please help...fish are dying

louti

louti

Member
Okay, I'll try to give as much info as I can.
I noticed this morning that my fuzzy dwarf lion and freckled hawk are breathing very fast. The lion is laying on the bottom of the tank and did not eat. I've had them both for about four months or longer. The tank is a 29 with these two fish, a snowflake eel, and about 20 lbs. of live rock. The fish look healthy, and I cannot see any ick on them, nor have I ever seen any sign of ick in this tank. My paramaters are:
pH-8.0
Ammonia-.25
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-20
Salinity-1.024
Temp-79
I'm concerned because I have never seen them act this way. The only thing that has been changed lately is that I added some carbon last week, but I don't see how that could hurt anything. (I run carbon about one week out of the month).
Also, this tank has a HOB filter and two powerheads.
 
louti

louti

Member
the hawk is eating, the lion ate 2 days ago. not sure why the tank has ammonia. it doesnt have very much, the color looks between the 0 and .25 mark.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by louti
http:///forum/post/2671882
the hawk is eating, the lion ate 2 days ago. not sure why the tank has ammonia. it doesnt have very much, the color looks between the 0 and .25 mark.
It is not unusual for the lion to want to feed less sometimes. How hard are they breathing? I have a fuzzy and a falco. They too will have increased breathing sometimes, but not to the point where they are gasping. Be careful that you are not overfeeding the tank. That could be where the ammonia is coming from.
 
louti

louti

Member
well, i hope it's nothing serious, but they are breathing very quickly, which is not normal. It also is not normal for him to lay on the bottom he is normally perched on the live rock. I'm not as concerned about him not eating, but he has never refused food and usually comes to the front of the tank when he sees me wanting food.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by louti
http:///forum/post/2671919
well, i hope it's nothing serious, but they are breathing very quickly, which is not normal. It also is not normal for him to lay on the bottom he is normally perched on the live rock. I'm not as concerned about him not eating, but he has never refused food and usually comes to the front of the tank when he sees me wanting food.
Can you mix up water for a change? The ammonia is the only thing that seems off if you have not added anything to the tank and the fish have nothing on their bodies. Can you tell if their gills are red?
 
louti

louti

Member
I mixed up 10 gallons this morning before I left for work this morning. I do have plenty of flow in the tank. Sep, I do think the lion's gills are swollen. It looks like there is a larger than normal gap between his body and gill plate if that makes any sense.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by louti
http:///forum/post/2672024
I mixed up 10 gallons this morning before I left for work this morning. I do have plenty of flow in the tank. Sep, I do think the lion's gills are swollen. It looks like there is a larger than normal gap between his body and gill plate if that makes any sense.
Do you have a QT? If it is infection then he will need to be treated in a cycled QT. Add fresh garlic to their foods. Even if he doesn't eat it it will help the hawk if he is getting it as well. How long ago did you add the last fish, rock, or invert?
 
louti

louti

Member
I added an ornate wrasse about 2 1/2 weeks ago that died 3 days after putting him in. I have not been using a QT even though I knew I should. I set one up last night and put the lion in there. I seeded it with the filter rings and some sand and water from the main tank. I'm just planning on testing the water daily and doing water changes. I'm hoping I can keep the ammonia from spiking too much.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by louti
http:///forum/post/2673010
I added an ornate wrasse about 2 1/2 weeks ago that died 3 days after putting him in. I have not been using a QT even though I knew I should. I set one up last night and put the lion in there. I seeded it with the filter rings and some sand and water from the main tank. I'm just planning on testing the water daily and doing water changes. I'm hoping I can keep the ammonia from spiking too much.
Do you know why the wrassie died? He could very well have brought disease into your tank. Keep a close eye on the water readings in the QT and have plenty of water mixed for changes. Ammonia will burn his gills.
 
louti

louti

Member
No, the wrasse showed no signs either. And yes, I would think that the wrasse probably introduced something. How often do you think I need to test the water? I have 10 gallons standing by for water changes. Also, what do you think could be the problem? Could it be flukes? Maybe some bacterial infection in the gills? I feel like I should be doing some kind of treatment, but it's just hard when there is no physical signs.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
It is hard to diagnose with nothing more than rapid gilling to go by. If it is an infection then Maracyn 2 for SW will treat it. If it is flukes, worms, or other parasites then copper is the treatment. It all depends on what he has. We just don't know yet. I would test the water daily, more or less as you start to get readings. It would have been better to let the tank cycle before adding the lion. If it cycles with him in there then you will have to be on top of changes. That can be difficult with medication in the tank.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top