Kole Jumped from qt

[dbmtrman]

I have a Kole Tang that has been in (qt 24 gal aquapod) for 3 weeks. The last two in hypo from ich. There hasn't been a sign of ich in over a week and a half, and he was doing very well. He was eating well, and hanging down near the bottom of the tank, using the pvc for cover when he felt uncomfortable. The qt is set up in another room and late last night we heard a loud noise followed by flapping sound. I immediately went into the room and found the Kole on the tile floor. I immediately put him back into the tank and he was out of the water for maybe 20 seconds.
I'm not sure what startled him or caused him to jump. Once he got back in he definately wasn't acting normal. He appeared to have difficulty swimming upright. He would flip upside down momentarily, nose down and his tail would come over the top. By morning he was swimming upright, but only along the top of the tank, with his top fin cutting the surface. He doesn't go down at all. He didn't eat this morning, and I kept the lights off all day, just to try and lower the stress somewhat. Tonight, I fed him his favorite homemade fish food, with selcon and garlic. He didn't react at all, unless I put the turkey baster right in front of him, then he ate a little bit. He doesn't however react to any of the food floating around. It is like he is blind. He stays on the surface, and doesn't even react if I put my finger in the water right in front of him. That is definately not like him. Could he be blind? or still just in shock? What course of action should I take?

 

[sepulatian]

What happened recently? It could be a power surge through the tank. Koles are not jumper fish. The fact that he was in there for three weeks and acting normal, then this, tells me that something just happened within the tank. Check your outlet for stray voltage, or maybe you know something else that has changed.

 

[dbmtrman]

Not sure what has changed. I also have a Koran Angel and a blue spotted watchman goby in also, and they seemed fine. Koran acted a little weird when the kole first got back in the tank, but then returned to his normal behavior. I did a partial water change about 6 hours before the kole jumped out, but otherwise can't think of anything else.

 

[dbmtrman]

Just got home from work and kole is still swimming around the top of the tank, with his head breaking the water surface. He actually brings his eyes up and out of the water and the sinks slightly back down. He is actively swimming. I have had the lights on dim all day for the 2nd day, and he doesn't even react when they come on. I tried feeding mysis right into his mouth with the turkey baster, and he seems to get excited, but can't catch any. He reacts, but doesn't chase. I tried holding some nori in front of him. he again reacts and takes a small bite, when it is in his mouth, but doesn't chase after it. I swear he is acting like he is blind. What can I do? SG is at 1.009. Should I start to raise slowly, or is the hypo reducing stress on him? I hate seeing him like this. Not sure if he going to get better or what.

 

[beth]

What are your water readings?
You have a lot of fish in a small QT, that may be a contributing factor.

 

[dbmtrman]

sg- 1.009, ammonia-0, nitrites-0, nitrates- 20, ph-7.6. The night he jumped out the ph was 7.6 and I used seachem marine buffer mixed with fresh water, to rais it up to 8.2, but it has since gone back down. I have a juvenile koran angel and a blue spotted watchman goby in the 24 gal qt with the kole. The koran and kole got along great, always hung out together in the same pvc tube.

 

[dbmtrman]

The watchman is in a small 1 inch pvc pipe and only pokes his head out to eat. The rest of the time he is hiding. I do have a 29 qt that is cycling at 1.025 sg, but nitrites are still high in there, and not coming down very fast. Would going back up (over a gradual period)to a normal salinity level put to much stress on the tang?

 

[sepulatian]

The 24 gallon is fine for the three of them. When you do water changes do you mix the water at 1.009 with the buffer in it for 24-48 hours? The ph fluctiations would be a problem for the fish. I would not bring the SG up yet. Hyposaline water reduces stress for the fish. I realy don't see, unless the fish were in there over six weeks, which they have not, the reduced salinity being the issue here.

 

[beth]

The rather low pH may have well made the situation uncomfortable enough to make the fish restless/uncomfortable. Ph needs to watched daily while fish are in hypo.
What kind of water circulation do have going in that tank?

 

[dbmtrman]

I upgraded from the stock pump on the aquapod to 500 g/h, and also added a small rio 90.

 

[sepulatian]

How do you do water changes? Is he looking any better? The added water flow will help.

 

[dbmtrman]

Well he didn't make it. yesterday he got progressively worse, and wasn't able to swim upright. He layed on his side and spun around in circles. He was folded over in half also. Not sure what happened. Water all tests fine.
I was doing a 20% water change every other day. I added the ph to the mixed water, and then about a half hour I put two large airstones in the water and a heater, that matched the temp of the tank. When it was matching temp, I used a small powerhead and pumped the new water into the back compartment of the qt.
What causes the ph to drop? When I added buffer to the new water, the tank reading was at 8.2, then two days later just before I did the water change it had dropped back down to 7.6

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by dbmtrman
Well he didn't make it. yesterday he got progressively worse, and wasn't able to swim upright. He layed on his side and spun around in circles. He was folded over in half also. Not sure what happened. Water all tests fine.
I was doing a 20% water change every other day. I added the ph to the mixed water, and then about a half hour I put two large airstones in the water and a heater, that matched the temp of the tank. When it was matching temp, I used a small powerhead and pumped the new water into the back compartment of the qt.
What causes the ph to drop? When I added buffer to the new water, the tank reading was at 8.2, then two days later just before I did the water change it had dropped back down to 7.6
The ph can drop durring hyposalinity because there is less buffer in the water. Salt mixes already have ph and alk buffers in them. When there is less salt in the water there is less buffer as well. It is best to allow the buffer to mix thoroughly, 24 hrs, with a powerhead. Others have had success adding the buffer directly to the tank, which I do not recommend, or only mixing it slightly. Many other posters have reported problems if they don't allow it to mix. It is much better IMO to allow the buffer to mix well. It reduces the fluxuations. I am very sorry to hear that your Kole didn't make it.