Salinity sickness?

M

mbd521

AC Members
Jan 23, 2009
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Akron Ohio
Ok, I am little worried about my percula clownfishes. My tank has been set up now for about 3-4 months. The fishes (which are the only fish) are acting very lethargic actually it is just one of the pair, the other seems fine. The fish have been in the tank for over a month now and everything has seemed like it was all going great!! But then yesterday I noticed that one of the clowns was staying right near the bottom and acting very lethargic and not coming to the top to eat, but did eat some that floated its way. There are no signs of infection that are visable. Also the fish were quarantined for 4 weeks even before I even out them in the display tank. So I have probably had the fish for over 2 months and they have been wonderful. I haven't added anything to the tank since I added them. The tank parameters are pH 8.2; ammonia 0; nitrite 0; nitrate 10; SG as measured by hydrometer 1.025; temp 80.

The reason I'm thinking its salinity sickness is because I don't have an ATO and I wasn't able to top off the tank for about a week and a half, due to a family medical emergency. The salinity got up to about 1.028. 3 days ago I topped off slowly( about a 32 oz. Cup every 10-15 mins) using FW over about an hour and a half. Did I go to fast with the topping off? Is the lethargy a symptom of it? Will my fish recover?

Side note.... Everything else in the tank seems to be doing great!! Everything being hermits and tons of snails and some GSP!
 
I could be wrong but I dont think .003 would have much impact especially over a couple hours. I've done pretty rapid acclimation as far as salinity and .003 is where I draw the line being anything more then that I go slow with drip instead of pouring a little bit every few minutes
 
Your nitrate is WAY too high. I worry when mine gets to .5
I suggest water changes asap

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Ballyhoo said:
Your nitrate is WAY too high. I worry when mine gets to .5
I suggest water changes asap

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Click to expand...
:confused:

It's a little high by SPS standards, but doesn't seem that bad otherwise. It definitely shouldn't be bothering a Clownfish at that level. Not even sure if the GSP would be bothered by it.



What is the flow like in the tank and how much surface agitation does it have?
 
How big is the tank? In a larger tank, topping off like that shouldn't be a problem.
 
Tank is a 55 gal no sump. The GSP seems like it is doing wonderful!!! Growing great!!! Tank is really basicly FOWLR... The GSP was just a bonus hitchhiker on the LR. Everything I read said for FOWLR nitrates should be under 20-40. Is this incorrect... I know that for a reef tank they should be 0-5. But I'm not really trying for a reef either.
 
Khemul said:
:confused:

It's a little high by SPS standards, but doesn't seem that bad otherwise. It definitely shouldn't be bothering a Clownfish at that level. Not even sure if the GSP would be bothered by it.



What is the flow like in the tank and how much surface agitation does it have?
Click to expand...

My nitrate kit tops out at 1, so I keep it under that and assumed that was correct.

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Nitrates at 10 isn't a concern for fish or even SPS or nems. IMO, you went a little fast with the SG change but clowns are fairly hardy. There have been times when my male seems to pout a little. He literally just lays in the corner for long periods of time but when I approach the tank where he is, he perks up. He also seems to lose a little bit of his appetite at these times. This has probably happened 4 or 5 times over the past couple of years and it only lasts a day or two. It may be that my female put him in his place or what I have also found is that my clowns are laying eggs and they both are eating the eggs which seems to diminish both of their appetites.

Unless you see signs of disease or he completely stops eating, I wouldn't be too concerned.
 
:( well I got home to find my little clownfish dead. And now the other is acting in a similar fashion... I don't know if it will make it. I hope it pulls through, but I don't have a lot of confidence that it will. :(

So now I need to figure out what I did wrong... I am leaning towards dropping the salinity to fast, but could it be something else? I don't really think they showed (showing) any sign of disease that I have read about. No visable signs if ich, or brooklynella(so) or any hole in head, or any parasites.

Someone in an earlier post asked about oxygenation and flow. I have 2 hydor korilla(sp) 750 and an emperor 350. The pumps are on each side of the tank almost in the middle of the side. They are directed towards the front and or the back (depending) on which side and also towards the top. That along with the box filter which WAS dropping water into the tank (before top off) similar to a water fall would lead me away from it being an oxygenation issue. What's do you guys think?

Please and thank you for the awesome advice!! I would love to figure this out and hopefully soon.

Do you guys think I should run the tank with just the CUC in it for a while just incase it was a disease?( assuming the I will lose the other one of course) but hopefully I won't have to!! If so how long? I have read 8-9 weeks for ich, but again no obvious signs of that.
 
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