True Perc - Stressed? w/pic

[StickyReef]

Can anyone help me understand what is going on with this true perc? We just traded out all of our fish and replaced them with 2 small true percs (wild), a lawnmower blenny, and a orange spotted goby. We floated the 2 percs for about 30 mins then dumped 50% of LFS water and added 50% tank water. Waited another 20 mins. Dumped half and added half again. Waited another 15, scooped and released the percs and goby. One of the percs was fine and the goby was fine. Although the smallest of the two percs ended up swimming sideways and stopped moving his tail at all. I scooped him and put him in the fuge not knowing what else to do. Well, the little guy didn't make it and was dead within 2 or 3 hours of getting him home. Meanwhile, other perc and goby are fine. So we call the LFS, they say tough (you know), and we called another LFS. We went and picked up another true perc and the water tested. He said the salinity was high and sent us home with a small true perc (tank bred) and the instructions to do a 5 gal water change with only R/O. He also suggested not floating the fish, but rather to put them in an open container to aclimate. Stating the ammonia will spike in the bag.. Made sense at the time. So now, the new perc (tank bred) is fine and thriving. On the other hand, the remaining of the original (wild) percs is losing parts of its fins. Most noticiably on the tail. See pic.. What can we do? Are we destined to lose this one as well?

Here are the specs on the tank:

90 gal
45 gal fuge
2 Koralia #4's
950 gal pump with ball valve
80# LS
100# LR
2 small true percs
1 lawnmower blenny
1 orange spotted goby
3 cleaner shrimp
6 turbo snails
2 turben snails
6 or 7 misc hermits

Testing as of last night when he still had his tail fins:
Amm: 0
NitrIte: 0
pH: 8.4
NitrAte: 40 ppm
S/G - unsure - our plastic one with the needle is obviously off since it was reading 1.022, and the LFS said it ws 1.027.

Testing today:
Amm: 0
NitrIte: 0
pH: 8.4
NitrAte: 40 ppm
S/G - ?? Don't have $60 to dole out for a new tester right now...
our plastic pos tester said 1.020, but see above...

Thanks for any and all help.

 

[tahoe61]

Sick Clowns

Sick Clowns

I would go out and get another hydrometer until you can get a refractometer. Hydrometers are not that expensive, not knowing the SG value is only going to cost you fish.
Do a search of drip acclimation, much less stress on the fish. If you get inverts like shrimp and such you will have to use drip acclimation anyway.
Your poor clownfish looks like it has a couple things going on, one of them being a bacterial infection. If you do not put him in a QT you will loose him if it is not too late already.
It sounds like you have the beginnings of a nice set up, but you need a QT and you need to know your SG, you can not even do a W/C if you have to mix the salt because you can not measure the SG.
LFS are not the best resource for information and advice regarding what purchases are appropriate, they are a business and just want to make a sale.
You also have some cynobacteria going on, notice the red tinged sand, suggesting your water quality is not stable, and or this is a new setup.
For now I would hold off on any other fish or invert purchases until you get some basic problems resolved.
Sorry, not trying to bum you out. Like I stated sounds like a nice set-up just needs some tweaking. First I would do a search regarding common diseases of clownfish and treatments. Good luck and thanks for providing all the info and pics that always helps alot.


Just noticed that you set the tank up 1/01/10, therefore your tank has not even cycled all the way yet. You are really going to have to watch your ammonia levels and get a hydrometer ASAP.

 

[StickyReef]

Yes, yes, and yes. Long story short, we bought a used set up. Kept everything from the original tank in the move - even the water. So the tank has already cycled. We had a slight Ammonia spike during the move, but it dissipated and cleared within the first week. We just replaced the sand on 01/28/09, so the tank has just recently started up with the cyano growth. We had it really bad with the previous substrate, and the sand change was the best option for us at the time.

 

[jt_milstead]

First of all thats not a percula. You added a fish to a tank with ammonia.Your tank isnt ready for fish.

 

[StickyReef]

Maybe you didn't read the post completely. Our Ammonia is at 0. And if it is not a Perc, then what is it? My LFS sold it as a True Perc tank bred.

 

[tahoe61]

Maybe you didn't read the post completely. Our Ammonia is at 0. And if it is not a Perc, then what is it? My LFS sold it as a True Perc tank bred.

Ocellaris clown. And yes the poster incorrectly read the ammonia level. But the basic theory that your tank is not stable enough yet for fish probably still holds true.

1. Be sure of your SG.
2. Treat the clown and either QT everything or expect disease to spread.
3. When your changed out the sand you started a new cycle.
4. You get more money for a Perc than a Ocellaris and thats that.
5. You have three problems you need to fix. SG, Clownfish and letting your tank cycle before add anything else.

Trying to be helpful.

 

[OrionN]

That is an Ocellaris. Sick with rotted tail. Good luck with him.