YWG breathing fast and looking unwell

[Lou's Reef]

Does he seem ok? Nitrates are around 45 (waiting on more water from lfs for wc) nitrite 0 ammonia 0. Tank is around 2 months old and he is the only fish so far. He’s only been in there for 3 days, ate today. Ty.

 

[NotReefsafe]

I am nowhere near an expert but you haven't gotten a response yet so I'll chime in. Nitrates are high, and wc should be done ASAP. The goby does look to be breathing a little heavy. No other tank you can put it in?


Haven't watched it, but may be of use to you

 

[Lou's Reef]

That’s what I expected, this is my first reef tank and my first marine fish overall. I’ll be on the wc asap and I’m looking into a dude.

 

[olonmv]

the video won’t load up for me. I’m not convinced it’s the nitrates. My sons tank is off the hanna checker charts and his lil tailspot blenny is happy. How old is your tank? Have you had any recent bacterial blooms? When that happens they can starve a tank of oxygen. Try placing an airtube into tank and oxygenating the tank.
Let’s get a #fishmedic in here to give a better opinion.

 

[Lou's Reef]

the video won’t load up for me. I’m not convinced it’s the nitrates. My sons tank is off the hanna checker charts and his lil tailspot blenny is happy. How old is your tank? Have you had any recent bacterial blooms? When that happens they can starve a tank of oxygen. Try placing an airtube into tank and oxygenating the tank.
Let’s get a #fishmedic in here to give a better opinion.

This is the first fish in the tank has been cycling around 2 months. I’m not sure I would be able to indenting a bloom. Im considerering upping my surface agitation anyway.

 

[olonmv]

This is the first fish in the tank has been cycling around 2 months. I’m not sure I would be able to indenting a bloom. Im considerering upping my surface agitation anyway.

Surface agitation would be advised. You need a way for gas transfer. A bloom typically looks like chalky water.

 

[Lou's Reef]

This is the first fish in the tank has been cycling around 2 months. I’m not sure I would be able to indenting a bloom. Im considerering upping my surface agitation anyway.

Surface agitation would be advised. You need a way for gas transfer. A bloom typically looks like chalky water.

just tested salinity and its sitting around 1.028, could this be the issue, if so whats my path of action from here

 

[Lou's Reef]

just tested salinity and its sitting around 1.028, could this be the issue, if so whats my path of action from here

The fish seems to be slowing down and having trouble swimming It looks like hes on the way out.

 

[Dav2996]

The fish seems to be slowing down and having trouble swimming It looks like hes on the way out.

What’s the PH? Usually they breathe heavy because of low O2. Turn on fans, open windows, use air stones. 60 nitrates can kill fish.

 

[NotReefsafe]

Make sure to always have RODI water on hand to "top off" your aquarium. This should be done frequently if you don't have an auto top off unit.

But for now, you don't have RODI water on hand I assume. Can you add treated tap water (fresh, not salt)?

Adding fresh water (and taking out salt, if necessary) will lower the salinity to a healthier level.

 

[Dav2996]

The fish seems to be slowing down and having trouble swimming It looks like hes on the way out.

I have had PH issues in tanks before that killed fish. Skimmers, refugiums, fans, will all raise ph. Aim return pump nozzles straight up to create most agitation.

 

[Lou's Reef]

Make sure to always have RODI water on hand to "top off" your aquarium. This should be done frequently if you don't have an auto top off unit.

But for now, you don't have RODI water on hand I assume. Can you add treated tap water (fresh, not salt)?

Adding fresh water (and taking out salt, if necessary) will lower the salinity to a healthier level.

I have some rodi on hand for top off and have been adding it slowly to the tank I have a window open and have adjusted the flow for more agitation.

 

[Lou's Reef]

What’s the PH? Usually they breathe heavy because of low O2. Turn on fans, open windows, use air stones. 60 nitrates can kill fish.

I don't have a test for ph yet but I'm doing what i can to raise it

 

[olonmv]

just tested salinity and its sitting around 1.028, could this be the issue, if so whats my path of action from here

I lean more towards a lack of oxygen being the culprit rather than the salinity being off. Like mentioned before. Drop an air stone in and create some surface agitation for gas exchange. To lower salinity, go slow. Remove a couple of cups or three of saltwater daily and replenish with rodi until desired level is reached ~1.025. I don’t think salinity is the culprit either. I’ve brought home fish from an LFS with 1.030 before.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

My thought is a gill disease. The symptoms where the fish was doing fine for 2/3 days and then is acting odd tends to mean it is something in the tank that has changed. Diseases do that, they get worse over time. If it were low oxygen, that would have been an issue since you added the fish. The nitrate level is not good for corals, but fish will have no problem with that. The salinity is high, but it was that high all along, so that isn't it either.

It's a new fish, it may have carried a gill disease in with it from the store (unless it was quarantined by you or the store?).

If it is still alive this morning, give us an update and we can figure out if a treatment is warranted.

Jay

 

[Lou's Reef]

My thought is a gill disease. The symptoms where the fish was doing fine for 2/3 days and then is acting odd tends to mean it is something in the tank that has changed. Diseases do that, they get worse over time. If it were low oxygen, that would have been an issue since you added the fish. The nitrate level is not good for corals, but fish will have no problem with that. The salinity is high, but it was that high all along, so that isn't it either.

It's a new fish, it may have carried a gill disease in with it from the store (unless it was quarantined by you or the store?).

If it is still alive this morning, give us an update and we can figure out if a treatment is warranted.

Jay

It died this morning I'm going to speak with my LFS this afternoon, they have a very strict qt process but a disease seems like the likely cause.

 

[Lou's Reef]

My thought is a gill disease. The symptoms where the fish was doing fine for 2/3 days and then is acting odd tends to mean it is something in the tank that has changed. Diseases do that, they get worse over time. If it were low oxygen, that would have been an issue since you added the fish. The nitrate level is not good for corals, but fish will have no problem with that. The salinity is high, but it was that high all along, so that isn't it either.

It's a new fish, it may have carried a gill disease in with it from the store (unless it was quarantined by you or the store?).

If it is still alive this morning, give us an update and we can figure out if a treatment is warranted.

Jay

Would the gill disease kill the fish so quickly? the day before he seemed fine until he started wandering around the tank looking frail. I assume he was also stressed which couldn't help, I'm trying to learn as much as I can to what killed the goby so I don't kill more fish.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Would the gill disease kill the fish so quickly? the day before he seemed fine until he started wandering around the tank looking frail. I assume he was also stressed which couldn't help, I'm trying to learn as much as I can to what killed the goby so I don't kill more fish.

It depends on the gill disease involved: Amyloodinium/velvet can kill fish within 36 hours or so of seeing obvious symptoms. Gill flukes on the other hand may take weeks or even months to kill the fish. Bacterial gill diseases are sort of in between.

Jay

 

[Dav2996]

Would the gill disease kill the fish so quickly? the day before he seemed fine until he started wandering around the tank looking frail. I assume he was also stressed which couldn't help, I'm trying to learn as much as I can to what killed the goby so I don't kill more fish.

There is 2 routes for disease. My Uv sterilizer wipes out a lot of disease but not 100% also clears your water. Had great success without quarrantine.

the other route is get a quarrantine tank. I have such a small tank 4 fish was my max so I do not need to do much and it’s useless to me I can understand somone with a giant tank with 50 fish wanting to quarrantine. I also try and look at the fish before you buy it. Make sure it eats clear eyes and torpedo shaped not skinny. Aggressive and fast very good sign for a fish means they are fighters and healthy. Could wait a month or less going daily to see the fish before buying in case of disease as well. Some stores don’t even add copper and mix them with coral. Copper will kill coral.

 

[Lou's Reef]

There is 2 routes for disease. My Uv sterilizer wipes out a lot of disease but not 100% also clears your water. Had great success without quarrantine.

the other route is get a quarrantine tank. I have such a small tank 4 fish was my max so I do not need to do much and it’s useless to me I can understand somone with a giant tank with 50 fish wanting to quarrantine. I also try and look at the fish before you buy it. Make sure it eats clear eyes and torpedo shaped not skinny. Aggressive and fast very good sign for a fish means they are fighters and healthy. Could wait a month or less going daily to see the fish before buying in case of disease as well. Some stores don’t even add copper and mix them with coral. Copper will kill coral.

My tank is only 13.5 gallons next time I buy a fish I will pay much more attention to its health.