Hi Everyone Im new at this hobbie which Im getting pretty hooked up very fast. I currently have a 40 gal hex aquarium, with a Magnum 350 filter pump one protein skimmer and im about to receive an HQI 150 watt metal halide light fixture I also have about 25 lbs of live rock some brown and green polyps. one I believe leather coral and some mushroom coral I currently own a Marron Clown, a Cardinal Fish a Bi-Color Blenny a Copperband Butterfly and a Crab now my question is with my Copperband lately ive seen that he is breathing heavily what could be causing that. That is my main Concern right now and also what else do i need to add to my aquarium as far as equipment. I would really appreciated it any comments with the heavy breathinf of my Copperband Butterfly Fish.....
Heavy Breathing of my Fish
- Thread starter Enerjr
- Start date
BurntOutReefer
New member
have you checked your nitrates?
craig2000000
Member
not too scare you or anything, but i had a false percula who started breathing heavily, and died a few days later. My water levels in the tank were fine at the time too......
hope you have better luck than me
hope you have better luck than me
XeniaMania
Active member
Your tank sounds brand new, almost as if it hasn't cycled yet. How long has it been running? Another reason could be salinity shock, like how are you acclimating the fish to your tank? What's the Specific Gravity of your water? I also wonder why you got a Magnum 350 filter. There are much better filters out there IMO.
marilynrn711
Premium Member
Heavy breathing is not good, sorry to say. I had a copperband once and just ended up dying for no reason. Is he eating?
paulfromero
Premium Member
Hi,
I read at www.aquariumpros.com/articles that Copperbadn butterfly fish are hard to adapt to aquariums due to stress. It could be this, or it could also be for example low oxygen. Place a powerhead or similar near the surface and have it cause surface agitation. In general, increase flow if oxygen is low and get a skimmer to help too.
Paul
I read at www.aquariumpros.com/articles that Copperbadn butterfly fish are hard to adapt to aquariums due to stress. It could be this, or it could also be for example low oxygen. Place a powerhead or similar near the surface and have it cause surface agitation. In general, increase flow if oxygen is low and get a skimmer to help too.
Paul
BurntOutReefer
New member
not good.....say goodnight....copperbands ar ehard to keep anyway.....
XeniaMania
Active member
Besides, even if the Copperband lives the first few days, it will not in the long run unless you plan on buying corals and clams for its diet. It's hard to acclimate properly w/o a sump, as most hobbyist will use the drip method. You should at least float the bag in your tank, and put in about 1/8-1/4 cup of water every 10-20 minutes. Most shops keep their fish at 1.019-.021, so dropping it into 1.024 tank, I would suspect salinity shock. But if your Nitrates are reading 0, I would also suspect your tank is not done cycling since I do not see a method of nitrate export/consumption in your system, hope this helps..
BurntOutReefer
New member
took me 4 hours to acclimate mine...he ate all my aiptaisia (sp), the first week and then refused to eat anything after that....died 2 months later....
wells i just put my skimmer and it seemed to help him alot i believed it was missing oxygen which i had thought of since the beginning i also rechecked my salinity and it was very high so i took out about 5 gallons of water out and put some new water and brought it back to level I guess now all I have to do is to keep an eye on the nitrates and nitrites since its got about another month to finish its cycling process......thanks guys
marilynrn711
Premium Member
You never mentioned whether he is eating or not.
BurntOutReefer
New member
wow...copperband in a tank thats cycling......Enerjr.....just curious if you would report back and let us (me) know how it does.....(no kidding), just would like to hear for added personal knowledge....
marilynrn711
Premium Member
getting him to eat is going to be your problem. Good luck!
sinder255248
New member
Live brine
Live brine
If you can't get him to eat with the soaking in garlic trick, try tossing in some live brine shrimp from the lfs. Filter the water in the bag through a net (never pour the water into the aquarium) and then place the brine that was caught in the net into the tank. Live food might get him eating again, then you can work on feeding him frozen. Just for info, mine has never, and I assume will never eat flake. He does like frozen mysis now, but not in the begining, I had to feed him Brine which he loves.
Also surelly the tank can't be cycling still if the polyps are alive?
Good luck
Live brine
If you can't get him to eat with the soaking in garlic trick, try tossing in some live brine shrimp from the lfs. Filter the water in the bag through a net (never pour the water into the aquarium) and then place the brine that was caught in the net into the tank. Live food might get him eating again, then you can work on feeding him frozen. Just for info, mine has never, and I assume will never eat flake. He does like frozen mysis now, but not in the begining, I had to feed him Brine which he loves.
Also surelly the tank can't be cycling still if the polyps are alive?
Good luck
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