Fish taking turn for worse in hypo...help?

ahullsb · #1 02/19/2007, 11:11 PM

My fish appeared fine for the first 4 weeks of hypo. I came home a little while ago, and my flame angel is losing color and swimming sideways and upside down. The tail is small and I'm guessing my clowns could have been nipping at it? My blue tang has lost much of his blue and is looking a little more sickly. I have the two clowns, angel, and tang in a 55 gallon rubbermaid container. I have a rena xp2 canister filter in there with a powerhead and heater. Any suggestions? I knew hypo was a little rough but I've kept the temp, salinity, ph, etc constant for them. I have been religious about checking their parameters. Anyone have any suggestions?

bertoni · #2 02/19/2007, 11:19 PM

So there's no ammonia present? Have you measured O2? Any signs of disease present? How are you measurig SG, and what calibration was done for the device?

ahullsb · #3 02/19/2007, 11:44 PM

There is 0 ammonia. I week ago there was almost 1ppm but I did a 15 gallon water change and it tested fine today. I didn't know I needed to measure 02. I not experienced enough to identify diseases yet, but I will try to get a few pictures in the morning. They just look paler. The flame angels lips are almost white.

ahullsb · #4 02/19/2007, 11:45 PM

Is 02 another test kit I need to buy tomorrow?

bertoni · #5 02/20/2007, 02:11 AM

I'm not sure I would buy an O2 test kit just for this situation. I keep one around in general, but I am a testing nerd.

A picture might help.

ahullsb · #6 02/20/2007, 02:44 AM

have you ever heard of a fish recovering once it starts losing ability to stay upright?

ahullsb · #7 02/20/2007, 02:46 AM

Oh and I am using a refractometer. I took it to my lfs store and they checked it in a few different tanks with a hydrometer and their ref. I just read something about calibrating it for hypo is that necessary?

bertoni · #8 02/20/2007, 02:47 AM

Yes, but I don't know the odds.

Since you don't describe the other fish as gasping, I'd suspect it's not oxygen. The angelgish tail condition is not good. If it's nipping, there's not much you can do.

bertoni · #9 02/20/2007, 02:48 AM

Okay, our paths crossed...

Depending on the device used for SG, accuracy at reef salinity doesn't imply accuracy at hypo SG.

ahullsb · #10 02/20/2007, 01:42 PM

Oh. Didn't know that. I'll try to find the link explaining how to calibrate for hypo. Poor guy doesn't look like he has much of a chance. He is swimming around the surface because he can't right himself.

ahullsb · #11 02/20/2007, 04:46 PM

anyone else have suggestions?