Stressed Chromis - Symptoms ?

Matt_b · 07-05-2006, 08:02 AM

Found the smallest outa 5 stuck to my stream inlet, got home early enough to turn it off and he swam away but he's found the calmest water in the tank and has stayed there for the past few hrs , is this part of the stress or is the reason he got stuck because he's weak? Like i said he's the smallest guy outa the 5 but was always with the group and never picked on, must admit he seemed to get over excited at feeding time and chase the food rather than eat it

If he doesn't pull through how far shall i leave it?

Hardhead Cat · 07-05-2006, 08:19 AM

Is he breathing heavily? Anything you can see on him? What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrate, phosphate, etc.)?

HHC

Matt_b · 07-05-2006, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hardhead Cat

Is he breathing heavily? Anything you can see on him? What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrate, phosphate, etc.)?

HHC

All params perfect apart from low alk, can't really notice any difference in breathing but his scales do seem more noticable than the others

zxcv123 · 07-05-2006, 08:34 AM

please tell us what they exactly are: define perfect

Matt_b · 07-05-2006, 09:06 AM

NH4 - NO2 - NO3 - PO4 undetectable

Ca - 400ppm
Mg - 1155ppm
Alk - 5.6dkh :-(

zxcv123 · 07-05-2006, 09:11 AM

Use a buffer to raise ALk. Whats the PH? How did this fish behave when he was first put in or at the LFS if you remember?

Matt_b · 07-05-2006, 09:17 AM

PH is about a 8.03 - 8.42 swing atm, Chromis has been fine for months, social with the group and apart from getting over excited at feeding time growing well

Will say my feather duster has just gone AWOL out of his tube, looks empty?? Anything else i should test for??

zxcv123 · 07-05-2006, 02:03 PM

Poisoning, possibly. DO you use chemicals around the tank ?

zxcv123 · 07-05-2006, 02:04 PM

Are any other fish showing symtoms of anything wheather they be the same or different? Does it seem to be an Isolated case?

superwizbang · 07-06-2006, 10:55 AM

Not sure it is related but I started out with 6 chromis and now I am down to two. Over the last year, they have slowly passed on, one-by-one. They all go the same way. All is swell and then one day, I wake up in the morning and he is playing pong with the back of the tank wall...swimming in a daze. Next thing I know, I find the hermits using him as a steak dinner (and have to give him a proper burial). I go through the normal steps of checking params and observing all my other critters...WNL. *shrug*

I have long suspected that chromis might be fish which are collected through suspect methods. I do not know of them being raised in captivity but there are few problems with other damsels, so I could be wrong. I personally have no answer but know it is not an unusual story from my learning.

Also, to think, chromis tend to like odd numbers for some reason. I am assuming it has something to do with sexual differentiation. All the same, they tend to pick on the weakest of the lot in a mild manner. If you were the smallest and always getting picked on, wouldn't you be stressed too? Ha!

-Ken