Cowfish acting stange what to do?

[ppht]

I have a cowfish which has been pretty playfull. I have had nitrates in the 50-60 mark but he has been in that water for 3 mnths. He always swims or stays high in the tank at night, but lately he has been just sitting on the sand bed. He doesnt look stressed he just sits there. I do have a couple of small ich spots on some fish but that has also been around for awhile. I went out today and came home and he was wedged in face down in a rock, I thought he was dead and went to pull him out. He then swam around normally and went to sit on the sand bed. Also today when I fed the fish he just sat there and didnt move.. I setup a small 2 gal tank and I put in some paraguard parasite treatment knowig about the ich thats there and was wondering if anyone has any other pointers or things to look at.

My parameters:
Calcium 390
Phosphate - .03
Nitrate 45
Temp 80.0
Salinity 1.023
Orp 380
PH 8.13
Testing Ammonia now

 

[Hattie B]

good idea to check the ammonia.

Try doing a couple more WC too to see if you can bring down the Nitrates, just good practice.

Also, does he have ich? It could be stress from a chronic parasite infection.

Also how about oxygen levels? Do you have good surface movement to help with the gas exchange at the top of your aquarium?

 

[ppht]

I have 2 tunze 6060's water moves well. I dont see any ich spots on him now and I treated the water with paraguard in the little 2 gall tank I put him in. I am now prepping new water to start changing his Hospital tank... He looks strangely calm though almost like he is tired..
And the Ammonia is 0 by the way

 

[Hattie B]

Well its a good idea IMO to deworm fish.

How big will his hospital tank be? The 2 gallon would be fine for deworming but as a hospital tank it would be small; water quality issues.

First though, what are you planning on treating him for in the hospital tank. Without knowing whats wrong, I don'tthink I would automitically move him, if he stressed he might be stressed more by moving him.

has it only been 1 feeding since he hasn't eaten? My puffer will act ravenous one day then every once in awhile (once in awhile) e won't eat one day and just perch on his rock.

However, since he was stuck that probably is a sign of weakness. are you adding vitamins to is food to help with his health?

What about his skin? any films, abnormalities that you see?

I would start with a water change.

remember (as I am sure you know) that boxfish have ostracitoxin which can wipe out a tank if released.

 

[ppht]

First Off - ostracitoxin --- No I have no idea... So I am glad I took him out. I do have small signs of ich in my tank and he did have ich on him. At the moment the Paraguard seems to have removed all signs or spots that he had but they werent much at all.

I am going to keep rotating the water in small amounts in the 2 gal. I am now getting new water up to temp. I might setup a freshwater drip.

Feeding it has been only 1, I have been adding garlic drops to their food for the last month. And it has been abbout 3 days that he no longer stays at the top of the tank at night and in the morning he just sits on the sand bed.

 

[Hattie B]

ostracitoxin-is a toxin/posion that cowfish/boxfish have. They can release it which can be devestating to a tank. Its just something to be aware of, if it ever happened you would know as the water can turn cloudy. It's not necessarily a common thing but can happen.
Carbon/water changes can help if that ever occured but you would have to do it fast.

If your fish has ich it won't be cured by the paraguard, the adult parasites might fall off but they will breed and reinfect in the fish in the mian tank. There is lots of ino on ich.

For scale less fish like a boxfish copper is not always the best choice for ich however culpamine by SeaChem is a copper treatment that can be used on scale less fish.

I tend to believe with ich and the high nitrates that the water quality if affecting this fish. Especially if he stays at teh bottom, high nitrates over time affect fish.

Has his color changed at all?

What exact species do you have?

 

[ppht]

He is a long horn Cowfish. His colors actually look very good.

I also have formailin 3 is that to harsh?

 

[ppht]

An update on his color. He is normaly a green color but he looks blotchy green, Dark with pale spots but all green.... Not sure if it the small tank light.