Fish breathing heavy

I have had an outbreak of ich. I am treating a 110 with Kick Ich, per instructions the skimmer has been turned off and carbon removed. If fact I had just turned off my filtration, a H.O.B. whisper 3 and a Magnum 350. The lights just came on and I checked the fishes and they are all panting as if having just swum a marathon. I pulled the carbon cartridges from the Whisper and turned it back on. I may do the same with the Magnum.

The water is being tested as I write this but my ammonia test takes a while to develop. What should I be looking for?
What would cause this excessive breathing. It is much more than it was last night.

I will update when my parameters come in.

 

It's possible that though out the night O2 levels dropped. I'm not sure if Kick ICK can contribute or not but the lack of your filters running would lower the O2 for sure. Do you have a top on your tank

J

 

Results:

NO2 >0.1 <0.2 - just a tad darker than the blue color corresponding to 0.1

NO3 20+ - This developed into a bright pink. My test kit indicated colors for 20, pink, and 50 orange.

pH 8.2

Ammonia 0

My tank is about 7 months old. LR has some purple on it but it is not covered like that in one of my smaller tanks. 4" sand bed

What can I do to reduce these Nitrate/Nitrite levels and not affect the medicine? Add some de-nitrate to the filter? I only have about 1/3 of a bag of reef crystals left so a big water change is out. At least until places start opening up around here. All I can do right now is go to the Mega-Low-Mart and buy some de-nitrate.

 

No glass tops.

 

you can try adding an air stone that will boost your O2 but it will make a mess with the salt because the air bubbles carry the salt up and splatter it every where so be prepared to clean up the mess

 

Invest in an Africian cleaner warsser, they love ick, and other parasites, my LFS recommended it a couple of weeks ago for me, I personally dont like to add chemicals to a reef tank. took the warsser just a few hours and he had cleaned all my fish, Fun to watch too, They all stood still for him, nature taking care of it self, what a rush....

 

Good recommendation NEW REEFER. I had gone to my LFS and asked about a cleaner wrasse, they did not have one. The best that they had was a 2L bottle of Kick Ich. My outbreak is not bad, a Blue Hippo that has several (>20) spots and a Yellow Tang that has a few (<10) spots just on its' fins none on the body.

I took out the culprit, a long nose butterfly that I didn't QT. It is now being treated in my septic system.

I wanted to catch this at the beginning. So distraught over this. I have never had a problem so far. I wonder if this is karma for taking a stern hand to my long tentacle anemone.

 

it is getting its payback for you slapping it around!