Thank you for moving, I was in a hurry and never really visited any of the salt related portions of the site before. I'll try to get pics up as soon as I can, but I have no time tonite, and won't tomorrow either, I'm hoping the little guy isn't desperately ill, this has happened at probably the worst time with work and the holiday.
Some general info for now:
pH: 7.6 This needs to be raised. Aim for 8.1 - 8.4
Temp: 79
Ammonia/Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 10 ppm These need to be sitting at zero. Always.
SG: 1.021 This is a little low. Aim for 1.023 - 1.026 generally.
I have a protein skimmer, heater filter, black background and Power Head (The power head is rated for 75 gallons, but I have it turned down, do you think its still to powerful for a 29?)
No need to turn it down. You want lots of circulation in a salt tank. No, it's not too powerful, don't worry.
I am NOT using an RO water unit currently, but everything tests fine, and I'm not planning on reef, I of course age the water before changing.
I wouldn't say everything is testing fine. Check the notes on your parameters above and try to make those changes and keep them stable. Make sure your tank, is fully cycled. When "Aging" the water, make sure you keep it aerated. (Air stones work, as well as stirring it frequently).
The live rock does have some pests on it, including bristle worms and some red algae from when I first got it, but I didn't think it would do this.
No, they wouldn't be the reason. They may have been an irritant if he spent a lot of time within crevices of the rocks, but would not be responsible for what I see in the pic, not in the least.
It's behavior is to hide and it looks like it is breathing, gasping for air as if it was stressed.
That hiding behavior is common in all fish newly acclimated to a tank. And in fact, it's part of their acclimation. People tend to limit acclimation just to the fish's adaptation to the water, however it's more than that, and includes not only their social interactions with other residents, but also their familiarization of their environment as a whole, so hiding, and skittish behavior is very common for usually the first week or so with a new addition. "gasping for air" is yes, a sign of stress. Not always one which warrants danger, as once again, acclimation is a process of full and total "settling in", and so elevated stress levels are unavoidable for new additions, and this gasping behavior is common when the fish feels exceptionally vulnerable or agitated. Furthermore, when disease and infections are apparent, gasping is usually present as well, and could very well be, because the infection was not localized around his eye, but had spread outwards and was around his mouth as well, which could indicate a possible inflamation in his gills as well, coupled with an immune system failing, making everything in his little body work harder.
One thing I was worried about was that all the damsels were shipped into the store THAT day, and were acclimated into the store roughly 3 hours prior to my picking it up. And then bought and acclimated to my water after that, and was worried the stress brought something out, or it was diseased when I bought it, sense it began showing signs very quickly.
Very, very possible. Bacteria and Fungi are ever present in marine - or any aquatic environments for that matter. Usually a healthy fish's immune system and it's natural slime coat (possessing it's own anti-fungal agents) can effectivly combat any intrusion, and there is no need for intervention.
However, when stressed, it's natural defenses lose their effectiveness, and that's when naturally present fungi and bacteria can take hold. Additionally, with injuries, which may temporarily damage the slime coat opens the doorway for all things bad to enter. It's always a good idea to allow a newly shipped fish to hang out at the store for at least the first week. Too much shifting around too quickly, is one surefire way to push it's stress coping capabilities to their limits. Not to mention you want to allow yourself a chance to observe them, see if they are active and alert, eating regularly, etc., in addition to their external appearances.
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