anything I can do to help an ailing fish?

[mitchelWB]

I've got a yellow-tail blue damsel that is starting to look and act funny. He's a hearty bugger because he helped cycle my tank (I know, I know, but this is my first tank, I'm learning)

I've been very good about doing my water changes and testing my water. I tested it tonite and everything came up wonderful. PH 8.2, ammonia 0, nitrate barely discernable, nitrite 0. SG is 1.023

The tank is only about 1 month old. I've gone through a bunch of brown algea but it's gone now, and now I'm starting to grow some green aglae, but a minimal amount. I don't think it's hair algea, but I'm not sure I'd recognize it if it was. It's fairly new to the tank... It's been growing now for about 4 or 5 days and is easy to remove... It doesn't grow back very fast either.

The other critters in my tank haven't really shown much of a difference except that my diamond watchman goby doesn't seem to be coming out as much. But he is still coming out just fine. And my sand shifting star has been all over the place, up the sides and down, corner to corner he's all over the place.

Any thoughts on what I can try? I don't have a quarantine tank.

Thanks
Mitch

[Geoff]

when dealing with reef systems there is not a whole lot that can be done. really hard to tell what the problem could be from your description.

G~

[Loverotties]

Originally Posted by mitchelWB

I've got a yellow-tail blue damsel that is starting to look and act funny.
Thanks
Mitch

Can you tell us more?

[mitchelWB]

I'll do my best. But I'm not sure I know what all "more" is. Let me know if this is the wrong "more"

He's staying hidden behind the rocks and when he does come out, he's not going far or doing much. I guess the best way to describe it is that he looks like he's laboring to breathe. That's what it looks like anyway. he keeps his top fin standing up when he's out from behind the rocks. He looks more bug-eyed than normal, but that may just be me. I haven't seen his left side, but his right side has a couple spots (2-3) where it looks like he's got a small gray spot on him, but it's not ich. I've seen ich at the LFS and this doesn't look like that... it's more of a gray color and looks more like a cavity than something on him.

What other info can I provide? I'm not exactly sure how long he's been this way. I was on vacation from Thurs-Sunday this past weekend. I first noticed it Monday evening I don't know if I thought he was just hiding Monday or if I actually saw him out... don't remember. He did eat a little on Monday, but just a little, and I've not seen him eat since.

I'm not terribly worried abuot their care while I was gone, the only instructions were how to feed. I tested and took care of everything else before I left. The only thing I can think of that they could have screwed up while I was gone would have been to put food in the water directly after doing something like putting hand lotion on or using soap to wash their hands.

MitchelWB

[gwen_o_lyn]

I can only suggest 3 possible reasons..
1) your tank is still new and the fish is stressed
2) gobies have lots of personality and he/she is just starting to show personality and getting adjusted.
3) not enough oxygen in the tank

[mitchelWB]

Originally Posted by gwen_o_lyn

I can only suggest 3 possible reasons..
1) your tank is still new and the fish is stressed
2) gobies have lots of personality and he/she is just starting to show personality and getting adjusted.
3) not enough oxygen in the tank

the tank is still pretty new, but this damsel that's having trouble cycled the tank and made it through with flying colors. Since he started it out, I've added about 25# of LR (still have another 20# curing in the garage) and a skimmer.

the goby seems to be fine.. he was very shy at first, but after a small rock rearrangement to make a better looking tank, and some better hiding places, he's really become active. he's a little nut... you're definitely right about having lots of personality. But these last few days, he's become shy again. He still comes out, but not as much as he was a week or so ago. He is eating very well though.

They oxygen isn't something I had thought of, but with all the places that my water gets churned (sump, skimmer, overflow, and the pump back from sump to tank) it seems like I should be fine on that...

I'm going to replace my charcoal tonite as I've been reading that the lifespan of it isn't very long, when my bro-in-law brought it to me, he said there was enough charcoal in it to last months. I'm starting to doubt that. it's not a very big bag.

[mitchelWB]

bump

he's still hangin in there. anybody?

[mitchelWB]

too late. RIP little buddy.

[Geoff]

Originally Posted by mitchelWB

too late. RIP little buddy.

sorry, to hear that.

it is really difficult to do anything in a reef tank. i have learned to just hope for the best.

G~

[Brent Cone]

I would wait 2 month's or so before you added anymore fish, your tank is very young.Just give it some time to mature, it most likley stress that took him out,
that's my 10 cent's
Brent.

[unleashed]

sorry to hear about your loss.how long has this tank been up for.if just a short time no other fish at the moment i suggest adding all of your LR to your tank let it cycle and cure the rest of the way without livestock.keep close tabs on qater quality should be close to sg 1.023-1.025..PH 8.2-8.3 for reef ,amonia 0 nitrates0 nitrites 0 if you are getting a higher level than 10 of the last 3 this could have been the problem.if this tank is very new try adding some vital bacter(bacteria) to get you tank cycled more efficiantly.once you get all levels to stay at a good level (above) then start adding your stock add them slowly as to not overload or shock your system. I do wish you the best good luck.hope this helps

[mitchelWB]

tank has been up and running for about 1.5 months. I test the water every week since it's still new. water has been great. All my other critters seem to be fine. they're all acting normal and look good. I've got two large pieces of LR to add... each about 10 lbs. I'll add them one at a time and watch the water, but since my water seems to be in good shape, my other critters are fine... I just don't know what happened with this little guy.

kinda a bummer that for 2 days I couldn't find any advice on what I could do to help him, then once he's dead, I get lots of "no more fish for you" type advice.