Longnose hawkfish dying. Help!!!

hberickson · 06/26/2013, 10:14 PM

I purchased a beautiful longnose hawkfish yesterday at my great lfs and he seems to be very weak and dying. Like he is still breathing but he never moves and when he does he cannot seem to swim with much power and sort of does that tilting thing when he swims. He looked great just yesterday when I got him! He was purched up on a rock watching everything! Could this just be normal stress? All my other fish and inverts are active as ever. Please help!

wnppmy · 06/27/2013, 06:22 AM

Sorry to hear of your Delma. Hope he improves.

Perhaps a bacterium of sorts as are bottom .

Stress a possibility, when I purchase a fish or invet, if they harbor a certain rock or formation I often buy that as well so they have something similar when changed to a new environment.

Hope he snaps back for you.

They do require meaty food, perhaps some live brine might help.

igot2gats · 06/27/2013, 07:21 AM

Did you QT him?

Also, some LFSs provide a 14 day guarantee. You might want to check with your LFS.

hberickson · 06/27/2013, 09:52 AM

I did not qt him because my lfs already has a rather nice qt setup so I rarely qt when I buy from them (online purchases are different). I plan on checking in with them soon. He is still alive and doing the same thing today (just sitting at the bottom, out of most of the current). I hope he's just stressed from the tank change.

Deinonych · 06/27/2013, 10:52 AM

How did you acclimate him?

MrTuskfish · 06/27/2013, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hberickson

I did not qt him because my lfs already has a rather nice qt setup so I rarely qt when I buy from them (online purchases are different). I plan on checking in with them soon. He is still alive and doing the same thing today (just sitting at the bottom, out of most of the current). I hope he's just stressed from the tank change.

Every fish, from anywhere, should always be quarantined I hope he didn't bring any contagious stuff with him.

igot2gats · 06/27/2013, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrTuskfish

Every fish, from anywhere, should always be quarantined I hope he didn't bring any contagious stuff with him.

Agree 100%

Quote:

Originally Posted by hberickson

I did not qt him because my lfs already has a rather nice qt setup so I rarely qt when I buy from them (online purchases are different).

Just curious about your thinking: why is online any different? What if they have the same set up as your LFS?

I'm not trying to bash by any means, just giving you some food for thought.

Better safe than sorry....always QT. It can't hurt.

hberickson · 06/27/2013, 12:47 PM

You guys are probably right with always qting. It would be a good practice to swear by. L

MrTuskfish · 06/27/2013, 03:02 PM

Something that is hardly ever mentioned: Online fish have almost always been netted, bagged, shipped, and acclimated less than LFS fish. Bottom line: less stress.

hberickson · 06/27/2013, 04:49 PM

Somehow that surprises me because of the shipping they go through, but I guess it makes sense. So, back to the fish, is there anything I can do to help aid this fish through this stressful transition?

eastfernstreet · 06/27/2013, 04:57 PM

My Longnose took several days before he would even eat. I was freaking out. Give it a few days before you panic. I find my Longnose to be a "thoughtful" member of the community -- meaning he sits and thinks a lot before he makes his moves.

long.jpg

Good luck!

hberickson · 06/27/2013, 05:03 PM

Okay I am relieved to hear that because that is almost exactly what he is doing. He seems to sick in one spot for hours and doesn't eat at all yet. I will make sure to give him time and let him settle in before doing anything drastic. Thanks for the reply!

eastfernstreet · 06/27/2013, 06:35 PM

Forgot to mention . . . Mysis Shrimp is what did the trick.

tanked37 · 06/27/2013, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hberickson

Okay I am relieved to hear that because that is almost exactly what he is doing. He seems to sick in one spot for hours and doesn't eat at all yet. I will make sure to give him time and let him settle in before doing anything drastic. Thanks for the reply!

Yeah, +1. Anyway, there was a lot of talk about QT and how you didn't b/c of LFS vs online and how you must QT due to parasites and blah blah blah. Regardless of all that, the reason you should of QT'd him is to properly ACCLIMATE the fish and reduce the stress level with being introduce to a tank with other fish. QT is not just for diseases. It's to get the fish comfortable from the shipping process from LFS to your house and to get them eating the food you plan to feed in addition to reduce the introduction of unwanted "stuff". Your hawkfish should be fine he's just a little stressed right now. Better acclimation process via QT would have helped.

hberickson · 06/27/2013, 08:45 PM

eastfernstreet, was that live mysis?

eastfernstreet · 06/28/2013, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hberickson

eastfernstreet, was that live mysis?

Nope . . . just the frozen cubes.

Scotty1772 · 06/28/2013, 07:06 AM

My longnose sits and watches everything as well...and loves all the frozen cubed food. Give him some time...hope he bounces back for you

Bman562 · 06/28/2013, 10:43 AM

I learned the hard way. QTing any fish bought online or LFS is a must.

Hope he can come around

06/26/2013, 10:14 PM	#1
hberickson Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Madison, South Dakota Posts: 107	Longnose hawkfish dying. Help!!! I purchased a beautiful longnose hawkfish yesterday at my great lfs and he seems to be very weak and dying. Like he is still breathing but he never moves and when he does he cannot seem to swim with much power and sort of does that tilting thing when he swims. He looked great just yesterday when I got him! He was purched up on a rock watching everything! Could this just be normal stress? All my other fish and inverts are active as ever. Please help!

06/27/2013, 06:22 AM	#2
wnppmy Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 257	Sorry to hear of your Delma. Hope he improves. Perhaps a bacterium of sorts as are bottom . Stress a possibility, when I purchase a fish or invet, if they harbor a certain rock or formation I often buy that as well so they have something similar when changed to a new environment. Hope he snaps back for you. They do require meaty food, perhaps some live brine might help. Last edited by wnppmy; 06/27/2013 at 06:30 AM.

06/27/2013, 07:21 AM	#3
igot2gats Deeeetroit Basketball! Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 1,063	Did you QT him? Also, some LFSs provide a 14 day guarantee. You might want to check with your LFS. __________________ Jeff Stop being lazy, and use the search function. Seriously. Current Tank Info: 75g DT / 20g sump / 20g QT - Eheim 1250, Tunze Osmolator 3155, GHL Profilux 3, 2 Tunze 6095, Tunze Wavebox, Aqua Illumination Hydra LEDs

06/27/2013, 10:52 AM	#5
Deinonych Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 4,191	How did you acclimate him? __________________ Chris Hope is not a strategy. Display Tank: DSA 105 w/36gal sump/fuge · 2x MP40wES PHs · 2x Radion Gen2 · Apex w/PM2 · Fish · Corals · Rock · Sand · Water

06/27/2013, 03:02 PM	#9
MrTuskfish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The Wild Blue Yonder Posts: 8,887	Something that is hardly ever mentioned: Online fish have almost always been netted, bagged, shipped, and acclimated less than LFS fish. Bottom line: less stress. __________________ If God didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them out of meat. Steve Current Tank Info: 180, 2-240 FOWLRs, 240 reef

06/27/2013, 09:52 AM	#4
hberickson Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Madison, South Dakota Posts: 107	I did not qt him because my lfs already has a rather nice qt setup so I rarely qt when I buy from them (online purchases are different). I plan on checking in with them soon. He is still alive and doing the same thing today (just sitting at the bottom, out of most of the current). I hope he's just stressed from the tank change.

06/27/2013, 12:47 PM	#8
hberickson Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Madison, South Dakota Posts: 107	You guys are probably right with always qting. It would be a good practice to swear by. L

06/27/2013, 04:49 PM	#10
hberickson Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Madison, South Dakota Posts: 107	Somehow that surprises me because of the shipping they go through, but I guess it makes sense. So, back to the fish, is there anything I can do to help aid this fish through this stressful transition?

06/27/2013, 04:57 PM	#11
eastfernstreet Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 150	My Longnose took several days before he would even eat. I was freaking out. Give it a few days before you panic. I find my Longnose to be a "thoughtful" member of the community -- meaning he sits and thinks a lot before he makes his moves. long.jpg Good luck! __________________ Learning Patience In hobby since 09/12. Current Tank Info: 90 gal., 2 2x54w T5 w/ATI's, 100+ lbs. LR, 125 Coralife SuperSkimmer, 2x Maxspect Gyre XF250, 2 O. Clowns, 1 Longnosed Hawk, 1 Tomini Tang, 1 Flame Angel, 1 Green Mandarin, Rics, Fox, Montis, GSP, Zoas, Gorg, Birdsnest, Shrooms, Shrimp, Crabs, etc.

06/27/2013, 05:03 PM	#12
hberickson Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Madison, South Dakota Posts: 107	Okay I am relieved to hear that because that is almost exactly what he is doing. He seems to sick in one spot for hours and doesn't eat at all yet. I will make sure to give him time and let him settle in before doing anything drastic. Thanks for the reply!

06/27/2013, 06:35 PM	#13
eastfernstreet Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 150	Forgot to mention . . . Mysis Shrimp is what did the trick. __________________ Learning Patience In hobby since 09/12. Current Tank Info: 90 gal., 2 2x54w T5 w/ATI's, 100+ lbs. LR, 125 Coralife SuperSkimmer, 2x Maxspect Gyre XF250, 2 O. Clowns, 1 Longnosed Hawk, 1 Tomini Tang, 1 Flame Angel, 1 Green Mandarin, Rics, Fox, Montis, GSP, Zoas, Gorg, Birdsnest, Shrooms, Shrimp, Crabs, etc.

06/27/2013, 08:45 PM	#15
hberickson Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Madison, South Dakota Posts: 107	eastfernstreet, was that live mysis?

06/28/2013, 07:06 AM	#17
Scotty1772 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Boothwyn, Pa. Posts: 212	My longnose sits and watches everything as well...and loves all the frozen cubed food. Give him some time...hope he bounces back for you

06/28/2013, 10:43 AM	#18
Bman562 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 188	I learned the hard way. QTing any fish bought online or LFS is a must. Hope he can come around