Blenny panting

[jaiden]

I have a relatively new, small lawnmower blenny (7 weeks?). I added a phosphate reactor to combat cyano (which works) and have been blowing off and trying to siphon out cyano a couple of times this week. Last night my blenny was hiding in the macro and sort of panting with his gills open. Now I know blennys are weird, so he may be just fine, but normally he's much more active. My Sal was up to 1.027, which I fixed with a gallon of RODI (plus another one when I get home)

Is there anything else I should be looking for? Amm is 0.

 

[steve-s]

Check your alk and pH, more commonly this will be the problem. 1.027 SG depending on how your measuring, shouldn't be too much of a concern.

Are you seeing any red streaks or lesions?

Cheers
Steve

 

[jaiden]

sadly too late... he was dead when I got home...

He looked skinny the last two days, like he sort of deflated. What was left of his body was very thin.

He was apparently healthy and active a few days ago. I think it must have something to do with the phosphate reactor. I got a few ounces of water from the reactor into the main before I remembered to flush it into a bucket. Also there was a lot of cyano and sand blowing around as I was cleaning. I'm guessing it has something to do with one or more of these events.

 

[steve-s]

sadly too late... he was dead when I got home...

Sorry for your loss...

He looked skinny the last two days, like he sort of deflated. What was left of his body was very thin.

Could very well be an internal bacterial/parasite issue if you have been having long term water quality issues. For it to have suddenly become sunken and "starved" in appearance would take a few weeks and not typically a fast death. FWIW, this species contrary to popular belief does not eat magcro algaes nor does it readily take to prepared foods. If yours did than even more evidence contrary to the starving possibility. They are moreso green film algae consumers and generally need a large tank with plenty of LR and a glass pane or two that is not regulary cleaned as grazing surfaces.

He was apparently healthy and active a few days ago. I think it must have something to do with the phosphate reactor. I got a few ounces of water from the reactor into the main before I remembered to flush it into a bucket.

Possible but not the most likely cause unless it also impacted pH which I doubt. That would be more common with carbon ( the kind that bubbles/crackles when water is added) and typically a small tank volume. What type/brand of phos sponge?

Also there was a lot of cyano and sand blowing around as I was cleaning. I'm guessing it has something to do with one or more of these events.

Stress would have more of a contributor than these two possibilities. Debris in the water column is quite short lived and should not have adversely affected the fish's health although stress as I said could have been a factor. As for the cyano, I doubt that as well for the most part. If there was alot of detritus elevated into the water column or toxins released from the sandbed (depth depending) then that could have been a contributor.

Did you happen to check the alk/pH?

Cheers
Steve