Tigrinus Catfish Heavy breathers?

[mshill90]

Are tigs heavy breathers?

I just got a 10" tig last night, and he's in my tank- but I noticed that he was breathing heavily.. I wouldn't say rapidly... I watched some youtube videos, and it seems that a lot of vids, their cats are doing the same thing.

I know tigs are super sensitive, and I really don't want him to die.

My water parameters are 0 ammonia, 0-5 Nitrites, and 0 Nitrates. Water ph is 7, and temp is 78F.

Any idea?

[taksan]

How much current and aeration is in the tank ?

Tigrinuses need massive current, about 10x the water volume per hour at a minimum plus strong aeration.

If you think you have enough current ...you haven't

Why?

They live here in the wild.....to give you a idea.

[mshill90]

I have an airstone in the tank, and I have a jet that creates current.... I know it's not enough..

But the tank I got him from had none of that in it.. It was just him and a ray-- and the tig had a little cave that he just chilled in.

So I'm not really sure what's going on..

I am going to be moving him to a 400 gallon acrylic tank with window, so hopefully he will be happy in there- But I don't want to move him until he is done being stressed out.

I think maybe he got really stressed from the move. When the guy netted him, it was a net too small- and the fish flopped and flopped in the net out of the water. When I netted him to put him in my tank, I used a large net, and anytime he started to flop I placed him back in the water.

I also noticed at one point he started bleeding out of his gills- this lasted for maybe 3 minutes, and then stopped- I observed no injuries externally.

I know he's not the same as other fish, but some fish excrete blood out of their gills when they are stressed, and it's also a defensive mechanism. I'm guessing stress.. But he's doing better now.

I did a water change and added ammo lock, and stree zyme as well just in case it was something I had missed.

[racoll]

My water parameters are... 0-5 Nitrites

Nitrite binds to haemoglobin and stops the fish transporting oxygen around its body.

Therefore the fish will breathe more heavily to compensate.

[mshill90]

My other fish do not breathe heavily... is it just because they are so sensitive?

Or could it be because his water parameters could have been different in his previous tank, and he's just needing to adjust?

[racoll]

My other fish do not breathe heavily... is it just because they are so sensitive?

Or could it be because his water parameters could have been different in his previous tank, and he's just needing to adjust?

Probably, plus what taksan said about them needing super-high oxygenation anyway.

[Martin S]

My water parameters are 0 ammonia, 0-5 Nitrites, and 0 Nitrates. Water ph is 7, and temp is 78F.

Did you mean 0-5 nitrites and 0 nitrates? I'm assuming you meant 0-5 nitrates and 0 nitrites?
Martin

[Richard B]

Keep it where it is as a second move will only add to the stress. Definately increase oxygenation as soon as possible.

[Viktor Jarikov]

mine is not a heavy breather but he is alone in his tank; he is doing fine for 1/2 year. I don't have super strong current in that tank either but I am with Taksan - he is very right. Racoll and Martin S make a good point! Please clarify nitrites vs. nitrates. If your nitrites are 0-5, then there is your answer. 5 ppm nitrite can easily be deadly, not just stressful.

[grokefish]

No fish should be a heavy breather, mine never was anyway.

[mshill90]

Haha. Yes I meant the opposite of what i originally said. I checked on him this morning and he was better and hiding in a piece of PVC. I will update when I get home from work. Thanks guys. And I will be adding more oxygen. Any idea where I can get an oxygen test for water?

[Viktor Jarikov]

don't know if I'd go that far, just add plenty powerful bubblers and may be one more powerhead or a stronger powerhead... from the Taksan's video, there is a tiny, really tiny chance you can overdo it with this (very expensive) fish; how much was yours? I got 8 months ago real lucky - got mine from RiverWonders at $220 at 7" TL.

[racoll]

Any idea where I can get an oxygen test for water?

Home oxygen test kits are useless. You'd do better to spend your money on a decent reef aquarium powerhead, large air pump and bubble wand.

[mshill90]

Well, I just came home and he's doing better now. He's not heavily breathing, so I think it was definitely stress of the move. But I will be adding more aeration and current.

[Viktor Jarikov]

Mine can be sensitive but rarely. A few times in the 1/2 year I've had him, he did not fancy my water change - got all pale for several hours to half a day, then went back to normal. I doubt this'd be of use, just mentioning on an off-chance. (See RedTailRob's thread on "tig losing color" os something like that. His tig was losing serious color and if I am not mistaken, Rob's nitrates were too high for the fish.

I am just saying the fish can be sensitive, so your guess that it was the move may be right.

[mshill90]

don't know if I'd go that far, just add plenty powerful bubblers and may be one more powerhead or a stronger powerhead... from the Taksan's video, there is a tiny, really tiny chance you can overdo it with this (very expensive) fish; how much was yours? I got 8 months ago real lucky - got mine from RiverWonders at $220 at 7" TL.

I bought mine for $280- no shipping needed.

Also, is it a true tig? I have heard that there are false tigs as well.

[taksan]

I'm sorry it died after only 48 hours but they really are a tough fish to move and acclimatise.

[mshill90]

Yeah, I am not really all too bummed though... this is the first fish that I spend a large amount of money on (other than my Frontosa colony) and it's part of the hobby..

My buddy is bringing in 15 2" tigs at the end of the week- he wants to see if he can grow them out an inch or so and make some $$.. We will see how that goes...

[Viktor Jarikov]

Also, is it a true tig? I have heard that there are false tigs as well.

yes, the false ones are B. juruense - see Cat-eLog, they look different from tigs at all ages

I bought mine for $280- no shipping needed.

excellent price for a 10"; normal would be ~$500; in our area 3"-4" TL ones are $250-$300

I'm sorry it died after only 48 hours but they really are a tough fish to move and acclimatise.

What?? Who? What happened?

[grokefish]

Indeed, what happened?

[mshill90]

Well, you've all been tagging along with my observation of it's heavy breathing..

came home yesterday, and he seemed fine.. was chilling, breathing like normal.

Went back to check on him a few hours later, and he was in the corner of the tank, still breathing fine and seemed again, normal.

Went into the second portion of the fish room, came back like 3 mins later- noticed he wasn't breathing, and was stiff.

I pulled him out of the tank- and it kinda looked like he had septicimia, and I've dealt with that before from getting fish kept in bad water conditions for too long, and then the different water quality is just too much..

I don't really know what exactly killed the little guy.

I've never had any fish die from my water parameters- and I always prepare for a fish before I get one..

The only thing I can assume is that it was a mixture of my water, the sellers water, and the stress/trip all rolled into one.

[Viktor Jarikov]

I am sure you did everything you could but in the grand scheme of things we are, more often than not, utterly helpless. Sorry about your emotional and financial loss. Having lost lots of fish (try a $500 2-foot B. juruense or a $300 14" Jardini Arowana), I know how it hurts.