popeye + fast breathing clownfish

[ZooZ]

I got a pair of false perc clowns and one of them has popeye that has gotten better the past 2 day but he is still breathing fast through his mouth and does not eat. Im setting up a hospital tank and will use the tank water when I do a water change today. Anything I should do/not do when setting up the hospital tank? How do I prevent a spike in Ammonia? What medicine should I use to get him eating again? Thanks for your help.

 

[rlcline76]

Bare bottom, pvc pipe for "furniture", heater, cheap hang on back filter for when you are ready to run media to pull our chemicals, cheap powerhead or sponge filter...

 

[ZooZ]

im just afriad that the point of the hospital tank will be useless if I put the fish in and theres an ammonia spike and they die. What do i do to prevent that? I have a sponge that has been in the tank for 2 weeks which i will put in the power filter for the hospital tank. What else? Is it ok to run an ammonia removing media while medicating?

 

[rlcline76]

Really, for ammonia spikes, which is quite possible in a hospital tank...keep up with water changes. I keep up with my QT at the same rate as I keep up with my DTs (at least once a week) with no problems.
As far as media, I do not know of anything offhand that will not remove copper. In the meantime, while you are waiting for that answer...get thee to QT!

 

[ZooZ]

I got a pair of true perc and one false perc divided with eggcrate. Its a 10 g tank, 50W heater, and a AC20 with a seeded sponge from my display tank and some biomax media. Treating with Melafix, Coppersafe, and meridyl-TC. On the Meridyl-TC box it says freshwater thought. Hows this set up?

 

[rlcline76]

I would worry about the meds. I don't like to mix them because a cocktail could very well kill the fish.
Do you heavy breathers have any other symptoms besides not feeding?
I would almost put off treating for the Melafix and address the more important problem of respiration and not eating. If it was a mild case of ich, I would wonder if hyposalinity and melafix would be a better combo.
I do not know anything about meridyl-TC.

 

[ZooZ]

the heavy breather (false perc) has no other symptoms. Did have popeye but it went away. What do I do to help with his heavy breathing and loss of appetite?

 

[rlcline76]

Could be ich. Could be a few things...unfortunately, you have a fish that feels like crap now.

You could try hyposalinity (carefully monitored) and a decent diet with vitamin and garlic supplements. Or you could try the copper. But be care ful and follow the instructions on the bottle carefully.

I am surprised no one else has chimed in!

 

[ZooZ]

thats for the help rlcline, I am trying copper right now. I read that the hyposalinity should be a shock as in the salinity should drop from what it is at now 1.026 to 1.010. How true is this?

 

[rlcline76]

It has to be a gradual decrease in salinity. You can gradually bring it down a couple of times a day. Since you are using copper, just go with that for now and see how it goes.

 

[ZooZ]

I just read that hyposalinity is the best and least stressful treatment for fish. And it also said dont treat with copper and hyposalinty at the same time.

 

[rlcline76]

Yeah, you are pretty much stuck with one or the other here. But you should be OK. If it was a matter of just ich, good appetite, swimming and acting normal, I would stick with simple hyposalinity. Anything in advanced stages, I have a tendency to go right for the meds.

 

[ZooZ]

what are some of the meds you use? Right now im lowering the salinity slowly (dripping), and added Melafix and Maradal-TC its by mardel I believe. I stopped the copper after I did a 40% water change.

 

[rlcline76]

I would have finished the copper treatment.
Right now I have straight gobies, so my meds are limited. I use melafix or maracyn for most things. But I have used copper, formalin3.
How are your fish doing with the mix? Are you running any media to get the copper out?

 

[ZooZ]

The true perc are very active and eat like pigs, the false perc on the other hand in near the bottom of the tank breathing rapidly. Has not eaten in say 3-4 days. Not using any media to get the copper out but I did a 40% water change yesterday.