Gasping Fish

[polly plec]

Hi Guys
Hope somebody can help I have a 94ltr tank which is long established and running nicely. I did the usual water change a and gravel clean yesterday and removed some plants all looked fine. But t65oday all my fish are gasping for air at the surface any suggestions

 

[Blubble37]

put any airation in you can, if your filter doesnt have a venturi simply raise it so the top is skimming the water and creating bubbles andd agitation, ceck the temp, run some tests and do a water change. All the best advice i can give you!

 

[Twinklecaz]

Have you tested for Ammonia?

 

[polly plec]

Ammonia, nitrate and nitrite readings all zero

 

[polly plec]

Have just done another water change in the hope this will help It really looks like an aeration problem but I don't understand why it should happen as I haven't changed anything

 

[Blubble37]

if stats are all ok then its aeration. can we have the actuall readings please?

 

[polly plec]

pH 6.8 Ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrates are actually around 2.5ppm

 

[Blubble37]

do you have a heavily planted tank as it is very unusual for nitrates to be that low. but you just did a water change didnt you lol!

 

[polly plec]

two water changes in two days now so any testing now would be fairly meaningless I guess. Well they had ten mins of looking OK after the water change but they are all heading back up to the surface again. Why would the amount of oxygenation change though? Sorry its just that I never normally get problems with this tank Oh and no there are a couple of plants but its not really what you would call planted lol

 

[Blubble37]

that makes me wonder to be honest, try leaving it overnight without a w/c then test the nitrate again in the morning. to keep levels down that low you would need a forest in your tank!

What equipment do you have in your tank (filter, heater (set temp as well) and airator) including the tank itself and the dimensions of it (include how far down from the top of the tank itself the waterline is(dimensions help you to work out surface area)

What is your current stocking?

And finally what is the current temperature in yuor tank?

All this will help me determine the cause of the problm

 

[two_fat_dogsuk]

Hi, is the filter running ok, as this was the problem when i had this happen, sometimes because you hear it running, you presume everything is fine. Hopefully you have already found the problem though, if not then give the filter a good check like i said, good luck.

 

[Blubble37]

not yet, still trying to find out what is causing it lol

 

[polly plec]

Currently the temperature is 24 its vastly over filtered internally with all the usual stuff bioballs various sponge filters woolly stuff ceramic things and carbon. tank dimensions are allegedly 41.5cm(h) x 50cm(w) x 41.5cm(d)(its an interpet river reef if that give you a better idea) There are two pumps running the top one breaks the surface tension etc. Currently stocked with 18 neons, 6 silver tips, 4 cherry barbs a ruby shark and a bristlenosed plec

everything is running the same as always and I have reduced the water level slightly to try and increase the movement on the surface (as I cant move my pump up any more) Guess I will have to wait and see

 

[fluttermoth]

Have you cleaned the filter at all? I should point out that you're quite overstocked; the ruby shark needs a bigger tank...

 

[Blubble37]

doing the right kind of thing. you are overstocked though and this could be why there is competition for oxygen in a little tank. have you got an aerator at all?

+1 on fluttermoth, what filters have you got as well