Lionfish breathing hard

[miz1219]

I just my new 55 gal. I've cycled it for 2 weeks w/ 6 damsels. I test it daily all results are good, so I took my 2 shortfin lionfishs, 1 dwarf zebralionfish, and my 5 inch niger trigger out my 29 to put in there, when i did so all the fish seem to be fine eating, swimming, etc. but my big shortfin is breathing hard and laying on the bottom. He is also losing some color on his crown of his head....anyone familiar with this problem if so what is it and what can I do to treat it??? Do I need to do a water change??? Ammonia .25 PH 8.2 Nitrates 25 high range, 5.0 low range Nitrites .2

 

[beth]

miz, 2 weeks does not even approach the time that is needed to safely complete a cycle. And adding all those fish at once only compounds the problem. Your water conditions are just poor for marine life...even lethal. If the conditions in the 29 are good, acclimate your fish back to the original tank.
Also, those fish are too big for a 55.

 

[rainbowsix]

wow all those in a 29, got very lucky they lived to begin with. By putting all that in the 55 before it was even cycled just jumpstarted a hard cycle, therefore all your fish will be dead most likely in 24 hours

 

[sepulatian]

I agree with Beth, it would be best to acclimate them back into the 29 if the parameters are good in there. Did you get rid of the damsels?

 

[tangwhispr]

You are doing great if your goal is to kill off all your livestock...tanks take time...you had enough smarts to post here with your problem, take a few min to search and learn about proper tank cycling