Our little clownfish is breathing very heavily!

[CraigG]

Our clownfish that we have had for over a year without any problems is now sitting low near the floor, breathing very heavily. We have had a small red algae problem for the past couple days so I have been treating that, but the chemical drives my protein skimmer nuts so I unplugged it for now. I have had two powerheads going, one Eheim Aquaball with filtration media, and one penguin 1140 with a wavemaker attachment. I will admit there has not been much surface tension since the protein skimmer has been off. I have moved the aquaball closer to the surface to keep the water tension. I plugged in the protein skimmer and I will just watch the collection cup closer and empty it as needed. If it put a little food in he normally flys up to the top to get it, now he just kinds of moves a little and won't leave the area he is in.

It is a 29g tank, up for about 1.5 years, 35lb of live rock. A coral beauty , a gamma, and a blenny that are all doing fine. A couple corals (xenia, open brain, some mushrooms, and cabbage). lighting is 65x2 coralife Poer compact. Any ideas?

I recently had a plate coral die while away on the 3 day vacation that sent my tank into a cycle. That's what caused all the red algae buildup that I have been treating. I have a small red algae problem last year but I used Chemi-Clean and it cleared up in days.

 

[leebca]

In my opinion, what you've described is a tank with water quality issues. It isn't so much that you have been treating for red algae, as is the fact that I don't see any evidence that the cause of the red algae has been eliminated or under control. It isn't so much that I'd say your water quality was poor but it sounds like it's marginally acceptable, which is stress causing on low levels.

The description you provided of the fish sounds like chronic stress. Over time, low level stress takes its toll, resulting in the slow demise of the fish. There are as you know many different sources of stress. You're looking for a low level, more-or-less ongoing stress, like water quality and/or nutrition.

Under the circumstances of water quality issues, I'd put that as the primary source of the chronic stress. Nutrition would be next.

The fish might have done better with better foods, or maybe you already are feeding it optimal foods. If you feed like this reference, then it isn't a nutrition issue:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=785228

:rollface:

 

[CraigG]

Thanks for the food links!

I posted this in a hurry, and had to run before I got a chance to write everything I wanted to.

We went on vacation a week and a half ago, and upon return one of our large plate corals died. This sent our tank through a cycle, and started the red algae. Our nitrites are a little high, our ammonia is a little high, and our alkalinity is a little high. I added carbon to the filter. Added a little r/o water to even out the salinity. I will let the bacteria take care of some of the nitrite issues and then do a large water change.

 

[Sk8r]

The chemi-clean should be through in 24 hours. I'd say get water ready now, so you can do that mandated water change asap, for the sake of the other fish, and if the clown shows lethargic, and looks like he's not going to make it until then, I'd acclimate him to the new water and give him that in qt, imho---it's a hard choice, but the higher oxygenation of the new, unspoiled water might be worth the risk to him.