Sick royal Gramma. I am at a loss.

[mariahcolleen]

Hey guys,

I have had this Royal Gramma for about a year. He started laying on the sand and is not eating. He acts interested in food when I drop it in but cant seem to get at it. He does move along the sand bed and will occasionally take sand in his mouth and blow it out but wont actually eat like he used to.

I cannot see any other signs of disease besides his weird behavior. No ich spots or fuzzy fungal spots, eyes are clear, scales intact and at normal angles, color is good, no wounds. He is now starting to look a bit thin. His breathing is normal.

One thing that I think might have either caused or contributed to his condition is that the nitrates got very high like 180 kind of high. I have done a series of hefty water changes and the nitrates are at 10-15. Since I did the water changes there has been a slight improvement in his condition. Instead of laying on his side out in the open he is in his cave perched on his front fins and will now move more. Is there anything more I can do for him? Should I move him into the hospital tank? Do you guys know of any food I could entice him to eat with? I'm sorry this is so long winded, I just wanted to give the most accurate description I could.

Other inhabitants are two ocellaris clowns, fire fish, blue chromis, cleaner shrimp, and peppermint shrimp all of which have been there for months. I have seen no bullying. Everyone else is acting fine and eating well.

Currently here are the perimeters of the tank: (I dont have a reef test kit for mag/alk stats)

Tank age 1.5 years
60 gallon FOWLR
PH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
nitrate 10-15
temp 79
salinity 1.023

Any help you guys could offer would be very much appreciated. I feel like such a jerk for letting the nitrates get so high. I just hope I didnt do my little guy in. :worried:

 

[ThRoewer]

How is the fish doing now?

Is he swimming or rather crawling/hopping on the ground as if he lacks bouncy?

When he tries to get food, can he get to it or is it that he just won't eat it?

Nitrates that high may case issues with some sensitive fish, but in general fish are far less affected than corals.

BTW: A picture would help.

 

[mariahcolleen]

He is doing a little better now. He is swimming to get around just not up in the water column like he used to. He dosent hop or crawl. He acts very interested in the food its just like he cant find it or something. I isolated him in a breeding box and fed him from an oral syringe and he will eat from that. I think I am going to try to keep doing that until he gets some weight back on him and see if it helps his energy levels. I will try to post a pic after a while. I only have my crappy phone camera and its a bit hard to get a good shot of him where you can see good detail.