[pharris]

Hi all

Looking for some advice with a sick Chromis

Today one of my Chromis started acting odd, it has spent most of the day stuck at the top of the tank almost with its head out of the water.

At feeding times it has joined the rest and has feed well, but as soon as the food is gone its back to the top of the tank again.

Normally at lights out all the chromis head behind one of the rocks for the night but tonight as soon as the lights went out this one stayed out and then started swimming about, although it is swimming at an odd angle.

The water parameters all seem ok

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
pH 8.23
SG 1.023
Temp 27 A little high but in the Costa Kent I cannot get it down

Anyone got any thoughts on what the problem may be.

Thanks

Paul

[leebca]

WELCOME PAUL TO REEFLAND!

Thanks for posting.

The chromis is obviously under stress of some sort. Without much more in the way of symptoms, it's hard to say. Thanks for the tank information. That is helpful and I think, with the exception of temperature, the tank water may be eliminated. There is always a chance that your source water could have changed and has introduced something either recently or over a long period of time.

You don't mention what other livestock you have in the aquarium and whether or not the aquarium is located in a place where, combined with the temperature, the water may be short on oxygen or gas exchange. Even though other fish may appear to be okay, one or more fish may first feel the effects of a gas concern.

You also don't mention how long you've had the fish. The symptoms you've described is also a sign of a bad acclimation, which can show itself up to several weeks after the fish is introduced AND/OR if the pH makes shift of more than 0.25 pH units in a short time (less than 12 hours).

Other than these, the obvious would be (for a fish you've had more than a year) a nutritional issue. That would require we know more about the foods you feed, and the frequency you feed them.

Sticky posts (pinned posts) here in this Forum you may want to review as it pertains to what I've written above include:
Feeding Marine Fish and Fish Nutrition

It Was Acclimation, I know. . .

Stress (and the Single Marine Fish)

WATER - Source and NSW

Good luck!

[pharris]

Thanks for the reply Lee

This is a fairly new tank so at the moment I only have the five Chromis, the others are all doing fine as was the sick one until yesterday, pH has been stable and the tank is in the dark end of the lounge.

I am feeding a various diet of frozen (Mysis, Artemia, Marine Mix. and dry foods Tetra Marine and King British four times a day.

One thing to note is that the odd behavior did start after I did a 25 liter water change, I don’t know if that had anything to do with it.

I have also noticed this morning if the fish stops beating his fins he quickly sinks to the bottom, I wonder if it’s a swim bladder problem.

Thanks again for your help

Paul

[leebca]

Hi Paul.

Good feeding schedule. I would always prefer four times a day, but can't seem to get past three!

I would drop the artemia unless they are gut loaded and be sure that the mysis you feed are saltwater mysis. I would also use a vitamin and fat supplement in their feedings once every other day. Include a feeding of Cyclopeze twice a week if you have access to that.

Is the lounge well ventilated? Fresh air coming and going?

If the behavior is related to the water change, then you may wish to verify that your source water is proper. The aquarist test kits only measure a fraction (small) of what things can show up in source water to harm our fishes. As you point out, a common thing like water would likely affect the rest of the fish, although one out of every group of fishes often are more sensitive than others to water conditions, even within a species.

A swim bladder infection is not uncommon to many marine fishes. In a relatively new aquarium, the microbe population is going through many transitions, with occasional blooms of certain kinds of microbes. This can be a source for bacterial infections. But that symptom usually is just more than 'sinking.' It is usually characterized by the fish being unable to maintain its upright balance, despite its attempts at righting itself.

I would check the source water quality.

If you believe a systemic bacterial infection is still possible, you'll want to setup a hospital tank for the fish. This is good information on that kind of tank, also known as a quarantine tank (QT):
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-1...ture/index.htm

For a bladder infection problem I prefer to use the antibiotic Tetracycline, fed orally. I don't know if that is available to you or not and if it is, you'll want a formula of it suitable for saltwater fish.

A general purpose antibiotic can be found in Maracyn Two for Saltwater Fish. Again, I don't know if that is available to you or not. This product by Mardel contains an antibiotic that goes through the fish's skin and will help cure both surface and internal bacterial infections.

I am, as yet, unconvinced on the diagnosis.

[pharris]

Hi Lee

Thanks again for all your help

I know Artemia is not the best food to feed, the trouble is its the only one of the tried frozen foods that my fish realy lap up, also because they are still very small even the mysis is a bit to large for them.

The water I use is RO water from my own mains supply, unfortunatly I do not have the test kits to do a full analasis of the water. All I can test is Ammonia. Nitrite, Nitrate pH and TDS.

Update

After spending most of the night sort of swimming around the tank (the others were in their normal sleep space behind one of the rocks) it has now spent all day in one place between a couple of pipes.

It does come out at feeding time but I am not totaly sure it is actualy feeding.

Below is to a not so good photo of the fish.



Visualy it looks fine, I wonder if its something daft like the others have paired off and its feeling left out. (Daft I know).

Thanks again for all your help.

Paul

[leebca]

5 Chromis is a good number. That is, they should get along fairly well.

If the food is too large, cut it up to make it fit the fish. Many ways to do this.

It more and more sounds like a delayed acclimation symptom. About the only thing you can do is monitor the fish closely and provide the best water quality you can.

You may wish to keep some medications on hand, in general. This post has some to think about:
Stocking the Marine Fish Medicine Cabinet

Keep us informed on the fish's progress, please.

[pharris]

Hi Lee

Thaks again for taking the time to help.

The fish is still with us and in not showing any signes of getting any worse.

The more I watch the tank the more I am sure of what the problem is, I am sure the others are bullying him.

He only comes out when the others have gone to bed, if he comes out to feed and gets to close to the others he is chased off.

I wonder if the others have paired off and he/she is the odd one out.

If it is that simple would getting another chromis to even the numbers help.

Thanks again for all your help

Paul

[leebca]

You might have the issue. Unusual, though. Most groupings of Chromis of 5 usually get along quite well.

Introducing another fish will usually put the 'pack' through another shuffle of the pecking order. This can be a problem. You can give it a try, but I wouldn't upset the pack at this stage. I'd go with the flow.

[pharris]

Hi

Just thought I would give an up-date on the Green Chromis.

The others were still having nothing to do with him and he still spent most of the day hiding from the others, only to come out at feeding time only to be quickly chased off by the others.

At night after the others had gone to be he would come out and swim around all night.

My kids have even named him Mr Lonely.

I decided today that it must be because he is the odd one out and that the others had paired up.

So at four o’clock this afternoon I went back to my LFS where I knew they had one chromis, it took the girls nearly an hour to catch him.

When I got home at five o’clock what do you think greeted me.

Yes you’re right Mr Lonely floating upside down dead as a door nail.

Would you believe it.

Still the new one is happily swimming with the others.


I had a good look at Mr Lonely before he went with the flow and could se absolutely nothing obvious wrong with him


Paul.

[leebca]

Glad to have the update; sad to hear of the turnout.

Sometimes we underestimate the power of peer pressure -- even between fishes!