heavy breathing fish

october1 · 01/22/2009, 06:42 PM

good evening. first time doing marine (nano tank). i have a 26 gallon tank with a cpr medium hob fuge. the water parimeters is great, however i have a baby green chromis and he's breathing pretty heavy. any suggestions on what may be the problem? the tank has live rock, a few hermits, snails and a protein skimmer. also if anyone has any macro algae to spare or purchase. i am in bayridge area of brooklyn, new york. thanks in advance!

MileHighFish · 01/22/2009, 06:57 PM

It sounds likes a poss water issue. . Are there other fish in the tank and how are they doing? Your saying water prams are great when is the last time you checked?

MileHighFish · 01/22/2009, 06:58 PM

by the way WELCOME to R/C!!!!!!!

october1 · 01/22/2009, 07:22 PM

no fish in the tank. just checked the prams, are all in good order. just got l/r from marty aquarium arts. nitrate @ 2mg and nitrite @ .02 and ammonia @ .01pmm and salinity at 1.023. could it be the tank is too fresh?

dlaclo · 01/22/2009, 07:25 PM

how old is the tank? it sounds like it is still cycling and your fish is way stressed out...

Sk8r · 01/22/2009, 07:26 PM

the tank is supposed to age and develop for about four weeks (cycling) with 1 lb of live rock per gallon of saltwater before you put invertebrates into it. No fish until the inverts have been at work about a week. Get a 5-10g cheap bare tank, 10g of salt water, a carbon filter, a bottle of Amquel, and a heater. Keep your fish in that with a carbon filter, testing the water daily, and he should be ok for 4 weeks before he goes into tank.

MileHighFish · 01/22/2009, 07:27 PM

fish will suffer with any type of nitrite or ammonia, if you just added live rock its possible something on it is dieing off and making your levels rise. Chromis are hearty fish and might survive, I would recommend you do a water change ASAP

dlaclo · 01/22/2009, 07:29 PM

definatly yes with the water change and i aggree with sk8r if you want your fish to survive i would remove ASAP

october1 · 01/22/2009, 07:33 PM

thank you for the welcome!

october1 · 01/22/2009, 07:39 PM

thank you all for the replies!

Sk8r · 01/22/2009, 08:20 PM

and indeed

To Reef Central

if you can get this fish to a safe clean quarantine tank, you can just tend that tank and let the main tank run on with no water change: the dieoff on the rock will build ammonia, then bacteria will increase, and the tank will become ready to handle fish waste with no filter at all. You need 1 lb porous live rock per gallon of tank, or, in terms of most tanks, a pretty good but openwork pile rising to about a palm's length of the suface and leaving enough room for a hand to clean the glass all around it. You CAN pile it against the back wall, no problem. HTH.

BTW, there is a set of files marked with an * at the top of this forum, a free textbook on how to set up and how to handle problems that is a real good thing to read early. Always glad to answer questions.

october1 · 01/25/2009, 10:26 PM

thanks to all for the advice that was given. parameters are all fine and the Chromis is doing great. he/she is up and about cheking out the tank. nothing died and all looks/smells great. thanks, once again.

01/22/2009, 06:42 PM	#1
october1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 5	heavy breathing fish good evening. first time doing marine (nano tank). i have a 26 gallon tank with a cpr medium hob fuge. the water parimeters is great, however i have a baby green chromis and he's breathing pretty heavy. any suggestions on what may be the problem? the tank has live rock, a few hermits, snails and a protein skimmer. also if anyone has any macro algae to spare or purchase. i am in bayridge area of brooklyn, new york. thanks in advance!

01/22/2009, 06:57 PM	#2
MileHighFish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NM. Posts: 1,722	It sounds likes a poss water issue. . Are there other fish in the tank and how are they doing? Your saying water prams are great when is the last time you checked? __________________ See "Red House" for pics!! I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later. Mitch Hedberg Current Tank Info: Reef tank, 100 gal Lee Mar polished.. 60 sump.. 800 watts mh 20k radium..Ran on "Taiwan HQI Ballast" 330 watt VHO.. 48 watt compacts (dawn/dusk).. sps/lps tank..

01/22/2009, 06:58 PM	#3
MileHighFish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NM. Posts: 1,722	by the way WELCOME to R/C!!!!!!! __________________ See "Red House" for pics!! I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later. Mitch Hedberg Current Tank Info: Reef tank, 100 gal Lee Mar polished.. 60 sump.. 800 watts mh 20k radium..Ran on "Taiwan HQI Ballast" 330 watt VHO.. 48 watt compacts (dawn/dusk).. sps/lps tank..

01/22/2009, 07:26 PM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	the tank is supposed to age and develop for about four weeks (cycling) with 1 lb of live rock per gallon of saltwater before you put invertebrates into it. No fish until the inverts have been at work about a week. Get a 5-10g cheap bare tank, 10g of salt water, a carbon filter, a bottle of Amquel, and a heater. Keep your fish in that with a carbon filter, testing the water daily, and he should be ok for 4 weeks before he goes into tank. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

01/22/2009, 07:27 PM	#7
MileHighFish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NM. Posts: 1,722	fish will suffer with any type of nitrite or ammonia, if you just added live rock its possible something on it is dieing off and making your levels rise. Chromis are hearty fish and might survive, I would recommend you do a water change ASAP __________________ See "Red House" for pics!! I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later. Mitch Hedberg Current Tank Info: Reef tank, 100 gal Lee Mar polished.. 60 sump.. 800 watts mh 20k radium..Ran on "Taiwan HQI Ballast" 330 watt VHO.. 48 watt compacts (dawn/dusk).. sps/lps tank..

01/22/2009, 07:22 PM	#4
october1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 5	no fish in the tank. just checked the prams, are all in good order. just got l/r from marty aquarium arts. nitrate @ 2mg and nitrite @ .02 and ammonia @ .01pmm and salinity at 1.023. could it be the tank is too fresh?

01/22/2009, 07:25 PM	#5
dlaclo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: knoxville Posts: 30	how old is the tank? it sounds like it is still cycling and your fish is way stressed out...

01/22/2009, 07:29 PM	#8
dlaclo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: knoxville Posts: 30	definatly yes with the water change and i aggree with sk8r if you want your fish to survive i would remove ASAP

01/22/2009, 07:33 PM	#9
october1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 5	thank you for the welcome!

01/22/2009, 07:39 PM	#10
october1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 5	thank you all for the replies!

01/22/2009, 08:20 PM	#11
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	and indeed *To Reef Central* if you can get this fish to a safe clean quarantine tank, you can just tend that tank and let the main tank run on with no water change: the dieoff on the rock will build ammonia, then bacteria will increase, and the tank will become ready to handle fish waste with no filter at all. You need 1 lb porous live rock per gallon of tank, or, in terms of most tanks, a pretty good but openwork pile rising to about a palm's length of the suface and leaving enough room for a hand to clean the glass all around it. You CAN pile it against the back wall, no problem. HTH. BTW, there is a set of files marked with an * at the top of this forum, a free textbook on how to set up and how to handle problems that is a real good thing to read early. Always glad to answer questions. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

01/25/2009, 10:26 PM	#12
october1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 5	heavy breathing fish thanks to all for the advice that was given. parameters are all fine and the Chromis is doing great. he/she is up and about cheking out the tank. nothing died and all looks/smells great. thanks, once again.