Gbr acting weird?

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

K so I had to do a massive water change on my gbr tank the other day about 80% and for some unknown reason I lost all my micro tetras but the gbr's made it I was expecting the opposite. So today I notice one of my gbr's, the female, sitting near the surface of the water like something's wrong with her I have been watching her for a couple hours now and she just seems lethargic. The male is as active as can be swimming all over even trying to get the female to follow to no avail. I tested my water ammo is 0 trite is 0 and trate is about 40 now I know that's a little high but this tank is heavily planted and I don't want to subject them to another ph fluctuation just yet. My question is what's wrong with her?

 

[daveho]

hmmm my concern is if ur nitrates are at 40 now what where they prior to the 80% wc? i think that may be how u lot ur tetras as for the gbr , not sure exactly could have been shocked by the 80% on the other hand rams are just delicate flours. they have very short lifespans and are very suseptable to illness

 

[bud29]

they have very short lifespans and are very suseptable to illness

Many tank-bred GBRs are surprisingly hardy. It is untrue that they are very hard to keep, most people just put them with unsuitable tankmates that stress them or get food before the rams. They do have shorter lifespans than a lot of fish, but saying they are "very short" is untrue. Their lifespan is about 2-2 1/2 years.

Niceguy, how many nitrates does your tap water have?

 

[Rivercats]

Even tho you have a heavily planted tank you don't nitrates over 40ppm. I keep 11 Rams in a very heavily planted tank (so heavy even 10 large angelfish can disappear) and keep my nitrates at around 20ppm. They are sensitive to water quality. Is the female at the surface looking like she is trying to gulp air? If so your dissolved oxygen might be low. If this is the case add an airstone. She could be very very stressed and in a high nitrate enviornment she is in a weaken immune system state. You need to do another water change and start monitoring not only your nitrates but you KH, GH, and PH. GBR's like softer water and lower ph. Not saying they can't be in higher ph water but it is not an ideal enviornment for them.

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

My ph is about 7 and she isn't gulping air just sitting up there she will swim periodically she didn't eat much if at all when I dropped some food in earlier , maybe try a fast for a day or two? I'll do another pwc to bring down trates.

 

[Rivercats]

Does she have a favorite food? I think I would try to encourage her to eat, at least offer. It still could just be the effects of the nitrates, that is the one thing I know they are really sensitive to. Hope she pulls through.

 

[Pckerfreak44]

Many tank-bred GBRs are surprisingly hardy. It is untrue that they are very hard to keep, most people just put them with unsuitable tankmates that stress them or get food before the rams. They do have shorter lifespans than a lot of fish, but saying they are "very short" is untrue. Their lifespan is about 2-2 1/2 years.

Niceguy, how many nitrates does your tap water have?

Thank you! I hate when people say that they are hard to keep. They were my first cichlids and I've had them for months.

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

Turns out I lost her I actually think it may have been bloat she looked bloated when I pulled her out my guess is I didn't get all the dead fish out from before and she started eating them And got a bit too much protein leading to this whole debacle.

 

[bud29]

Turns out I lost her I actually think it may have been bloat she looked bloated when I pulled her out my guess is I didn't get all the dead fish out from before and she started eating them And got a bit too much protein leading to this whole debacle.

I am sorry to hear that If any of your other fish look bloated, I recommend feeding them peas. It helps.

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

I usually do but I have been timing my house that's why I needed to almost drain the tank so I could move it to tile under the tank but I did find one green neon tetra left alive I thought I lost them all so at least the make has something to play with for the time being till I can restock.

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

Tiling my house