What counts as "rapid" breathing, anyway? VIDEO

[ShrimpBandit]

I've got a lawnmower blenny who doesn't seem particularly lethargic, has good color and what seems like a healthy appetite.

However, it also seems like he's got some rapid breathing going on, and maybe some redness around the gills? I might be a little paranoid, but I have a hospital tank prepared.

If this is perfectly normal, I won't stress him out with a trip to QT. Thoughts?

 

[Chrisv.]

@Jay Hemdal

 

[fish farmer]

That fish is really skinny and needs food. The excessive gilling is a concern as well.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I've got a lawnmower blenny who doesn't seem particularly lethargic, has good color and what seems like a healthy appetite.

However, it also seems like he's got some rapid breathing going on, and maybe some redness around the gills? I might be a little paranoid, but I have a hospital tank prepared.

If this is perfectly normal, I won't stress him out with a trip to QT. Thoughts?

Agree with @fish farmer - this fish is very emaciated. What happens is that they get thin and then use their liver for energy. At some point, that goes too far and the fish starts to develop a systemic problem. There is no cure once it reaches this point, sorry.

I see this a lot with lawnmower blennies - they eat, but get thinner and thinner. Some people say it is due to internal parasites, but it could also be due to "malabsorption" where the fish eats lots of food, but it isn't a type where they can digest it well. I've really never had luck with this species except in big tanks with lots of algae.

That all said, how long have you had the fish? I can't rule out a gill disease combined with being thin. Are the other fish all free of symptoms?

Jay

 

[ShrimpBandit]

Agree with @fish farmer - this fish is very emaciated. What happens is that they get thin and then use their liver for energy. At some point, that goes too far and the fish starts to develop a systemic problem. There is no cure once it reaches this point, sorry.

I see this a lot with lawnmower blennies - they eat, but get thinner and thinner. Some people say it is due to internal parasites, but it could also be due to "malabsorption" where the fish eats lots of food, but it isn't a type where they can digest it well. I've really never had luck with this species except in big tanks with lots of algae.

That all said, how long have you had the fish? I can't rule out a gill disease combined with being thin. Are the other fish all free of symptoms?

Jay

Thank you. Sadly, this one died last night. I got him maybe six weeks ago when the tank had a lot more algae and have been supplementing with nori and seaweed extreme. However, I also got some CUC that may have been too effective in algae cleanup, but I didn't worry because I saw him continue to eat. In the last week or so, I thought he was getting thinner, but the other observers of my tank told me he seemed fine and that I was just worrying too much.

Poor guy. Everyone else in the tank is symptom-free.

I'm not sure I'd get another lawnmower blenny, but is there anything else you can do to supplement their diet once algae is under control?

 

[fish farmer]

Thank you. Sadly, this one died last night. I got him maybe six weeks ago when the tank had a lot more algae and have been supplementing with nori and seaweed extreme. However, I also got some CUC that may have been too effective in algae cleanup, but I didn't worry because I saw him continue to eat. In the last week or so, I thought he was getting thinner, but the other observers of my tank told me he seemed fine and that I was just worrying too much.

Poor guy. Everyone else in the tank is symptom-free.

I'm not sure I'd get another lawnmower blenny, but is there anything else you can do to supplement their diet once algae is under control?

When I had one in a larger tank with more algae, it would take algae wafers, literally come up mid tank and catch them when they dropped.