Myy Fish Are At The Surface Oh No!

[MollyFresh]

My 10 gallon tank is cycling. the ammonia level was 4 ppm and then i did a huge water change and it went to .25 ppm. I have 10 fry and 4 balloon mollies. The New* water I put in the tank was a little higher then normal and the temperature is 82-86 degrees F. Is that the reason why my fish are at the top? because of high temperatures?? if so what do i do?? Also the water is a little cloudy, probably because I put aquarium salt in the tank plus water conditioner and im not sure if i put bacteria in it also, I think i did. I added like a gallon of cold water to lower the temperature because I dont know if my thermometer ( wrong spelling) is broken. I don't ( REALLY DON'T!) want my fish to die. Please please suggestions please.

 

[MollyFresh]

My 10 gallon tank is seperated and the babies are on the side without the filter flowing breaking the surface ( if its oxygen they need) so would the fish still be getting oxygen even though they are not on the side with the flowing water?? It seems like the side with the flow, the fish are moving more but the babies without the flow are still at the surface. If I moved the filter on the babies side they might get sucked in so what should i do??

 

[MollyFresh]

My 10 gallon tank is seperated and the babies are on the side without the filter flowing breaking the surface ( if its oxygen they need) so would the fish still be getting oxygen even though they are not on the side with the flowing water?? It seems like the side with the flow, the fish are moving more but the babies without the flow are still at the surface. If I moved the filter on the babies side they might get sucked in so what should i do??

 

[MollyFresh]

sorry posted more then once on accident

 

[Tolak]

Since it is cycling test for nitrites. Nitrites inhibit a fish's blood from processing O2 properly. This along with the fact that warmer water holds less O2 could lead to gasping at the surface.

Test for nitrites, lower the temperature, and do a water change. With decent water flow the O2 level will be the same throughout the tank, it's just that fry are more fragile, and the nitrite would affect them more.

 

[Jim Curtis]

My mollies seem to be really sensitive to temperature changes, I dont think that dumping in cold water was the best idea, you may have been better off letting the temp return to normal on its own.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

ammonia poisoning often occurs in a cycling tank (this is why we recommend cycling fishlessly), one of the main problems ammonia poisoning can bring is damage to the respiratory system, fish poisoned by ammonia often gasp at the surface a lot of the time, even when there is no ammonia present. this is permanent damage we're talking here.

If that's the case then there's nothing you can do about it, you just have to persevere with the cycle as best you can, keep doing water changes and keep your fingers crossed.

 

[tangokitty]

Do you know anyone who has a fully cycled tank?!?! Maybe they can donate some of their media to you to help cycle your tank a bit faster. It may hlep with your ammonia problem.

 

[MollyFresh]

Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Temperature: 82-86F

I set the temperature on the therm- at 64 last night and the temperature is the same. I am afraid that my therm- might be broken.
I know the temp- is high but I really don't know how to get it down.
Yesterday my ammonia was at 4ppm, So I did a water change and it went to 1ppm. Shortly after it reached zero, now does that mean my tank is cycled or is it just me that made the ammonia go down to zero. It is pretty hard to get no ammonia in a cycling tank so i'm surprised i could do it. I took a look at my filter and the sponge is filled with blue gunk. Should I clean it out in the sink or would that kill all the bacteria??
My fish are swimming around more but there still somewhat at the surface still. I hope to god that my therm- isn't broken because that would really suck! I do know someone with a fully cycled tank but we are no longer friends and she wouldnt give it to me even if I begged for it.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

it's good that ammonia is down at 0, but you need to wait until it's steady at that level (and nitrite is also steady at 0) before you can say it's cycled or otherwise. Just keep monitoring it and be prpeared to carry on with water changes if necessary.

don't clean the filter unless the flow rate is noticably slowed, so if it's pumping less water around then clean it, don't ever run it under the tap, just take a bucket of water from the tank, gently rinse the media out in this water, then put it back.