sudden change in box fish behavior/look.

[eses]

I've had a yellow black spotted box fish for about a year now, and he's been pretty hearty. Managed to survive ich outbreaks twice. Anyway; in the last week he's suddenly gone down hill. At first his beak/face area started turning really pale, but he was swimming and acting fine. It has progressed into his face being pale and the back half of him is really dark. He has no actual marks on him, so it looks like he's suddenly stressed.

The only things I have changed is I got my water quality back together after a plant died. My PH shot up to 8.6-8.8, also my alkalinity sank, and my calcium was pretty depleted.

I did a water changed and brought the PH down to 8.2-8.4, raised the alkalinity and calcium levels slowly (over the course of a week). After my changes is when the fish started going down hill.

I didn't figure it would be a problem as he's handled changes like that fine before, which is why I did everything so suddenly. I'm thinking maybe the radical swing in water quality might have shocked him ... but I was hoping maybe someone has known of or seen similar behavior in one of these and might have an idea as to what to do.

At the moment he's been moved and isolated in the hospital tank, as I figure he's going to die any day and I don't want him to nuke the main tank.

eses

[ScottC]

I had the same exact problem, but my boxfish looked ill and died within a matter of hours and totally nuked my 150!!

It killed 2 HUGE Naso Tangs, a Porcupine fish, my big fat Blue Tang, and a Maroon Clown. IT SUCKED!!!

Somehow my Picasso AND Emperor angel both lived and showed absolutely NO effects from the toxin.

I changed 85% of the water and have a thriving tank again.

It's a real shame, cause they are such personable fish. I have no idea what did him in, the paramaters were all fine, he was under no stress from the other fish, I have no clue.

Scott

[eses]

Exactly what mine did. Last night he finally died, it took him about a week. My guess is something had to have stressed him, change in water quality, or temperature. My temp did rise a bit; but the thing is, they can live in water that is as warm as 86 degrees. So I know that wasn't it.

Basically is just sucks, as it was my display fish, and I had basically planned my tank around the fish. Well..nothing is static I guess. Mine also went slowly enough I was able to move him to another tank and let him die there...So fortunatly nothing was harmed.

Time to start over. Heh. Thanks for your input, I feel a bit better knowing I'm not the only one who's been confused by a sudden death of one of these fish.