GBR's at the surface...

[Lonewolfblue]

Any reason why most of my GBR's are at the surface like they are gasping for air? I have an airstone running 24/7, and it just seems weird. Never seen them do it before. All the other fish seem ok. The temp is at 88 degrees til the ick treatment is complete. Just wondering if there's anything else I can do. I just did a 50% PWC yesterday as well, and dosed traces today. They just sit at the surface with their noses on the surface.

 

[Codefox]

With water that warm you're going to have a much lower saturation point for O2 so its possible your water could be totally saturated...but not have enough for them. That's my guess.

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

I'd go with the high temperature causing it as well.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

It's been at this temp for almost 2 weeks, and never had a problem. And I've treated for ick once before without problems. I'm wondering if it could have been from my dosing, as these GBR's are troublemakers, lol. Anything you put in the tank they have to get right in the middle of, lol. I may have to feed at one end to get their attention, and dose on the other end. Not sure if going into the cloud of CSM+B could have caused this. None of the other fish go where I dose, only the investigating GBR's, lol.

Edit:
I just did filter maintenance on my XP3, as the flow was getting bad. The main coarse sponges were completely plugged, so I'm sure the filter was only running on bypass. I've been doing this every other week, as the XP3 had been getting so full of gunk from plant matter. Maybe I should clean it every week, lol. Now I have more flow as well, and also turned my CO2 down a bit. I don't thing it could be from elevated CO2 levels, as I've had it much higher than this. But who knows. Most of them are now swimming normally, only a couple left at the surface. So it's either low O2 or too much CO2 that's doing it, or from going in the cloud of CSM+B. I did turn up my air bubbler more as well. But with plants supposedly giving off O2 when the lights are on, not sure why this would be happening during the day. I'd hate to have to turn off my CO2 til the ick treatment is complete.

 

[rich311k]

Co2 shouldn't matter unless your levels were extremely high. I would imagine the decreased flow from the XP was decreasing o2 levels even with the airstone running or the water movement at the bottom was limiting O2 levels were the rams like to hang out. Now that the Xp is back to normal there is good flow at the bottom of the tank again.

 

[fish_4_all]

Remember the air temperature is really high right now and the humidity over there is really low, less O2 in the air and some stangnant air around. Some of my swords did the same thing until the temeperature dropped and the humidity went back up over 40%. Maybe your air pump is too hot and putting hot air in the tank and the GBR don't like it. The surface might have cooler air and that could be what they want.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Well, they are doing it again. Has anyone else noticed if it's common for GBR's to be at the surface? They don't really seem to be gasping for air, just at the surface with their noses on the surface. Also, I just did my 50% PWC early this morning, and the plants are now pearling. I did my normal doses of Nitrates, Phosphates, Potassium as well. And it's only some of the GBR's that are doing it, not all. None of the fish are doing it either. My parameters are:

ph 6.3
CO2 51ppm
kh 60
nitrates 25ppm
nitrites 0ppm
ammonia 0ppm
phosphates 2ppm
temp 77.9 degrees F

Nothing seems out of line either. Any other ideas?

Edit: Turning CO2 down to about 34ppm to see if that makes any difference.

 

[fish_4_all]

IMHO, FEED THEM!

 

[JustOneMore20]

I've only had 1 GBR and the only time she went near the surface was when she was injured and stressed. It could be the CO2. I don't have it on my tanks, so I haven't had any experience with it making the fish go to the surface. Did it make a difference when you turned it down?

I don't see anything else that it could be.

I had a german ram (died from injury) and now I have a bolivian and neither of them ever came to the surface to eat. My bolivian still stays at the bottom to eat, so I don't think its because they are hungry.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Well, I know they aren't too stressed, as they aren't in their stressed colors, lol. Also, no injuries. It just seems like on occasion they just go to the surface and sit with their noses on the surface. Then I fed them, and they came and ate, then went back to the surface, lol. But now they are all swimming with the others, and the ph is 6.5 rather than 6.3. That's 32ppm CO2.

 

[fish_4_all]

I was just saying so because there might be some dominance developing at the bottom of the tank and the food isn't getting to everyone evenly. One fish would have never been a problem but how many do you have Lone? All I know is if I forget to feed any of my fish, even the corys, they will start to circle the surface like sharks waiting to be fed.

Will be curius if you can verify any of the theories, the CO2, pH or maybe needing to be fed. Best of luck.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Actually, I know it's not the CO2. Even after turning it down and they started swimming with the group again, now they are back to the surface again. And it's just the same ones. And it's not feeding, as they all get plenty. I tend to overfeed a tiny, as I know my cories need some as well. And for being very heavily planted, the plants benefit as well. But I fed more, they came and ate with the rest, then went back to the surface again. Just seems a little odd. And they don't seem to be breathing any harder than the rest either. I have 13 GBR's total after the one older male died. And 4 go to the surface on occasion, the same 4 every time.

Also, they are also still pretty young, and don't show that dominance thing yet. The older males have their spots, but come out and feed with the younger ones and show no aggression to them at all.

 

[fish_4_all]

Well then, I guess I will shut up. lol. It sounds like you just have some odd fish that might have been bred that way or the tank they were in was influencial in them going to the surface. Who knows, maybe it is a new genetic trate.

 

[JustOneMore20]

I agree...maybe they are just unique GBRs who like venturing up to the surface. lol

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I was kind of thinking the same thing, maybe a genetic disorder or something. But it only happens mid-day. I never seen it before because I'm at work. But have been noticing it on my days off. And even with PWC's, lowering temp, lowering CO2, etc, they still do it. hmmmmm, LOL