Foxface rapidly breathing after water change

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benr783

New member
I've had my foxface rabbitfish for 3.5 weeks. after 1 week, I started treating with Ich Shield powder medicine. After 2.5 weeks of having the medicine in the water, I performed a 25% water change on my quarantine tank. I dosed correctly of the Ich Shield.

My fox is now rapidly breathing, like really badly. He's also swimming around a lot, really fast. Earlier, I saw him twitching.

Now I'm really worried he's gonna die. I dosed copper correctly also with my previous foxface, but he died. From the EXACT same symptoms! Rapid breathing!

Guys, what do I do? I can't lose another foxface..:mad2:
 
Foxface rapidly breathing after water change

Is this the first time you've done a water change since you've had him? You probably just scared him, they spook easy and are dramatic about it.
 
Lobst of Justice is correct about how flighty rabbitfish are ( I think that is part of how they got named), they also change colors when scared to a dull mottled camo pattern that can be pretty disconcerting to a new owner.

That said, check all of your water parameters. Don't forget the semmingly obvious temperature and salinity. It is possible that you mixed the slat water wrong. Or even changing out 25% with room temp water shocked him.

In a QT, I agree with jr. Rocket Dad that ammonia is always a top suspect.

This and possible overdosing or adverse reactioin to meds is why I prefer TTM for QT. the transfers pretty much elimiate any concerns about ammonia build up.
 
dude if I move a rock in the tank with a foxface he will look like he's ready to die at any moment. They are the most over dramatic fish I've ever met
 
Ok so, 12 hours after he's still rapidly breathing.

I just checked my salinity which is fine, and my temp is fine. I preheated my bucket of water before the water change last night so it couldn't have shocked him because it was already heated.

My ammonia is at 0.25 according to my Seachem ammonia badge. I put in a dose of prime last night, and this morning I took my sponge filter from my cycled display tank and put it in the quarantine filter.

Is he gonna live?
 
benr783 said:
Ok so, 12 hours after he's still rapidly breathing.

I just checked my salinity which is fine, and my temp is fine. I preheated my bucket of water before the water change last night so it couldn't have shocked him because it was already heated.

My ammonia is at 0.25 according to my Seachem ammonia badge. I put in a dose of prime last night, and this morning I took my sponge filter from my cycled display tank and put it in the quarantine filter.

Is he gonna live?
Click to expand...

Hard to tell for sure, if he does he will have ammonia burns on his gills for sure. Get some Nitrofuracin Green Powder (NFG) and keep dosing prime. You shouldn't be seeing any ammonia in your QT tank
 
Update: He was acting very poorly with his breathing so this morning I moved him to my display tank which is completely cycled. He's been swimming around, he's been yellow the majority of the time.

My parameters in the tank he's in now are as follows:

Parameters:
Ammonia: 0.0-0.25
Nitrite: 0.0
Nitrate: 0.0
High range pH: 8.2

There was no ammonia before he joined the tank.

What do you think guys?
 
benr783 said:
Update: He was acting very poorly with his breathing so this morning I moved him to my display tank which is completely cycled. He's been swimming around, he's been yellow the majority of the time.

My parameters in the tank he's in now are as follows:

Parameters:
Ammonia: 0.0-0.25
Nitrite: 0.0
Nitrate: 0.0
High range pH: 8.2

There was no ammonia before he joined the tank.

What do you think guys?
Click to expand...

Those parameters are not consistent with a cycled tank. There should be some nitrate present. How did you cycle this tank?
 
IF you can get the ammonia to go away I think he stands a chance, if not then he will eventually be killed by the gill damage
 
Okay, update:

Overnight, the ammonia that was left in my display tank went away. So, now the fish is in a tank with no ammonia. Also, another good thing: His rapid breathing issue goes on and off, but most of the time he is breathing perfectly fine, so now maybe his rapid breathing is just him being scared?

He does have a faint line on him which I read could be from ammonia. Will that go away?

Also, I'm about to go to my LFS to buy some bio spira to help my biological filter develop so that I don't have ammonia problems anymore.
 
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