"Depressed‘’ Royal gramma

[Ocypode sinensis]

Hi guys, I had been keeping this royal gramma since last September (when I start the tank). Recently he has been acting weird (after the addition of an indigo hamlet). He used to gobble up the TDO pellets before but now he doesn't eat much, today I noticed that he's constantly opening and closing his mouth as if he is gasping for air(water).

My parameters are NO3: 25ppm PO4: 0.04ppm (both by Hanna checker) Temp is 78F and salinity 1.024.
Other fish like the scrawled cowfish, harlequin basslet, and the indigo hamlet are doing fine.

Any ideas or comments?

 

[blaxsun]

You could probably bring your nitrates down a bit (closer to 15ppm). How's the aeration in your tank?

 

[Ocypode sinensis]

You could probably bring your nitrates down a bit (closer to 15ppm). How's the aeration in your tank?

Yeah I know the nitrates are a bit high, i will be upgrading my tank with better filtration and a better skimmer so I hope i can put it down a bit.
I have a skimmer and I have two powerheads so aeration shouldn't be a problem I think.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yeah I know the nitrates are a bit high, i will be upgrading my tank with better filtration and a better skimmer so I hope i can put it down a bit.
I have a skimmer and I have two powerheads so aeration shouldn't be a problem I think.

Add a pouch of chemipure blue or elite to Reduce Phos/nitrate after you do a water change and reduce the flow slightly which seems a little much for this fish.
You can also add an air stone to increase oxygen.
What is your nitrate and ph readings?
The powerheads you have are providing movement- not aeration

 

[Ocypode sinensis]

Add a pouch of chemipure blue or elite to Reduce Phos/nitrate after you do a water change and reduce the flow slightly which seems a little much for this fish.
You can also add an air stone to increase oxygen.
What is your nitrate and ph readings?
The powerheads you have are providing movement- not aeration

Yeah i have gfo and carbon in my filter, but I don’t think they help with nitrates?
Okay I will lower the flow.
Nitrate is 25ppm, idk the ph.
I thought the power heads help with surface agitation thus help to improve oxygen concentration in the water

 

[blaxsun]

Yeah i have gfo and carbon in my filter, but I don’t think they help with nitrates?
Okay I will lower the flow.
Nitrate is 25ppm, idk the ph.
I thought the power heads help with surface agitation thus help to improve oxygen concentration in the water

Nope - just phosphates and water clarity.

 

[MnFish1]

Has the royal gramma been watching CNBC? Just kidding - and sorry - I have no new words of advice except as already stated

 

[vtecintegra]

I doubt the nitrate is a problem. I've seen people report nitrate at 50ppm. It's the easy thing to point the finger at, because no one knows. I wonder if gill flukes have made it into the tank?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yeah i have gfo and carbon in my filter, but I don’t think they help with nitrates?
Okay I will lower the flow.
Nitrate is 25ppm, idk the ph.
I thought the power heads help with surface agitation thus help to improve oxygen concentration in the water

Po4 for sure and not much GFO needed to accomplish that. You will reduce/break down inoganics thereby reducing nitrate slightly
Other effective means are organic carbon dosing (vinegar) and growth of macroalgae

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yeah i have gfo and carbon in my filter, but I don’t think they help with nitrates?
Okay I will lower the flow.
Nitrate is 25ppm, idk the ph.
I thought the power heads help with surface agitation thus help to improve oxygen concentration in the water

Your water quality isn’t causing that rapid breathing. Sounds like your aeration is good. That pretty much leaves gill disease. Protozoan, bacterial, viral or flukes. With royal gramma, gill flukes are very common. Prazipro, dosed twice, nine days apart would be something you could try, even in your DT. I can’t say for sure if it is flukes, but that is the one treatable issue that has a good chance of being it.
This all sounds familiar, have you posted about this fish before?
Jay

 

[Ocypode sinensis]

Your water quality isn’t causing that rapid breathing. Sounds like your aeration is good. That pretty much leaves gill disease. Protozoan, bacterial, viral or flukes. With royal gramma, gill flukes are very common. Prazipro, dosed twice, nine days apart would be something you could try, even in your DT. I can’t say for sure if it is flukes, but that is the one treatable issue that has a good chance of being it.
This all sounds familiar, have you posted about this fish before?
Jay

Yeah I think so, but I don't remember if it was also about this royal gramma,

 

[Ocypode sinensis]

Your water quality isn’t causing that rapid breathing. Sounds like your aeration is good. That pretty much leaves gill disease. Protozoan, bacterial, viral or flukes. With royal gramma, gill flukes are very common. Prazipro, dosed twice, nine days apart would be something you could try, even in your DT. I can’t say for sure if it is flukes, but that is the one treatable issue that has a good chance of being it.
This all sounds familiar, have you posted about this fish before?
Jay

I think it's about my friend's Roa modesta. Unfortunately he lost it...
Prazi doesn't affect the filter system and invertebrates right?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I think it's about my friend's Roa modesta. Unfortunately he lost it...
Prazi doesn't affect the filter system and invertebrates right?

Prazi is deemed safe but may have impact on bristleworms and other worms in the tank, and feather dusters. Iy does reduce oxygen and appetite slightly and I recommend adding aeration during use

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I think it's about my friend's Roa modesta. Unfortunately he lost it...
Prazi doesn't affect the filter system and invertebrates right?

Correct, using good aeration, prazi will not hurt other animals. It doesn’t even kill flukes, it just makes them drop off for a time and they are unable to reattach to the fish. Some people say it will harm feather duster worms, but it doesn’t seem to, at least in most cases.
Jay