Fish with rapid breathing

Vitaly · 11/02/2006, 10:05 PM

Came home this evening to find my Coral Beauty laying on the sand (on her side) breathing rapidly and heavily. I figured something was dreadfully wrong and that she would probably die.

I scooped her up and moved her into a hyposalinic hospital tank that my clownfish has been in for the past 3 weeks (recieving copper to treat intestinal parasites). It has been over and hour and she is still alive, breathing heavily and not swimming unless disturbed by a net.

The sixline wrasse is actively swimming, but is breathing rapidly and heavily...can see the gill puffing.

The corals in the tank were partially retracted, but looked okay otherwise.

The boxfish is actively swimming and appears completely normal.

Does anybody have any idea was is causing this?

Water chemistry should be normal, but I have not checked. I am going to do a 20% water change right now to see if it helps.

Tang Salad · 11/02/2006, 10:33 PM

1st thing I'd do would be to increase oxygen. Add an airstone or two.

Have you had some kind of bacteria bloom? Is the water cloudy, or is there a surface film?

sugartooth · 11/02/2006, 10:42 PM

Did your boxfish release any toxins?

Vitaly · 11/02/2006, 10:43 PM

Tang Salad

1st thing I'd do would be to increase oxygen. Add an airstone or two.

Will adding an airstone really increase dissolved O2 in the water...my understanding is that airstones simply increase surface agitation; which consequently affects the amount of dissolved gases in the water. I have had these fish for about 5 months...and tank has powerheads and hang-on filters. So I feel like there is sufficient water agitation and O2 in the water

Have you had some kind of bacteria bloom?
Is the water cloudy, or is there a surface film?

Nope...no visible bacteria blooms and there is no film on the surface.

Thanks for your thoughts...

Vitaly · 11/02/2006, 10:52 PM

sugartooth

I considered the possibility of there being ostratoxin (boxfish toxin) in the water. That is why I decided to do a water change...in case it was present.

However, the boxfish has been in the tank for about 4 months...and there has been zero agression or stress on him. He looks healthy and thus I would suspect that he would not have secreted any.

I have read that ostratoxin is a hemalytic and thus I would imagine that the would cause rapid breathing in the fish (fewer RBC -- more respiration to compensate and increase perfusion of tissues). But I have also read that the toxin is lethal at about 30 mins. Going on two hours now since I got home and the coral beauty is still in the hospital tank...and breathing...but not moving much.

I will just have to wait and see if they make it through the night.

Thanks for your thoughts...

11/02/2006, 10:05 PM	#1
Vitaly Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Redlands, CA Posts: 1,300	Fish with rapid breathing Came home this evening to find my Coral Beauty laying on the sand (on her side) breathing rapidly and heavily. I figured something was dreadfully wrong and that she would probably die. I scooped her up and moved her into a hyposalinic hospital tank that my clownfish has been in for the past 3 weeks (recieving copper to treat intestinal parasites). It has been over and hour and she is still alive, breathing heavily and not swimming unless disturbed by a net. The sixline wrasse is actively swimming, but is breathing rapidly and heavily...can see the gill puffing. The corals in the tank were partially retracted, but looked okay otherwise. The boxfish is actively swimming and appears completely normal. Does anybody have any idea was is causing this? Water chemistry should be normal, but I have not checked. I am going to do a 20% water change right now to see if it helps. __________________ Vitaly A. Stepensky Current Tank Info: 110 gallon reef

11/02/2006, 10:33 PM	#2
Tang Salad Algae skeptic Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: 78702 Posts: 3,098	1st thing I'd do would be to increase oxygen. Add an airstone or two. Have you had some kind of bacteria bloom? Is the water cloudy, or is there a surface film? __________________ Your algae is not special. Current Tank Info: TBD ADA 120-P SPS NLPS

11/02/2006, 10:43 PM	#4
Vitaly Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Redlands, CA Posts: 1,300	Tang Salad 1st thing I'd do would be to increase oxygen. Add an airstone or two. Will adding an airstone really increase dissolved O2 in the water...my understanding is that airstones simply increase surface agitation; which consequently affects the amount of dissolved gases in the water. I have had these fish for about 5 months...and tank has powerheads and hang-on filters. So I feel like there is sufficient water agitation and O2 in the water Have you had some kind of bacteria bloom? Is the water cloudy, or is there a surface film? Nope...no visible bacteria blooms and there is no film on the surface. Thanks for your thoughts... __________________ Vitaly A. Stepensky Current Tank Info: 110 gallon reef

11/02/2006, 10:52 PM	#5
Vitaly Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Redlands, CA Posts: 1,300	sugartooth I considered the possibility of there being ostratoxin (boxfish toxin) in the water. That is why I decided to do a water change...in case it was present. However, the boxfish has been in the tank for about 4 months...and there has been zero agression or stress on him. He looks healthy and thus I would suspect that he would not have secreted any. I have read that ostratoxin is a hemalytic and thus I would imagine that the would cause rapid breathing in the fish (fewer RBC -- more respiration to compensate and increase perfusion of tissues). But I have also read that the toxin is lethal at about 30 mins. Going on two hours now since I got home and the coral beauty is still in the hospital tank...and breathing...but not moving much. I will just have to wait and see if they make it through the night. Thanks for your thoughts... __________________ Vitaly A. Stepensky Current Tank Info: 110 gallon reef

11/02/2006, 10:42 PM	#3
sugartooth Reef bully Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: IL Posts: 2,832	Did your boxfish release any toxins?