Emperor Tetra Help Please!

[Spishkey]

one of my male emperor tetras look terrible, he is spinning in a circle nose pointing downwards looking really pale and disorientated.
water stats
NO3 (mg/l) - betweeb 0 and 10
NO2 (mg/l) - 0

GH- >6

KH - 6

PH - 7,2

any idea what it could be? he was fine at tea time

temp over here is very high so tank temp is around 30 degrees have tried lowering it with ice cubes but no luck.



edit - have put him in a breeders net. he was spiralling downwards and not having much luck going up again. he's now bouncing around in there.

 

[ALW]

Try filling a bottle up with cold water and turn the heater down/off, this should lower the water temp. Try to increase aeration. The temp is too high for emperor tetras should be no higher than 25c.

 

[Spishkey]

i took the heater out two days ago

i have also done a 'mini' water change and put some cooler water in, but it made no difference.
will stick a bottle off cold water in. i have the whole lid off the tank and am tempted to leave it off (am going to bed shortly its 11 here) but am worried about fishing jumping out?
as to the aeration i cannot increase it anymore, i have a hydor aria air pump on in there at full blast, lid off, pump breaking the water surface im baffled as to why the temp is not coming down.


would it be wise to move the emperors out of there? i have a small fry tank in the kids room i could stick them in there but they'd be confined to the breeders net in case they eat the fry.

 

[WILDER]

Best not to do water changes just plenty of aeration.
Altering the temp to fast can stress fish and also cause desease.
If there plenty of aeration in the tank the fish will be ok if the temp goes up abit in warm weather.
The heater will only go on when the temp drops.
Once a fish spins they never make it usually, how is he now.

 

[Spishkey]

he seems better today, we've managed to get the temp down to 27 with ice and airing!
ive let him out of the breeders net and he's swimming 'normally'
trying to find a solution to keep the temp down i cant leave the lid off all the time!

 

[chesterscot]

this most probs wont help but keep your lights off as the bulb may warm the water a little addin to the probs sorry i cant help more
scoty

 

[Spishkey]

we have kept the light off for the past few days, also now that the lid is off, the lights most definatly cant be on!


will this affect my plants though?

 

[WILDER]

The fish will be fine if you have plenty of aeration in the tank.
Does your filter ripple the surface water well.
Best to invest in a pump and airstone in warmer weather for more aeration in the tank.

 

[calandra]

I would agree with Wilder, plenty of bubbles and all should be fine.

Cal

 

[Spishkey]

they have plenty of bubbles i have a hydor ario air pump on 24/7, yes the pump ripples the water surface. the heat went up to over 32 in the night the blue neons were floating so i whipped them out and threw them in the 'slightly' cooler fry tank.


got up this morning to three happy neons and 1 fry left

 

[WILDER]

Check the neons gills o see if there pale with excess mucas or red and inflamed.
The neons shouldn't be floating in that temp if there plenty of aeration in the tank.
Is your tank near a window.
Also do the neons stripe look bleached out or a milky appearance.

 

[Spishkey]

sorry been at work all weekend so no xhance to reply.

the neons look fantastic so they were put in the main tank again.
their colours were awful, faded almost 'bleached' as you put it, the red was nearly all gone and the blue pale, the three fish had allbeen floating on thetop of the tank.
now everything 'seems' back to normal, we leave the lid open and the lights off most of the time (have them on just three hours in the evenings)
the tank isnt near a window, or any heaters etc, we cnnot understand how on earth the water tem^can be warmer than the air outside the tank???,,,,
it has dropped to about 28/29 degrees but have trouble keeping it lower on the warmer days

now my male platy is looking a bit 'off' he has turned a darker orange (he was bright now dull and dark) and keeps his fins close to his body. im wondering if theres something in my tank or if the food i feed them is off or something? they all seem to take it in turns to look off for 24 hours or so???

 

[WILDER]

So the neons are back to normal now.
Being pale and darker in colour can be a bacterial infections.
Others signs of bacterial infection are being listless and lethagic.