Filefish died

About 5 days ago, I moved my tank from my mom's to my dad's (since I'm moved in with him now). By regular, non tank-carrying drive, it takes about 20 minutes to get from one to the other.

I had started taking everything apart at 8:30 am and got almost everything established at around 4 pm. I had my fish and snails in a bucket with a heater and powerhead, and everything was fine. I then had everything in the tank, and my filefish was swimming around happily, being curious as always. This persisted for a few days. However, 2 days ago, she started sleeping almost ALL the time, inside and behind the rockwork.

I haven't placed all my rock how it's going to stay, so right now it looks like a big mess, but when the lights are on, she sleeps inside the rockwork and hardly moves. Then when the lights are off, she goes and sleeps where she usually does, in the corner of the tank.

I'm thinking it ISN'T the stress of moving, considering she was fine for a few days after the move. I'm thinking it may be that my water parameters aren't good and she's just having a hard time. I'm not sure.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'd rather not lose my second filefish. I'm going to test my parameters right now and report the numbers.

 

Check Ammonia and Nitrite levels but it sounds like some sort of cycling may have occurred. Ammonia/nitrite burn the gills so check for any labored breathing.

 

I see.. I'll do a few 25~ gallon water changes over the next few days. Also, I have to leave now, so I'll be testing my water when I get back

 

With my other filefish, he was trying to recover from being sucked into the side of the powerhead. I got him off there, and he'd try to swim around, but would get tired and rest on the sand. But when he did that, my goby would try to eat him.

I came home to see this filefish sleeping almost on the sand, in the back corner of my tank. I turned the light off to minimize stress. When I went to go check it out after with a little flashlight, I shone my light on it, and I could have sworn I saw the goby dart away. I'm not sure if the goby is bullying these guys to death or if he's just finishing the job. Either way, I'm trading him in at my LFS tomorrow (because this aggression, and the fact that it hardly does anything in my tank).

Without further ado, here are my parameters:

PH: 8.1
Ammonia: 0.25ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm

 

its the ammonia. you should get some prime

 

No.. But I'm preparing 25 gallons of water for a wc. Will that be enough?

 

ok.... doing a water change probably wont hurt but doing a small water change will have only a small affect on the ammonia levels and the soon to be nitrite levels. If you dose some prime it will reduce the toxicity of the bad water aand your cycle should catch up. A 25g water change will change you NH4 to .16ppm if indeed those levels are not rising.

 

I'll do a 25g change every day for 3 days and I'll buy some of that stuff tomorrow. What's the full name of it?

 

Seachem Prime

Its pretty much a staple for most people I guess. I spend alot of time on forums and with 134 reviews at 5 stars on amazon its pretty much universally loved. Honestly, I think your cycle will know this stuff out pretty quick, the prime will just act as a buffer of sorts for your fish until the no2 and nh4 are gone, but like I said water changes can't hurt either.

 

How soon will I see a change with that stuff? And what are the changes that my filefish survives? :/