Fish Breathing Heavy Please Help

[PRESTO2345]

All the water parameters are fine, and the fish is still eating. But it is breathing heavy, way to heavy for normal conditions. This is the second day this fish has done this. Anyone have any ideas why? And what can be used to cure it.

Finally yes there is other fish that are doing just fine, and nothing new has been added for a while.

Please help! Any info will be helpful.

 

[Dnice Reefer]

maybe he has asthma... JJ he should be fine as long as he's eating and you dont see any other physical deteriation , I really wouldnt worry.....

 

[PRESTO2345]

That's what I thought but it seems to be hidding more than usual.

 

[Steven Pro]

Rapid breathing is often one of the first signs of a parasitic infestation. Many common parasites first infect the gills prior to spreading out to the body.

 

[Sk8r]

Ich is notorious for doing this, but it's not the only thing. It may be invisible in the body.

Second possibility is oxygen shortage. You don't list your pump setup, or whether you have any excess of plants/algae, which cause take up oxygen at night.

However the fact that not all fish are affected and they're not that notorious for oxygen demand leads me to think ich. Qt and treatment would be your best course, ASAP. You have to consider this tank as potentially ich-infected, and isolate everything in it for 6 weeks from any other tank. Hyposalinity in a bare tank would be one possible [and usually effective] treatment.

 

[PRESTO2345]

I've dealt with ich before and I know for a fact that it's not the case here.

I found the fish dead last night after treating it for parasites and gill disease the day before. After examination with a microscope inside and out, everything looks normal. Body, mouth, and gills are all clean of any abnormality.

So, my conclusion can only be something it ate, because all the other fish are still fine.

That's for all the info everyone. I'm still looking for any other ideas, or experiences anyone has.

 

[Paul B]

I still vote for ich

 

[PRESTO2345]

ich is normally found on the outside if i'm not mistaken? There was and still is no signs of ich with the other fish.

 

[Paul B]

Ich is normally found in the gills. When you see it on the outside of the fish it is usually covering the gills. The only thing that I know of that would make a fish breath heavy is paracites. Of course if it were all the fish it could be ammonia poisoning or low oxygen. It is possable to have it on only one fish because it takes three weeks for ich to complete the cycle and depending on where ich is in the cycle it could be a while for it to show up on anything else.
I know you looked at the gills under a microscope but after a fish dies the blood flow to the gills stops and the paracites could detatch.
Ich is very easy to cure. If it is not ich I would be curious to know what it is but I still vote for ich. Of course I can't see the fish from here.
As for the fish having asthma. I won't even go there.
Good luck.
Paul