Help! Please

[rbooth]

Hello


All my fish have gone to the top of the tank and seem to be gasping for air as well as rapid gill movement apart from the plecs. I have done an 80% water change. But 1 of my swordtails passed away the other day looked like fin rot I think. I have been treating the tank for fin rot just hope I have not done something very wrong.

 

[thegnu]

hi,
what filtration-water movement have you got. does the surface move at all. what temp is the tank set at , if its too high this can leave the water low on oxygen. what are the parameters of the tank,ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, if they are too high the fish will want to get out

 

[Miss Wiggle]

when you add medications you need to increase aeration as a lot of them will reduce the amount of oxygen in the water.

make sure your filter outlet is giving good disturbance at the water surface or add an air stone.

 

[rbooth]

Ok thanks i will get an airstone and pump. i did an 80% water chage and about 20 mins after 1 of my fish went to the top of the tank the the rest followed 1 by 1. the sword tail that passed way had a weird poo it was very big and clear with green bits in it. would it be fin rot or something else.



RIP

 

[Miss Wiggle]

in the mean time adjust your filter so the output breaks the surface of the water.

is it just the angle of the fish in that pic or did it have a bent deformed spine? cos that can be TB,

if you can post the size of tank, water stats and occupants that would help us out.

 

[rbooth]

Yes it had a bent spine and had trouble swimming
IS this good or bad

Ph 7
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0

4 neon’s

1 female sword tail

2 black widows

3 Congo’s

2 plecs (I know they will get to big but I will get another tank before that happens)

Jewel Rio 180


I am going to test it again tonight and I will let u know.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

could have been TB, could have been swimbladder or something else entirley.

both of those can be caused due to poor water conditions.

i'm sceptical about those results, don't mean I'm doubting you, just the accuracy of your test kit.

it's massivley unlikely that you'll have 0 nitrAte..... it can happen but it's v infrequent.

What test kit are you using and how old is it?

Can you remind me of the size (gallons or litres) of the rio 180?

 

[rbooth]

The test kit is about 6 months old I got it from pets at home it is one of the all in 1 jobbies u get test tubes and add drops of the test stuff into the water in the test tubes and wait for it the colour to change. p.s nitrate and nitrate has always been 0 I think ammonia has been upto 0.25 before my tank is 180 llitres

What is TB

 

[Miss Wiggle]

The test kit is about 6 months old I got it from pets at home it is one of the all in 1 jobbies u get test tubes and add drops of the test stuff into the water in the test tubes and wait for it the colour to change. p.s nitrate and nitrate has always been 0 I think ammonia has been upto 0.25 before my tank is 180 llitres

What is TB

tuberculosis, there is a fish strain of it, one of the main symptoms is a bent spine

ok it's a liquid test that's a good start.

however most people have some nitrate in they're tap water to begin with, and the ammonia and nitrite is converted to nitrate so if your filter is working then you should have some reading for nitrate. however if it isn't i'd expect readings for ammonia or nitrite.

to get 0 for all 3 is very strange in deed.

nitrate tests are notoriously dodgy so I don't think that reading is correct.

I'd take a sample of water to your lfs for testing and note down the results. If they're not the same as your readings from home you need to get a new test kit.

 

[rbooth]

OK just spoke to my GF at work and she said she change 1 of the sponges in the bio filter about 3 week ago THE 1 AT THE BOTTOM and she did a test this morning ad the ammonia came back at 0.25 and the rest 0 again is this bad

 

[Miss Wiggle]

OK just spoke to my GF at work and she said she change 1 of the sponges in the bio filter about 3 week ago THE 1 AT THE BOTTOM and she did a test this morning ad the ammonia came back at 0.25 and the rest 0 again is this bad

yeah, there shouldn't be any ammonia reading if your filters working properly.

aside from the sponge that was changed, how much other meia is in the filter and what sort is it?

could be that a large chunk of the filter bacteia colony has been wiped out and the tank is cycling again.

daily 20% water changes until you get 0 ammonia and nitrite, but i'd still get your lfs to confirm the test results as it does seem odd to never have a reading for nitrate

 

[rbooth]

Thanks I will get it tested p.s what can I do for the remaining fish

It was the filter with the bacteia colony on it she threw it away and put a new 1 in.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Thanks I will get it tested p.s what can I do for the remaining fish

It was the filter with the bacteia colony on it she threw it away and put a new 1 in.

is there no other media in the filter? there was just one sponge and she took it out and replaced it with new?

if that's the case then yes your tank is definately cycling which is why you've lost fish and are having problems.

don't put anymore meds in they can interfere with the cycle and make things worse.

the important thing is to get water quality straight so test it every day, if you get a reading for either ammonia or nitrite then do a 20% water change, this will need to be done every day maybe for several weeks.

 

[rbooth]

No it did have other sponges in e.g nitrogen 1 and the carbon 1 and the white on top. should i just keep doing water changes and check the temp and get a air stone???