Help! fish distressed and breathing from surface

[nicolw]

ok - first off please bear with me as I know absolutely nothing about fish,

basically I came back home on Friday afternoon to find instructions to look after my sisters fish for the remainder of her trip away. she gets back on tuesday. anyway, they had not been fed in a while so gave a good amount of food.

earlier this evening noticed one of them hanging upside down. since then it has been hanging sideways at the surface breathing, and now others are too. when i go near the top of the tank it actually tries jumping out. it is probably breathing twice a second - not sure if this is normal. most of the other fish are at the surface trying to breath

could this be water poisoning? Is there anything I can do to help/save these fish before my sister returns on monday when she should know what to do (she is out of the country at present).

the only things I can think that I could have done to affect them are -
- feed them after them not eating for a while,
- using a net to try and ensure that one of the fish (who ironically now seems well - but when I arrived was hanging at the side not moving) had food pellets near it
- stressing them with my pressence / change in routine?

my sister has soome books here which say something about metal poising - could this be metal poisoning from the end of the net? is there anything I can do to save the rest?

thanks in advance,
nicol

 

[WILDER]

Do an immediate water change sounds like bad water quality and with the over feeding.

 

[WILDER]

Does she have any test kits if so test ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph, does she have an airstone for extra aeration, also don't forget to add declorinator to the water.

 

[nicolw]

ok thanks - i must stress i know nothing here - how do I do a water change - I get the impression I need to create a special sollution for the water?

as for test kits will go look now, but haven't seen yet.

 

[WILDER]

How many gallons is the tank,

 

[nicolw]

have found a 'freshwater ammonia test kit' - water is between 0 and 0.5ppm (lowest setting I presume)

the largest fish (140mm) looks like a silver gold fish and is now hanging upside down with its head above water breathing frantically.

this has all happened in the last hour or two.

sorry for being so ignorant.

for a water change I need a sterile tank? or will any container do? and what should I put in the water?

 

[WILDER]

Get a bucket match the water temp to the tank, add the declorinator water conditioner to the water will say in the instruction how much to add to the gal, stir the water then add to the tank.

 

[WILDER]

Rinse the bucket well to make sure there was no chemicals in it.

 

[nicolw]

erm gallons, nto sure - the tank size is say 1000mm by 400mm tall and 300mm deep, so 0.12 cubic metres - 120 litres / 31 US gallons according to answers.com if that sounds right

 

[WILDER]

I would remove 3 gals quickly the fish that are headstanding and rolling probably won't make it, but you should be able to save the others.

 

[nicolw]

can't find any declorinator!

can only find 'ammo lock' with instant detoxifries ammonia from tap water or fish tank - presuming this isn't enough?

 

[WILDER]

Does it remove clorine and metals, sorry never used it.

 

[Snailguy101]

Wait...Why don't you call your sister?

 

[nicolw]

it will detoxify '7ppm of cholrine 3ppm of ammonia and 5ppm of chlromines' ?
but directions say 'add 1 teaspononfull for each 10 gallons of aquairum water, but does not mention tap water.'

she's in egypt and the phone isn't picking up

do I get water warm with hot tap?

thanks

 

[Snailguy101]

Does she have a cell?