My fish are coming to the top of the water for air and their mouths are moving really fast like they are gasping and I don't know why!! All my water tests are fine, I even took a sample into the LFS to make sure and their test was perfect also. My water is cloudy and I don't know what to do! They were fine 2 days ago, now I have lost 2 neon tetras and don't have any idea that is going on. I did a gravel vac and %50 change yesterday and another %50 today. I have a guarami that has a chunk missing out of his back like he was in a fight or something also.
my fishies are stressed!
- Thread starter Jenny H.
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FishFanatic88
Aquarium Advice Freak
It will really help to know some info first.
Tank size? Stock? How long has the tank been established? Did you cycle the tank? Have you added anything recently (ornament, fish, new media etc...)?
We will be able to help you better if you answer those questions.
Tank size? Stock? How long has the tank been established? Did you cycle the tank? Have you added anything recently (ornament, fish, new media etc...)?
We will be able to help you better if you answer those questions.
15 gallon tank, went through a full cycle in March, 3 guppies, 1 guarami, was 6 now 4 neon tetras, 1 drawf albino pleco. I haven't had a single problem since the cycle. I gravel vac and do a %50 water change every week faithfully. it's really scaring me for my fish, i have never lost any and now 2 neons in 2 days.
FishFanatic88
Aquarium Advice Freak
i see a problem with the pleco. do you know exactly what kind it is? most dwarf species plecos get up to 5-6" and not only is that too big for your tank but they also have large bioloads.
The cloudieness could just be a result of a mini cycle. If possible i would reccomend using 2 filters until it clears up.
In regards to loseing fish, neons are very finicky and you should not be worried unless one of the other fish dies.
I would reccomend rehomeing the pleco to atleast a 29 gallon and the getting some ottos or snails for algae control.
The cloudieness could just be a result of a mini cycle. If possible i would reccomend using 2 filters until it clears up.
In regards to loseing fish, neons are very finicky and you should not be worried unless one of the other fish dies.
I would reccomend rehomeing the pleco to atleast a 29 gallon and the getting some ottos or snails for algae control.
the dwarf guarami died last night. i did another %50 change today and the other fish don't seem to be going up for air like they did last night. they are still moving their mouths rapidly though. all my tests are perfect....i don't understand. don't know if i should medicate them, if so with and for what???
Add an airstone! Your fish are most likely gasping due to the lack of oxygen in the water. Also if you have the money get a small power head. This will help circulate and add oxygen to the water in addition to the airstone.
FishFanatic88
Aquarium Advice Freak
+1 for kirk and vanimal. the only possible cause i could see is lack of oxygen and/or not using conditioner.
Keao_m
Aquarium Advice Activist
Also what do you keep the temperature at? Hotter water holds less oxygen
I gravel vac my tank once a week, faithfully. I keep the water at 78 degrees. I have lost 2 neon tetras, dwarf gourami, and zebra cory cat. The last 2 days the fish seem to be a lot better, although one of the neons has a white spot behind his eye, not an ick spot more like a hole but he eats and acts like he is fine. I've come to the conclusion....which i don't know is right or not.....that when my gourami and one of the neons got in a battle and the neon died it was in the tank for 2 days before i realized it and the ammonia must of been really bad from the decaying fish. I did a vac as soon as i realized it with a 50% water change and the next day they were still really gasping for breath so I did another 50%, then another one the next day. They seem much better so I didn't do a change yesterday but will probably do a 25% today. My ammonia was at 3 when I checked it the first time when all this started but I didn't think that was bad enough to kill the fish. it's back down to .25 now so i thought maybe a 25% change should do the trick. my nitrite is 0, nitrate is 0, ph is 7.
It sounds to me that the ammonia spikes may be the result of too much gravel vacuuming. A lot of beneficial bacteria is lost when the substrate is vacuumed too much and is often times the root cause of ammonia spikes, that's why the water looks cloudy because the biological balance in the tank has been thrown off and you're seeing the excess bacteria in the water. I usually vacuum no more than 25% of the gravel per week at the most, if at all.
IMO, I'd stick with your regular water changes and hold off on the vacuuming for awhile until your tank is balanced again. In the meantime, get some Seachem Prime, it'll also help save your fish.
IMO, I'd stick with your regular water changes and hold off on the vacuuming for awhile until your tank is balanced again. In the meantime, get some Seachem Prime, it'll also help save your fish.
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