HELP! My fish are suddenly breathing heavy!

[George9]

I woke up today to find my fish breathing very hard, and staying near the bottom of the tank. They have been doing soo well for the past six months, in fact, yesterday I was so excited about how well the tank was doing. This is a 60 g tank, with five fish. My stock includes
Foxface
Baby Indian teardrop butterflyfish
2 clownfish
Baby blue tang (relax!!!! I'm housing him until he gets big enough to move into my uncle's 180g)

The clownfish look unaffected by this, I also have a cleaner shrimp who is okay, and a urchin who is alive as well. The blue tang is taking it hardest, she's leaning on a rock breathing heavy and her coloring is bad.

Last night, I added a new koralia 1150, and a electronic thermometer. These are the only two variables that changed from yesterday to today, and yesterday, the fish were doing fantastic. I have since removed those two items, added prime to the water, chemical filtrTion, and I'm getting ready for a water change.

Is it possible the new powerhead or the thermometer were leaking stray voltage into the water, thus causing stress? I really can't think of anything to do.

Any advice is appreciated, I'm hoping no one dies


Edit- I also increased surface agitation

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[George9]

The foxface, clowns, and butterfly are eating some, not as well as usual, but I guess that's a good sign. The tang is having a very hard time, I hope I don't lose her tonight. I added a huge bag of carbon to remove anything that may be in the water.


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[melosu58]

You just cant add a bag of carbon but you have to have water running through the carbon. Water needs to be pushed through.

 

[George9]

I added the bag to my aqua clear filter, not just hanging in the tank. sorry should have been more clear!!


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[54seaweed]

what are your parameters
George this is the most important part to help diagnose you always forget to add these lol
breathing heavy I would suspect ammonia poisoning ,I'm guessing since theres no parameters to work with
10% water change would help remove any toxins

 

[George9]

ah man, sorry I was frantic! lol
I tested ammonia first thing too, I forgot! Lol
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 5-10
pH- 8.0 i believe

My first thought was an ammonia spike, because I added a bunch of nassariis snails last week, but there was nothing. I'm thinking it was a toxin on the powerhead? I was doing some searching online and read of similar experiences the day after adding a powerhead, and they were actually the same as mine (koralia evolution). What a shame.

If it is a toxin on the new equipment though, the inverts would be reacting too I would have thought, which they aren't. So I really have no idea!!


I just did a 10% change. I'm going to do another in a little bit.

 

[George9]

RIP Bonnie, the blue tang. She died right in front of me. She's been through horrible times, she fought off flukes for 6 months and I was excited for her to live out a long happy life. Poor thing WHY IS THIS HAPPENING!! This hobby can be so irritating



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[carey]

Aww really sorry about your tang. :-(

I live in fear every day that I will lose my tangs. Ihope you have better luck with the rest of your fish.

Yes, this hobby can be heartbreaking, but think of all the times you've looked at your tank in amazement and wonder and how happy it can make you feel. Thats what keeps me going, sometimes it can be too much to bear. But I think of how those fish get so happy when i feed them or when they are racing around the tank playing and I know it's my calling. All worth it in the end.
Good luck.

 

[George9]

Aww really sorry about your tang. :-(

I live in fear every day that I will lose my tangs. Ihope you have better luck with the rest of your fish.

Yes, this hobby can be heartbreaking, but think of all the times you've looked at your tank in amazement and wonder and how happy it can make you feel. Thats what keeps me going, sometimes it can be too much to bear. But I think of how those fish get so happy when i feed them or when they are racing around the tank playing and I know it's my calling. All worth it in the end.
Good luck.

Thanks Carey I know the exact happy feeling you're talking about.


I think it's a good thing that the fish I have left are still eating, the foxface even ate nori out of my hands like always. If only their breathing will slow, and they'd move around more. This will be a long night

I'm now debating whether I should exchange the powerhead, or just clean it good and use it again. I'd like the extra flow but I'm not sure if I want to risk it again..


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[George9]

I found an air pump and I stuck the tube into the cage of a powerhead so bubbles are blowing around the tank while the fish sleep, just in case this is oxygen related. Better to have more oxygen at night. Everyone is looking okay, sleeping like normal, no ones sitting on the bottom or anything. Pray for them tonight!!


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[George9]

PHEW. I dodged a bullet. Everyone is alive, and acting pretty normally now. The breathing is a lot slower, and they are swimming around like they used to. I guess one good thing that came out of this is that my clownfish are more active since the tang is not giving them a hard time anymore.

I'm thinking this was oxygen related, not sure exactly what happened but I'm going to give the powerhead a good cleaning and cautiously try it again in a few days. It's just hard to believe that adding a powerhead may have caused it.

Thanks for your advice everyone.


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