sick comet grouper

[comet_nut]

I was just doing a water change on my tank and noticed that my comet grouper isn't looking the best. He is hiding more than usual and he is breathing heavily. He also seems to be lying lsightly on his side. His colour is a bit pale but still eating.
Water parametres are all fine (ammo 0.25 nitries 0 and nitrates 10). I have about 20 kgs of live roock, all of whoch has been in there for about 6 months.
I have in the same tank 2 maroon clowns with a BTA and 2 blue damsels. They are all fine and healthy.
They are being fed a mixture of brine and mysis shrimp.
In the mean time I have removed the carbon and put the tank on a course of Melafix.
I did notice if its any help when I was doing the water change that there was a crab in there which I didn;t know there was. I was wondering if it was possible that the crab had been niping the comets fins but they appear to be intact.
Any ideas? I love the fish and don't want it to dye.

 

[comet_nut]

and if it is further help there have been no new additions to the tank for about 3 months, and the ph is 8.3. The tank system is about a year old and the comet has been in there for about 9 months. He is fully grown (about 15cm). The other fish don't go near him so its not fighting that would be upsetting him.

 

[beth]

Ammonia is .25? That is likely the problem. Fish have zero tolerance for ammonia. Why do you have ammonia?
Also, this fish in the tank with small fish will mean that small fish will become meals. The fish commonly stays in dark, "cave" areas, so that is not unual. How big is he now, and what is the size of your tank? Do you have cave areas for this fish?
Improve that diet. You may want to try fresh foods. There is a receipe in the FAQ Thread at the top of this fourm.

 

[comet_nut]

ok tank is a 30 gallon tank, I know the specs are to small for the comet in theory, but i have had him in a 150 gallon and he was one upset fish, wouldn't eat or come out. So back in the 30 he went and its one happy fish again.
As for the proposition that he will eat the other fish, he has been in the tank with the same fish for the last 9 months and he hasn't eaten anything. I have tried live feeder fish and its just not interested. Shrimp on the other hand don't even make it to the bottom of the tank! What can I say, he has expensive tastes.
As for the ammonia I have no idea why its there, but it has always been there and I have never had any problems with it. The only illness I have had in the tank was a mild case of fin rot about 6 months ago, other than that everything is healthy.
I'll try the new food and see if it helps.
The are lots of caves, but he normnally spends most of the time in view, not a normal comet by any means in that respect.
Hope that helps

 

[beth]

commet what tests are you using to test ammonia? Have you tried switching to another test kid. If you truely have ammonia, you can't just igore it.

 

[comet_nut]

Ok I took my water sample to my local lfs store and they tested the water and got the same result that I did. 0.25ppm for ammonia. They advised me that this was a level not to worry about, and really only worry if it gets above 1ppm.
When I came home tonight from work I discovered that he is no longer eating and more worryingly he periodically has what appears to be muscle spasms and he throws himself against the rocks in the tank. The last episode that he had a gashed himself just behind is gills. Other than that he is staying in the same place in the tank near the filter just breathing really heavily.
Unfortunately my QT tank is down at the moment so I can;t isolate him. Even if I did, I don't know what to treat him with.
My filtration system is as follows: I have an aqua one tank which has the filter system in the top (comtains layer of padding, then noodles, another layer of padding then forced through carbon and then back in the tank). I use weekely the "Waste Control" and "Cycle" products for the bacteria cycle. I do my water changes with real sea water bought from the lfs store, and then levels in that water are all fine. Im really worried now HELP!!

 

[beth]

comment, I don't know what to say....ammonia at any level can certainly induce the symptoms you describe and can be lethal.
What about water movement, powerheads, etc? Is that filter all you have going in there? Skimmer?
This fish is in the 120 gal?