.
You meant 20 gallons of RODI mixed to the proper specific gravity, right?

You might consider doing a 5 minute FW dip on the clown, just to see if that offers any temporary relief (not right away, but tomorrow morning).

Jay

Yes- SG of the water we added was 1.026.