Fish in QT acting strange...?

[Neptune 555]

I have three fish in a 20 gallon QT doing TT I am on day 6 and tomorrow I should TT again: Fish in QT are coral beauty / red fairy wrasse / blackfinned goby. My goby and coral beauty look good my fairy wrasse is hiding in PVC pipes and breathing heavy? My ammonia alert badge reads zero ammonia, PH is 8.0 ish alkalinity is high? I did add Prazi Pro. I have a fluval filter for circulation and lights.

Suggestions? Does this mean this wrasse does have ich? I can't see any spots on any of the fish? None showed signs of disease? I am doing QT with TT and prazi pro as preventative...

I am setting up the new tank for TT tomorrow? Any suggestions on how to try and help wrasse so he lives until then?

Neptune

 

[edsbeaker]

Just a thought because I don't heavily rely on those alert badges. If you aren't using any type of biological filtration maybe your ammonia is high. Can you test for ammonia, nitrites? I always automatically put "Prime" into the tank on the second and third days of TT just in case of an ammonia spike since I didn't have any filtration.

 

[snorvich]

Just a thought because I don't heavily rely on those alert badges. If you aren't using any type of biological filtration maybe your ammonia is high. Can you test for ammonia, nitrites? I always automatically put "Prime" into the tank on the second and third days of TT just in case of an ammonia spike since I didn't have any filtration.

This. Especially with three fish. Always add Prime on day 2 of a transfer cycle. And to the OP, visible symptoms are not required as a fish may have ich in its gills.

 

[Neptune 555]

OK I added prime again. I added on day 4 and now again on day 6 and I do TT tomorrow morning. Nitrite reads positive but not high. Nitrate is detectable but not high. Maybe 15ppm? But if ammonia was high (I know ammonia alert badges not perfect) why would only one fish be suffering? Angel is fine, swimming and eating? My blackfinned goby has never been happy in QT but seems the same. The wrasse is the one who looks bad. On day 1 he hid but on day 2 he came out.. and now he looks BAD on day 6. The wrasse didn't eat today and he is breathing very heavy.

anything else I can do for him? Would a freshwater dip help so he can breathe? I think his heavy breathing might be caused from ich? although I don't see it on him or the other fish?

what is OT??

Neptune

 

[Neptune 555]

...ALSO I added Prazi Pro on day 4.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Wrasses do not handle Prazi as well as other fish especially if there is any (and I mean the slightest) overdose of it. Also some people have reportedly had problems adding Prazi and Prime (or Amquel) at the same time.

 

[Neptune 555]

I did not know that wrasses had tolerance issues to prazi pro... BUT I am wondering why after 3 days of prazi he would be doing worse today? would it had been immediate? he is clearly having issue breathing? I do TT tomorrow but I don't know if he will make it?

Neptune

 

[Newsmyrna80]

IME it can take them a day or so to show obvious signs of distress. Did you add the Prazi and Prime on the same day (day 4)? If so that could be the problem. If it were me I would get him out of the tank and in to his own so I wouldn't lose him.

 

[Neptune 555]

Yes I added Prime and Prazi on the same day 4.. all looked fine and they were swimming around and eating. Today is day 6 and the wrasse looks bad. I am getting a new tank ready for tomorrow am TT. Should I put the wrasse in a bucket of salt water until then?

So this heavy breathing is prazi related? OR does it show this fish has ich in the gills? yes I do think I will lose him if I do nothing.

Neptune

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Did the fish have ich and that is why you are doing TT or are you treating prophylactically?

 

[Neptune 555]

Newsmyrna Thank you! You saved my fish.. I was treating 3 fish prophylactically b4 they are placed in my 6 month old 100 gallon reef. I removed him last night after you suggested it was prazi pro + prime causing the issue. I dropped him in my 10 gallon refugium as I was out of tanks/filters/patience. He is breathing fine today and swimming. He looks good. BUT now if he has ich I have just infected my copapod food supply for my 100 gallon tank and he is now separate and out of cycle for TT? My angel and blackfinned goby were moved to new tank early this morning.

Do I add him back into the fishtank for tank transfer? Do I stop prazi treatment on my other 2 fish who look fine so I can keep all three together?

arghhh I HATE ICH.. but this QT process is brutal.

neptune

 

[Newsmyrna80]

I take it the refugium is hooked up to the main? If you do add him back into the TT cycle you will have to start over with all fish. Do you have a couple of Rubbermaid containers or 5 gallon buckets laying around? You don't necessarily have to have a tank. I've used the big plastic tubs with the rope handles from Target to do TT. If it were me I would have two TTs going and treat the wrasse without the Prazi and Prime combo.