Gasping and bloated

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Mebbid

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Mar 1, 2013
Messages
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Location
Michigan USA
So one of my rainbows and a few guppies are staying at the surface gasping for air and the rainbow is a bit bloated. I did a methylene blue bath for them just because that's my SOP to start treatment of any sick fish.

I'm assuming it's an internal bacterial infection so my current easiest course of action is to use maracyn plus but I was wondering what other people would suggest.
 
Do you have a bubbler going? Whats the temp? Is it planted, if do what are you dosing? Do you have enough surface agitation?
 
Do you have a bubbler going? Whats the temp? Is it planted, if do what are you dosing? Do you have enough surface agitation?

No bubbler, 79 degrees, Heavily planted, Daily dry ferts and glut, plenty of surface agitation.

I have a hillstream loach that is my canary for oxygen deprivation and he is out and about doing just fine so I'm 99% certain that it's not an issue with oxygen.

Also, 0 ammonia / nitrite and 20 nitrate
 
No bubbler, 79 degrees, Heavily planted, Daily dry ferts and glut, plenty of surface agitation.

I have a hillstream loach that is my canary for oxygen deprivation and he is out and about doing just fine so I'm 99% certain that it's not an issue with oxygen.

Also, 0 ammonia / nitrite and 20 nitrate

Dang on top of things! Have you introduced new ferts recently? Or anything new?
 
I added some DIY root tabs with a mix of miracle grow and osmocote. The only ingredient in either that I was worried about was the ammonia in the ferts but I've been regularly testing water to check for any ammonia levels which I haven't ever had a reading above .25 in my tank.
 
I added some DIY root tabs with a mix of miracle grow and osmocote. The only ingredient in either that I was worried about was the ammonia in the ferts but I've been regularly testing water to check for any ammonia levels which I haven't ever had a reading above .25 in my tank.

Did you add miracle grow soil or fertilizer?
 
It's a 4 month time release fertilizer that I stuck in a gel cap and buried in the substrate. Similar to the O+ tabs that everyone uses
 
It's a 4 month time release fertilizer that I stuck in a gel cap and buried in the substrate. Similar to the O+ tabs that everyone uses

Okay I see. Have you ever used these before? Id doesnt hurt to do a methylene treatment. Most fish stores do 1 time a week. I just dont see it being a bacterial infection of any sort
 
Nope, never used them before. The reason that I'm suspicious about it being a bacterial issue is because of their bloated stomach.
 
Nope, never used them before. The reason that I'm suspicious about it being a bacterial issue is because of their bloated stomach.

Hmmm. Do you think they gulped some major air? If their stomach is bloated it could be internal parasites
 
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