Platy with CO2 Overdose

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Bettafanatic

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Aug 9, 2011
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New York
HELP!!

My platies are dying. My co2 system went nuts and the co2 levels got toxic for them. THey're lying at the surface gasping for air. How can I help them? I shut off the co2 but they look awful and my drop checker is bright yellow. How can I increase the oxygen levels or save them? Please help me I love them so much.
 
I don't have a bubbler but I might be able to run to the lfs and grab one quickly. Gonna do a water change right away. Unfortunately I think I only have one survivor so far but I'm gonna keep trying
 
Bettafanatic said:
I don't have a bubbler but I might be able to run to the lfs and grab one quickly. Gonna do a water change right away. Unfortunately I think I only have one survivor so far but I'm gonna keep trying

All you can do is keep trying and a bubbler helps break surface tension and help put oxygen into so i would get one asap
 
Do the water change and can you find a way to break the surface? Depending in your hob if your using one you might be able to lower your water level and allow the filter drop the cause more surface agitation. Or if you have a power head move it near the surface so that it will over agitate. Surface exchange will be your friend till you get a bubbler
 
Coel said:
Do the water change and can you find a way to break the surface? Depending in your hob if your using one you might be able to lower your water level and allow the filter drop the cause more surface agitation. Or if you have a power head move it near the surface so that it will over agitate. Surface exchange will be your friend till you get a bubbler

+1 to that i didnt even think of that. good advice
 
I'm taking out water for the water change now. I think I only have one survivor out of the three but she's hardly alive. I have powerheads in my saltwater tank, they're made for ten gallon tanks so it might be hard. Can i use one from my sw for a fw tank? I have an HOB so I'll leave the water level low for surface agitation.
 
Bettafanatic said:
I'm taking out water for the water change now. I think I only have one survivor out of the three but she's hardly alive. I have powerheads in my saltwater tank, they're made for ten gallon tanks so it might be hard. Can i use one from my sw for a fw tank? I have an HOB so I'll leave the water level low for surface agitation.

That should help until you get the bubbler just keep trying
 
So I finished the water change and have put the powerhead into the tank. SHe's definitely doing better. Her gills are starting to move with a little more rhythm and she's starting to move a lot more too. Unfortunately I had to flush the other two. It was my first time flushing fish and I couldn't even watch :'( Should I do anything else or just wait and see?
 
Bettafanatic said:
So I finished the water change and have put the powerhead into the tank. SHe's definitely doing better. Her gills are starting to move with a little more rhythm and she's starting to move a lot more too. Unfortunately I had to flush the other two. It was my first time flushing fish and I couldn't even watch :'( Should I do anything else or just wait and see?

Just keep the surface tension broken up and get a bubbler im sorry bout your fishies just keep water agitated ive got to go back to work ill try to see your updates good luck
 
Now it seems like she's trying to swim but her back end keeps floating her up. Is that a problem or will it go away?
 
Good News!

My platy pulled through. With the help of the powerhead (which I managed to manipulate so it's sucking up air through a tube and shooting into the water), the HOB filter, and the water change, my platy pulled through. She's not floating anymore and is swimmimg around at the surface. Her gills are moving much more normally. Unfortunately she's all alone now but I'll get her some new friends asap.

I didn't get a bubbler yet but I'm going to get one or two tomorrow to prevent this from happening again. It was extremely frightening for me so I'm going to do what I can to prevent it from happening again. I'll also have to be careful with that co2 system. It's always been a very problematic system. My plants are also lending a hand as well, releasing lots of oxygen bubbles.

Thank you sooo much for your help everyone. Just remember that you helped save a life today! :thanks:
 
Bettafanatic said:
My platy pulled through. With the help of the powerhead (which I managed to manipulate so it's sucking up air through a tube and shooting into the water), the HOB filter, and the water change, my platy pulled through. She's not floating anymore and is swimmimg around at the surface. Her gills are moving much more normally. Unfortunately she's all alone now but I'll get her some new friends asap.

I didn't get a bubbler yet but I'm going to get one or two tomorrow to prevent this from happening again. It was extremely frightening for me so I'm going to do what I can to prevent it from happening again. I'll also have to be careful with that co2 system. It's always been a very problematic system. My plants are also lending a hand as well, releasing lots of oxygen bubbles.

Thank you sooo much for your help everyone. Just remember that you helped save a life today! :thanks:

Your welcome im glad she survived ill always have a bubbler in a tank live plants or not
 
Update:

She's left the surface and is resting at the bottom. She isn't used to much water movement so she's hanging out where water movement is very low. I'm going to leave the powerhead in there overnight so oxygen doesn't get dangerously low again. Tomorrow I'm going to get two new platies and a couple of bubblers.

I just have one concern. The co2 hasn't dropped at all. The drop checker is still yellow. Do you think it'll reach toxic levels at night when the plants start respirating? What's a good way to lower it a little so it doesn't get toxic?
 
Bettafanatic said:
Update:

She's left the surface and is resting at the bottom. She isn't used to much water movement so she's hanging out where water movement is very low. I'm going to leave the powerhead in there overnight so oxygen doesn't get dangerously low again. Tomorrow I'm going to get two new platies and a couple of bubblers.

I just have one concern. The co2 hasn't dropped at all. The drop checker is still yellow. Do you think it'll reach toxic levels at night when the plants start respirating? What's a good way to lower it a little so it doesn't get toxic?

Only thing i can think of is to take the whole system out figure out the problem do another water change possibly and leaving the power head on with the surface tension being broken constantly should help with co2 escaping
 
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