Drooping fish (including pleco) floating at the top?

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g_adams27

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
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Hi, all. We have a 55gal tank that's been in operation for about 9-12 months now, and it seems fairly stable. Our pH is often low (6.4), but otherwise the tank seems fairly healthy at least to my untrained eyes. (0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, ~20ppm nitrates). The tank is filtered with two Second Nature Whisper Power Filters (I believe one is a 20, the other a 30) and has a couple of bubble wands and under-gravel bubble lines. The tank currently has 1 pleco, 4 cories, 8 swordtails (7 of which are adolescent), 2 platies, 4 rasboras and 3 zebra danios. The bottom of the tank has a number of plants, and a fair amount float on the surface as well. (I thin the floaters out when I change the water).

Lately, I've noticed that the platies and the mature swordtail will hang somewhat listless, fins drooping, near the surface of the tank. They may just sit, or they may have their mouths on the surface (looking to me like they're sucking in air bubbles). One mature swordtail died last week (unknown if it's related or not).

In the last couple of days, the pleco has started doing the same thing - floating in the floating plants at the surface of the water, upside down, motionless, only making ripples on the surface with his mouth. It looks like he too is sucking in air.

What does this mean for my tank? Are the fish not getting enough oxygen or something? Do I need better filters? Should I be changing out the water more frequently (currently about 1/4 water every 3 weeks or so) or changing the filter charcoal more frequently (done very infrequently, I confess!)

Any suggestions would be welcomed. Thank you!

EDIT: Here's a couple of pictures (click for larger versions). You can see the pleco at the top of the tank hanging upside down in the first picture (near the middle). At the time of this picture, he'd been there motionless for about an hour.
 

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What are the other stats on the tank? Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate? What temperature is the water? When was the last time you did a water change? There is some information missing that may help someone pin point what is going on here, but without that information, it's difficult to say.

Based on the number of fish and the type you mentioned, it doesn't sound too bad, but without that other information I won't guess.
 
Hello - thanks for your reply. As I mentioned in my previous post, the tank tests at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, ~20ppm nitrates. Last water change was about 2 weeks ago. Water temperature is ~75F.
 
I would recommend changing out more water if you're only doing it every 3 weeks. About 50%. A lot of members here do 50% every week, and I was doing that for most of this last year my tank has been up and going, but I now do about 60% every 1.5 to 2 weeks. Clean water fixes a lot of things. My fish are crazy active (even more so than normal) after I change my water. Your parameters seem fine, and the pleco may just be sucking on algae on those floating plants. What do you feed him? I don't know if it's normal for plecos to hang up top like that--I always thought they were primarily bottom dwellers, so maybe someone else can chime in here.
 
Are the fish gasping? What kind of test kit are you using and how old is it? I would do an immediate water change, always the best first thing to do.
 
What kind of pleco is it? He looks similiar to my spotted sailfin pleco, as mentioned, what do you feed him? I agree to the more frequent, and larger water changes. I also agree that you should do an immediate water change, are you using a liquid test kit, or strips? I know we are asking a lot of questions, but we are trying to help you as best we can.
 
Thanks for all the help, guys. I did about a 40% water change today, vacuumed the gravel, new filter carbon - the works. We'll see what kind of difference that makes. (Treated it with Top Fin Tap Water Dechlorinator, too)

What do "gasping" fish look like? Anything like what I described, or something else? If oxygen was a problem, how would I know?

The test kit is an API Freshwater Master Test Kit (7 bottles for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, pH, high pH). It is fairly new.

As to the pleco variety, I'm really not sure - whatever the pet store had! :) He's about 6" now.

Feeding: usually every other day (is that too infrequent?) with a mix of flakes and two TetraMin Tropical Tablets for the bottom feeders. (and swordtails, who seem to like it). Pleco (and swordtails) get a cucumber on rare occasions.

Is there any "trick" to making the water changes easier? Every time I do it, I clean the algae off the sides of the tank, vacuum the gravel of deposits, clear out the excess floating plants, pick up dead leaves, clean the filter, change the carbon if needed, etc, take out 20+ gal. of water, bring BACK 20+ gal of fresh water, etc. All in all, it takes me at least an hour, maybe more! Hence my reluctance to do it frequently. :( How can I streamline it? (Vacuuming takes the most work, plus hauling bucket after bucket of water outside, not to mention hauling it all back IN when I refill 20-30 gallons!)
 
What do you use to vacuum? Do you have a window near the tank?

As for the pleco, he appears to be a "Gibbi", atleast to me. You might try going here, the link is to the gibbi pleco, but they have tons of info on pleco's. I try to feed my pleco's a cucumber more often, and the processed (pellet food) less. They like to rasp on the cucumber, as well as enjoy the taste.
 
I would have your water readings confirmed with your LFS. If the fish are doing that, there is a possibility of either ammonia or nitrIte poisoning. Have you noticed their colors fading or a lilac coloring of the gills?
 
g_adams27 said:
Feeding: usually every other day (is that too infrequent?) with a mix of flakes and two TetraMin Tropical Tablets for the bottom feeders. (and swordtails, who seem to like it). Pleco (and swordtails) get a cucumber on rare occasions.

Is there any "trick" to making the water changes easier? Every time I do it, I clean the algae off the sides of the tank, vacuum the gravel of deposits, clear out the excess floating plants, pick up dead leaves, clean the filter, change the carbon if needed, etc, take out 20+ gal. of water, bring BACK 20+ gal of fresh water, etc. All in all, it takes me at least an hour, maybe more! Hence my reluctance to do it frequently. :( How can I streamline it? (Vacuuming takes the most work, plus hauling bucket after bucket of water outside, not to mention hauling it all back IN when I refill 20-30 gallons!)
I would throw in an algae tablet for the pleco, maybe drop one in at night before you turn the lights off so he can chow down on his own. I find that bottom feeders don't respond much to those tropical tabs. But keep dropping them if the swordtails like them.

Feeding once every other day is OK, I think. I feed once a day; I was feeding smaller amounts twice a day but it created too much algae.

As for making water changes easier, get yourself a python. For real. I started out doing buckets for water changes and then got a python for Christmas last year. Best invention for aquarium people. It takes me less than 30 minutes to do a water change on my 29, and I always change out at least 50%.
 
In addition to all the other things mentioned here I would bump the temps to 78 as the fish you have are tropical and while 75 is ok it is not the optimal temps. You can add an airstone if you don't have one already to increase the oxygen levels in the tank. A python for water changes is the best thing IMO. So much easier and much less mess, not to mention quicker.
 
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