Flame hawkfish turning pale & going bonkers

[Troutnut]

I added a 3" flame hawkfish to my 37 gallon tank a few weeks ago, and he was doing really well until the last week or so, when he started turning a couple shades more pale all over his fins and body. There are no distinct white spots,

His behavior has really changed too. He used to do what he's supposed to, perching on the bottom or the live rock and hopping around. Now he mostly perches on filter-related pieces near the top, and he spends much if not most of his time at the surface, frantically swimming near-vertically with his nose sticking a bit out of the water. It's not like he's gulping for air, but like he really wants to swim up and doesn't realize he can't go that way.

When I feed him, he usually eats really well (spirulina brine shrimp). Sometimes, though, he madly dashes at a piece of food, stops, then turns and dashes at another piece without eating the first one, and does this 2-3 times a second for 10 or 15 seconds before he starts to actually eat anything. It seems like he should be put in a straightjacket, but he's a fish.

It's all just very strange. My other fish all seem happy and healthy. Any ideas?

 

[alleykat81]

Check your water params. Flamehawks tend to pale when they're stressed or sick. They can be very picky eaters. If you have other bottom dwelling fish, the flamehawk can be very territorial. Make sure you have lots of flow and oxygenation in your tank. Make sure the water on the surface is being agitated.

 

[biggy119]

I have this same thing with my flame . he swims all over but he does tend to have a mad spell where he swims with his noise out the water

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Piping is not normal in a healthy fish. He is not get enough oxygen which could be environmental or pathological. How long has your tank been set up? Is there any ammonia? Is the water well oxygenated? He could have flukes, velvet, brook, etc. exactly how long have you had him and how did you acquire him? LFS, online, etc.