Yellow head sleeper goby breathing erratically

[helms20]

So I just setup a new tank and moved my live rock and livestock to a new tank. Been a week now and my goby is breathing erratically and doesnt appear to be eating.

I added a fiji blue devil and the only other things in the tank are 2 clowns, 5 snails, and 1 peppermint shrimp. Everything else is doing fine but the goby doesnt seem to be.

Here is a video of what I saw him doing today. My wife says he was eating 2 days ago for sure.

Fyi. The fiji blue devil has been behaving himself as far as I have seen.

 

[helms20]

Also I added new dry rock to the tank. I did a blea h bath and an rodi soak for 1 week each. Then let it dry out before I added it to the new tank.

My daughter says the ammonia is .25, but not 100% sure as I left the test for 15 minutes before she checked. I did a 33% water change today and the ammonia is reading 0 afterwards.

 

[helms20]

Just ran nitrite and it is .5.

 

[Mjrenz]

If you're using an api kit to test for ammonia I wouldn't completly trust it and the color does tend to change if you let it sit longer. Did you let the tank cycle?

 

[helms20]

Well I moved 55lbs of live rock so no I didnt let it cycle once i did that.

 

[Mjrenz]

Well I moved 55lbs of live rock so no I didnt let it cycle once i did that.

If you are measuring ammonia and nitrite you may want to add prime to make it safe and then get some bacteria such as biospira. Others will probably chime in soon too

 

[Mjrenz]

If the goby appears to be in distress a methelyne blue bath may be needed as well. Don't do anything yet until the experts comment though. @Frtdrmrose7 @ngoodermuth @HotRocks @4FordFamily @Big G

 

[helms20]

If you are measuring ammonia and nitrite you may want to add prime to make it safe and then get some bacteria such as biospira. Others will probably chime in soon too

This is what I thought about. I am going to do 33% WC's tonight and in the morning. I'm also going to find some bacteria today at lfs to add. Looks like a planning issue on my part. It sucks because I am going out of town Monday

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I would definitely go find some biospira, fritz9000 or some bacteria in a bottle. Sounds like ammonia, and FWIW live rock needs to be fully cured just as a new tank needs to be cycled or the rock will undoubtedly still have die off causing ammonia spikes(unless it’s 100% clean new rock) 1 week isn’t typically long enough to cure rock that had old biological material on it and in it.

 

[helms20]

I would definitely go find some biospira, fritz9000 or some bacteria in a bottle. Sounds like ammonia, and FWIW live rock needs to be fully cured just as a new tank needs to be cycled or the rock will undoubtedly still have die off causing ammonia spikes(unless it’s 100% clean new rock) 1 week isn’t typically long enough to cure rock that had old biological material on it and in it.

I agree 100% but I took the live rock directly out of my old tank dipped into a hyper salinity saltwater mixture to rid any pests for 10 minutes, and then into the new tank I didnt think there would be any die off as I was just transferring from one to another within 20 minutes.

I figured since the live rock was in my old tank for over a year it wouldn't be such an issue

Thank you both for the responses, but I have a question. If i add bacteria today can I do a WC shortly after? I was planning on changing two more 33% WC's to get rid of the toxin. Also what if I run carbon?

 

[helms20]

If you are measuring ammonia and nitrite you may want to add prime to make it safe and then get some bacteria such as biospira. Others will probably chime in soon too

So prime and bacteria or WC's and bacteria?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

The hypo dip likely killed off any biofilter you had along with any pods, etc. this is most likely the cause as you no longer had a biofilter. I would just get biospira and carbon won’t help with ammonia. Do a WC before the biospira.

I agree 100% but I took the live rock directly out of my old tank dipped into a hyper salinity saltwater mixture to rid any pests for 10 minutes, and then into the new tank I didnt think there would be any die off as I was just transferring from one to another within 20 minutes.

I figured since the live rock was in my old tank for over a year it wouldn't be such an issue

Thank you both for the responses, but I have a question. If i add bacteria today can I do a WC shortly after? I was planning on changing two more 33% WC's to get rid of the toxin. Also what if I run carbon?[/QUOTE

 

[Mjrenz]

So prime and bacteria or WC's and bacteria?

If you have prime and no bacteria I'd use the prime now and go get the bacteria. Otherwise the bacteria alone should be ok with wc

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

So prime and bacteria or WC's and bacteria?

Prime will detoxify current ammonia to buy you some time. Tbh you will have die off from the hypo dip killing everything in that rock. You need to establish a new biofilter

 

[helms20]

So an lfs says to add prime and complete start. Prime to detoxify and then complete start to kickstart any bacteria die off.

What do you guys think?

 

[helms20]

Prime will detoxify current ammonia to buy you some time. Tbh you will have die off from the hypo dip killing everything in that rock. You need to establish a new biofilter

Thank you for the advice. I've had the tank for four months planning this move. Big mistake on my part. Thanks again.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

So an lfs says to add prime and complete start. Prime to detoxify and then complete start to kickstart any bacteria die off.

What do you guys think?

I don’t know about complete start, I have experience with biospira and fritz9000 and they both work very well and fast.

 

[helms20]

Per the lfs complete start can cycle a tank in 24 hours, but going to research it quickly. Trying to find biospira locally now.

 

[Mjrenz]

So an lfs says to add prime and complete start. Prime to detoxify and then complete start to kickstart any bacteria die off.

What do you guys think?

I've only used the biospira and it does work fast. Just one caveat about prime though; don't ever use it with copper. Otherwise it does work fast to detoxify

 

[Mjrenz]

Per the lfs complete start can cycle a tank in 24 hours, but going to research it quickly. Trying to find biospira locally now.

Petco usually has it