Oxygenation question : do I really need a protein skimmer?

Raazka

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Hi all,

I’ve recently had some trouble with my new clownfish couple and it’s now seeded some anxiety over if I’m correctly receiving oxygen in my tank water.

How to know if my fish are having trouble getting oxygen? Only my clowns (which have been in the tank for a week now) have been breathing fast and acting weird in the last two days, all other fish that have been in the tank for multiple months are acting like usual and appear fine.

I’ve always just had two powerheads pointed at the surface (every spot of the water surface is moving), an HOB filter and a surface skimmer and it’s been working really well. Is this actually enough or should I replace the surface skimmer with a protein skimmer?

TIA!
 

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Are the Clowns just breathing rapidly, or do they seem like they're gasping at the surface?

Gasping at the surface may be a sign of low oxygen.

Rapid breathing is a symptom of Brooklynella, which Clowns are particularly susceptible to, as well as Velvet and others. So this could be a disease and not low oxygen.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Skimmers do help oxygenation, although I do not know if that is your issue. Complete gas exchange can be harder than many people expect, which is evident in the day night pH swing in nearly all reef tanks regardless of how well aerated a reef may think they are.

Perfectly aerated seawater will only change in pH if the CO2 level in the air changes, and in most cases, CO2 is not rising at night in the vicinity of your reef tank. It is being generated in the tank and is not exchanged out.

That doesn't prove anything about O2 problems, except that reef tanks are nearly always incomplete in gas exchange.
 
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Raazka

Raazka

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Are the Clowns just breathing rapidly, or do they seem like they're gasping at the surface?

Gasping at the surface may be a sign of low oxygen.

Rapid breathing is a symptom of Brooklynella, which Clowns are particularly susceptible to, as well as Velvet and others. So this could be a disease and not low oxygen.
Breathing rapidly but not gasping for air. First it was only the female, but as of today the male is also breathing slightly faster.

These clowns have been where I work for at least 2-3 weeks (LFS), they never showed any signs of illnesses and got along so I took them home. Completely fine and very active for the first week but yesterday I found the female laying on some macro-algae leaves breathing rapidly and not moving. The male was acting as usual. After an hour, she started swimming again but was still breathing fast. Today, same thing, both are swimming in macro-algae, female is breathing faster than the male. No signs of any diseases or injuries.

I have no idea why they’re suddenly acting like this.
 

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Breathing rapidly but not gasping for air. First it was only the female, but as of today the male is also breathing slightly faster.

These clowns have been where I work for at least 2-3 weeks (LFS), they never showed any signs of illnesses and got along so I took them home. Completely fine and very active for the first week but yesterday I found the female laying on some macro-algae leaves breathing rapidly and not moving. The male was acting as usual. After an hour, she started swimming again but was still breathing fast. Today, same thing, both are swimming in macro-algae, female is breathing faster than the male. No signs of any diseases or injuries.

I have no idea why they’re suddenly acting like this.
I'm not an expert, but this sounds more like an illness to me. Let's see if someone more knowledgeable is around to give you more solid advice here.

#fishmedics
 
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Raazka

Raazka

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Skimmers do help oxygenation, although I do not know if that is your issue. Complete gas exchange can be harder than many people expect, which is evident in the day night pH swing in nearly all reef tanks regardless of how well aerated a reef may think they are.

Perfectly aerated seawater will only change in pH if the CO2 level in the air changes, and in most cases, CO2 is not rising at night in the vicinity of your reef tank. It is being generated in the tank and is not exchanged out.

That doesn't prove anything about O2 problems, except that reef tanks are nearly always incomplete in gas exchange.
Thank you for the explanation, then do you think what’s happening to my clowns could be pH related?
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Thank you for the explanation, then do you think what’s happening to my clowns could be pH related?

No. I was using pH as evidence that gas exchange is hard. I agree with folks thinking it is most likely disease related, but I’m not an expert on diseases.
 
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Raazka

Raazka

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No. I was using pH as evidence that gas exchange is hard. I agree with folks thinking it is most likely disease related, but I’m not an expert on diseases.
Alrighty thank you, male is now acting fine and swimming around the tank. Female is still hiding and breathing fast but she’s responding to her surroundings.

I have no clue what happening lol
 

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Could you post a couple pics or a clear, short video showing the fish the and odd behavior? Please use the “whitest” light you have, turn off your blues if you can. This will help others better help you figure out what’s going on.
 
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Raazka

Raazka

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Could you post a couple pics or a clear, short video showing the fish the and odd behavior? Please use the “whitest” light you have, turn off your blues if you can. This will help others better help you figure out what’s going on.
I’m unable to add a video or photo at the moment because she’s been hiding behind rocks that make it impossible for my camera to focus on her.

She’s moved from her original spot from yesterday and is now in another macro-algae batch. She’s staying at the exact same spot, swimming in place normally (no jerky movement, just normal but slow swimming) and opening her mouth rapidly to breathe, about 3-4 mouth openings a second. She didn’t come out to eat when I dropped in food. She has no mucus coming off, no white scrapes or spots, no ich spots, no physical injuries.

Male has stopped breathing fast, is now swimming around the tank normally and has eaten. He’s also physically unscathed. All other fish and inverts are acting like usual.

I’m starting to think that she may have scraped her gills or gotten some kind of trauma.
 

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Well if she comes out and you can get a video, I think that would be helpful. I’m sure one of the R2R #fishmedic crew will see this soon. Sorry I can’t be more help here, but I don’t want to give you wrong advise.
 


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