Very worried right now

[stratmaster]

Man I am so worried at the moment about my tank. In the last couple days time all of my fish have started to breathe really hard like they're trying to gasp for air. I tested the water as did my LFS and nothing is really out of the ordinary and the salinity is fine. Only problem is my Wrasse has a huge 2" dent on top of his head and I don't know if it came from fighting or if he like bumped his head or something.

I've got both of my powerheads going full throttle shooting extra bubbles into the tank.... does anyone have any idea whats going on? This couldn't come from not washing carbon out enough could it? It seemed like this all started a couple a days ago when I put fresh carbon in my tank but now I'm worried I didn't wash it out well enough or something.

Also the Wrasse has not eaten in three days which has me concered. To tell you truth none of them really have a good appetite.

 

[Etunes]

Sounds like the hole in the head disease. But i have no exp. in SW and i don't know if that can happen in SW.

*EDIT*
Some quick research to some good sites.
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/headlledisease/a/aa040901.htm

 

[ezy33]

Sounds like you should remove the carbon and start partial water changes.

 

[stratmaster]

Carbon is long removed. The LFS told me the brand I used is no good and I should be using a brand of carbon like Marineland. So I ran that for 48 hours and now I've been using Prime and doing water changes. Why is my ammonia spiking though? The tank has been up and running for three years. Could it be that in adding the 3 new fish I've added in the past several weeks my system isn't strong enough to handle the fish load?

I just really don't know what the heck to do and I am still so worried about my Wrasse. I am probably gonna pull him out and medicate in a sick tank because his head is not looking good at all, I don't even know what happened with him!

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

3 new fish in a few weeks? Yup... that could easily do it. Not sure how carbon - even cheap, no good stuff - could cause problems.

 

[stratmaster]

What do I do? Just keep using prime and water changes? Also should I quarentine the wrasse because of his sort of hole in his head? (it's not an actual hole more like a dent really)

 

[AMDPhenomX4]

Can you get a picture of the wrasse? Doesnt seem like Hole in head would be that big. How many gallons do you change each time?

 

[stratmaster]

LFS says it was trauma from another fish and I agree! I just don't understand why they're all breathing so hard like gasping for air. There's very little ammonia in the tank and there's no nitrite so I don't understand why they're all looking so sickly for!

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

First you said your water didn't test "out of the ordinary." Then you mentioned an ammonia spike, and now we have "very little ammonia". Sooo... how much ammonia are we talking about - in actual ppm?

Any measurable ammonia is not a good thing, and fish gasping at the surface is one of the signs of too much ammonia. Too many fish added, too soon. Only thing to do is either take some fish back, or be ready with premade water for large water changes until your biological filtration catches up.

 

[stratmaster]

I don't mean to be so unclear I am just very upset. I had to take the day off from work to get this system back in order. I am very sad right now because unfortunately I have lost the Emperor Angelfish I knew he was going to be the first one to go.

Now on to the Wrasse though, he is number one for me so is it gonna hurt if I mix up some water in a 20 gallon tank and move him over to that just for a few days until I can get my system back in order? It will be fresh saltwater so I imagine I'm gonna have to watch for the cycling process to start. How often and how many water changes should I do on this so called "sick" tank I have setup for the Wrasse?

To tell you the truth I already went ahead and moved him over. I do have a powerhead and HOB filter going for circulation with some carbon going.

 

[melosu58]

In the QT maybe every other day PWC`s. Something to keep the ammonia and nitrites down. I would also do some twice a week PWC`s in your main tank.

 

[stratmaster]

Still can't believe the Emp died

 

[Zer0]

Yeah sorry for the loss dude. Not only the money, but a beautiful fish lost forever.

 

[stratmaster]

I feel so bad like I killed him and he didn't get to live, he was such a little guy. I just want the Sunset to live though. If he dies I'm getting out of this hobby altogether. There's no way I could look at my fish tank ever again without my Sunset. I've had him for three years and he started out just as a little guy like the Emp Angel.

Steve

 

[InfernoST]

Steve, did this start when after you installed your new skimmer? Is it possible your new skimmer is not sealed correctly either leaching something into the water whether it be sealed in motor lubricant or even stray electrical current.
Just a thought.
I'm really sorry for the loss of your emperor. Do the best you can, unfortunately bad things like this happen but we have to keep moving forward brother.

 

[stratmaster]

It started after a water change with fresh carbon added which apparently was a terrible brand. I was concerned I hadn't washed it off enough but I just kept rinsing and rinsing and that black dust just kept coming off! So I put it in my sump anyway and it looked like it was coming off in the water but I left it anyway.
I'm just not getting why there would be ammonia in the water because my tank has been cycled already and up and running for three years! I think if adding the three fish at once is what caused this problem with the biological load problem, wouldn't this problem have happened a few weeks ago when I first added them?

I don't know all I know is I am worried right now so much about the Wrasse. He's still alive in a quarentine tank but he looks awful and the ammonia is already started to spike in that, so I just did a 50% water change and used prime. Is there anything such as a fish vet maybe I could take him to to examine those injuries he obtained?

Steve

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

... I think if adding the three fish at once is what caused this problem with the biological load problem, wouldn't this problem have happened a few weeks ago when I first added them?...

Not necessarily... it can take a while for the ammonia to build up. When you cycle a tank, it can take a week for the ammonia to start showing up even though you've got a shrimp in there rotting away all that time.

 

[InfernoST]

It started after a water change with fresh carbon added which apparently was a terrible brand. I was concerned I hadn't washed it off enough but I just kept rinsing and rinsing and that black dust just kept coming off! So I put it in my sump anyway and it looked like it was coming off in the water but I left it anyway.
I'm just not getting why there would be ammonia in the water because my tank has been cycled already and up and running for three years! I think if adding the three fish at once is what caused this problem with the biological load problem, wouldn't this problem have happened a few weeks ago when I first added them?

I don't know all I know is I am worried right now so much about the Wrasse. He's still alive in a quarentine tank but he looks awful and the ammonia is already started to spike in that, so I just did a 50% water change and used prime. Is there anything such as a fish vet maybe I could take him to to examine those injuries he obtained?

Steve

IMO you should reduce the salinity in the QT it will take some stress off of him. I've recently done tons of reading on hyposalinity (Because my DT got ich) and found that lowering the salinity allows the fish to breathe easier and when brought down to 1.009 causes ich to die.

 

[stratmaster]

The Wrasse is gone I basically killed him because I added to many fish at once and now the ammonia killed him. Now I am getting out of this hobby. I can't BELIEVE THIS!

 

[NeoCatsy]

Don't quit. Could someone of added stuff to your tank with out you knowing?