Help. Sick Rabbitfish?

[Sammynels]

Got an orange spotted Rabbitfish 2 days ago. Noticed tonight he seems very sluggish and is now pressing against one of the walls of the tank. He has been very active before now. Looks slow and weak. All my levels and temp are spot on. Thoughts? He is in with 2 clowns and an emerald crab with a small cuc

 

[Pat02026]

What's he been eating? Have you checked for ammonia?

 

[phg1960]

Yes, check your ammonia. Your tank just finished cycling. It looks like you added too many fish at once.

 

[reefstarter]

water change asap , like tonight if you want to save them . and another very very soon after like within a 2 day window . add some DR Tims too one and only . then wait at least a month before adding any more fish

 

[Sammynels]

No Ammonia as of noon today. No nitrites, 10ppm nitrates. Did a 10% water change around 2 with RODI, salinity at 35. 1/2 a cube of formula 2 every other day.

 

[Sammynels]

Didn't check nitrates after weekly water change but one would assume it couldn't go up and it would have to really swing

 

[andy01748]

Nitrates aren't toxic to fish. Is the fish breathing hard?


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[Sammynels]

Nope.

 

[Sammynels]

I'll have to wait and see what the morning brings.

 

[reefstarter]

if you have nitrates , at some point you had amonia . so if nitrates go up then you are getting spikes of ammonia , which can sometimes only last a couple hours and then poof in to trites and trates . had it happen in my system , never saw the ammonia spike but it had to have been there since my nitrates went to 40-50 PPm . I have since gotten them down to almost 0 along with phosphates . but its hard to say what happened . I hope your fish make it . and you find out what happened

 

[Sammynels]

I'm a nut so I have been checking my levels daily and nitrates have been at 10 for 3 days so I did a 10% change this afternoon. Trates and ammonia have both been zero for atleast a week. Not even a trace. He is just acting odd and going flat against the glass occasionally. Maybe I am over reacting. They are typically "skiddish fish" and hide a lot and that is what he did day 1 but has been a lot more noticeable and active in the tank but is just acting a little bizarre tonight. Maybe I am over reacting, I don't know. As I said, I'm a perfectionist so this hobby drives me absolutely nuts.

 

[Pat02026]

I can fully attest to rabbit fish being skittish. I've got a magnificent in QT right now downstairs, and just merely flipping the light on he freaks out nevermind when I go near the tank. And he's been this way for two weeks now. But he's eating like a pig and healthy & fat.

If you can keep him fed, and there's no signs of disease, or parasites on him or the other fish then he should be ok. Do you see him eat when you feed the tank? Don't add any fish for a few more weeks and stay on a consistent schedule with water changes.

 

[Sammynels]

Yeah he was a lot "visible" in the tank today which was slightly surprising then started pressing his side against the glass and even laid on the cord of my powerhead for 5 secs which just seemed bizarre. He had formula two today for about 3 mins then would take in the food and spit it right back out as I have seen fish normally do. He also pooped immediately after he ate. No signs of any damage to him, bugs etc and looks 100%. Plenty of movement in the tank too, running a mag 9.5 and 2 WP25's with an esshops PSK-150 skimmer which does remarkable at removing dark thick skimmate.

 

[Sammynels]

Fish seemed find today. Again, much more "visible" in the tank but not acting sluggish and lethargic like last night. Thanks for all your help guys, your time and expertise is much appreciated, it's been too many years out of the hobby for me.

 

[reefstarter]

good to hear , might just be as someone said above , they are skittish fish at first . I have a 1 spot that took a while to come around and stay "out front "

 

[Sammynels]

It was the "laying" on the powerhead cord and the pressing it's side against the tank with the way it was so sluggish when the lights dimmed lastnight that got me nervous. No one likes to wake up to a dead little buddy

 

[reefstarter]

nope . I've had my share of that . I am currently finishing up a battle with Ich that I think I won . tried some different things , now only time will tell if it actually worked or just masked the problem . in about a month I'll know

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I wonder if he was just in "night-mode"?