Fishperson
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm surprised that no one said this yet but gasping is a sure sign of ammonia poisoning. And if you're using test strips I bet that if you got a low ammonia reading it is false.
Fish drowning
- Thread starter Stardaddy
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Stardaddy the fish are being poisoned by either ammonia or nitrite. You need to do large water changes, half the tank volume. I would also take one pleco back both koi catfish and 3 mollies. You may also be feeding too much.
Ammonia comes from the fishes gills when they breathe. Rotting food. Fish waste such as urine and poop. It is building up too quickly for the bacteria in the tank to eat in time. You have to dilute the poisons by removing tank water and adding fresh. If you want to have a healthy tank I would take those fish back I mentioned and cut down on feeding. Also doing large weekly water changes.
But right now you need to change water and buy a liquid test kit off amazon it's called API master test kit. You can see where poisons are high.
Ammonia damages the fishes gills making it difficult for them to breathe.
Nitrite stops the blood cells carrying oxygen making it difficult for them to breathe so both would cause gasping at the surface for oxygen.
Ammonia comes from the fishes gills when they breathe. Rotting food. Fish waste such as urine and poop. It is building up too quickly for the bacteria in the tank to eat in time. You have to dilute the poisons by removing tank water and adding fresh. If you want to have a healthy tank I would take those fish back I mentioned and cut down on feeding. Also doing large weekly water changes.
But right now you need to change water and buy a liquid test kit off amazon it's called API master test kit. You can see where poisons are high.
Ammonia damages the fishes gills making it difficult for them to breathe.
Nitrite stops the blood cells carrying oxygen making it difficult for them to breathe so both would cause gasping at the surface for oxygen.
Stardaddy. Don't depend on someone else saying your water is "fine". You need to know specifics and have and know how to use an API master kit. They are less than $30. An airstone is not the correct fix. What is your ammonia? Ph? Nitrate? Nitrite? If you just don't know, do a 50% water change at least once a day and use Prime until you get a proper API kit. I'm a newbie and that information is like GOLD.
Sent from my EVO using Aquarium Advice mobile app
Sent from my EVO using Aquarium Advice mobile app
Hobgob
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2011
- Messages
- 1,893
How do you two know this tank hasn't cycled by itself already? I've seen many unmanaged fishin cycle take a month. Yes what they are saying is something I would look into. But in previous post I don't believe anyone asked if the tank was cycled or anything. He probably had the few fish to cycle the tank like the store said and now a month and half later can get more fish like the store says. Possible for it to have cycled on its own. And in which case water changes would not help the issue. Well it would until all the oxygen you added during that time is used up. If the tank is cycled with good parameters what would the answer be? An air stone or surface agitation.
Even a cycled tank should have weekly water changes.
Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
I personally know the tank wasn't cycled because of other threads started by stardaddy.
J.Mcpeak
Aquarium Advice Addict
Gasping at the surface, oxygen deficiency. Number 1, why because it's the easiest fix. Good surface agitation. Sorted.
Ammonia is all manor of issues, mostly related to the skin cells and gills. Not always at the surface, if they try to escape maybe yes, listless behaviour at the surface though? That points to O2.
If it's mainly first thing in the morning run an air stone when the lights go off until they come on again.
(When plants are not photosynthesising they are respirating) that is, consuming part of the systems oxygen budget.
They don't drown as such, they asphyxiate. (Like being strangled) oxygen starvation. Some species like Corydoras drown if they can't get to the surface.
See oxygen deficit in a water course.
Ammonia is all manor of issues, mostly related to the skin cells and gills. Not always at the surface, if they try to escape maybe yes, listless behaviour at the surface though? That points to O2.
If it's mainly first thing in the morning run an air stone when the lights go off until they come on again.
(When plants are not photosynthesising they are respirating) that is, consuming part of the systems oxygen budget.
They don't drown as such, they asphyxiate. (Like being strangled) oxygen starvation. Some species like Corydoras drown if they can't get to the surface.
See oxygen deficit in a water course.
Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
J.Mcpeak
Aquarium Advice Addict
He'll be back, it's his thread.
Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
I unsubscribe from my own threads after a few days of nothingness. Plus there was another thread he was in that finished with him saying thanks and that he'd sorted everything out.
Hobgob
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2011
- Messages
- 1,893
I never said it didn't. They just were saying it wasn't cycled.
Hobgob
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2011
- Messages
- 1,893
Fair enough.
Hobgob
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2011
- Messages
- 1,893
I never knew Cories could drown... I know labyrinth fish yes but Cories? Why is that?
J.Mcpeak
Aquarium Advice Addict
Cited from fishtanksandponds.co.uk (other sources available)
An exceptionally peaceful fish and great community fish. Peppered corys come in two forms, the normal coloured and an albino form, they are one of the most reliably peaceful and hardy community fish available. They should be kept in a group of at least five individuals. Unfortunately they are often sold as fish which help to keep the tank clean. This is not the case, they will however eat all the food which lands on the floor of the aquarium which might otherwise have been overlooked by the other fish. Like all other corydoras they need easy access to the water surface where they will visit every few minutes to take a gulp of air. If they are prevented from doing this they will drown because they cannot obtain enough oxygen through their gills alone. Peppered corys shouldn't be kept on sharp substrate because it will very likely damage their barbels and might lead to infection, fine sand or rounded gravel makes an ideal substrate for these fish.
Corydoras paleatus are shipped in bags containing many individuals. They have very strong and sharp spines in their pectoral fins and sadly some individuals sustain damage to their eyes during shipping, it is worthwhile checking the condition of their eyes before making a purchase in order to save yourself having problems with a possible infection a few days later.
An exceptionally peaceful fish and great community fish. Peppered corys come in two forms, the normal coloured and an albino form, they are one of the most reliably peaceful and hardy community fish available. They should be kept in a group of at least five individuals. Unfortunately they are often sold as fish which help to keep the tank clean. This is not the case, they will however eat all the food which lands on the floor of the aquarium which might otherwise have been overlooked by the other fish. Like all other corydoras they need easy access to the water surface where they will visit every few minutes to take a gulp of air. If they are prevented from doing this they will drown because they cannot obtain enough oxygen through their gills alone. Peppered corys shouldn't be kept on sharp substrate because it will very likely damage their barbels and might lead to infection, fine sand or rounded gravel makes an ideal substrate for these fish.
Corydoras paleatus are shipped in bags containing many individuals. They have very strong and sharp spines in their pectoral fins and sadly some individuals sustain damage to their eyes during shipping, it is worthwhile checking the condition of their eyes before making a purchase in order to save yourself having problems with a possible infection a few days later.
Hobgob
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2011
- Messages
- 1,893
Don't all Cories need sand? But interesting I never knew the couldn't take in enough oxygen through their gills. I guess that makes sense why I see them go to the surface every once in awhile. one of my sterbai Cories will blow a line of bubbles across the surface every once in a blue moon. Must have something to do with that.
J.Mcpeak
Aquarium Advice Addict
Could be gas
(the regularity of the surfacing is a good indicator of 02 in the water)
I say yes to sand, or mixed grade. Others disagree. I think cleanliness and river washed (smooth rounded) is key. I have kept cowries in both types.
If I let maintenance get out of hand I saw issues. (They seem to prefer a smooth/fine sandy substrate)
Hobgob
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2011
- Messages
- 1,893
So if my Cories come up a lot it shows there is lots of oxygen in my water?Could be gas
(the regularity of the surfacing is a good indicator of 02 in the water)
)
J.Mcpeak
Aquarium Advice Addict
No, it's the opposite, the less they surface the better. (They will surface periodically anyway, if it's continuous like counting in times per minute then I would say deal with the issue) a few times per hour is ok.
"They surface on occasion"
If the O2 saturation is greater then they can draw more of there needs from the water course and will surface less.
(Something I'm looking into testing is dissolved oxygen but it will be an expensive experiment)
Hobgob
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2011
- Messages
- 1,893
Interesting as I for sure do not have insufficient oxygen levels in my tank. Two sponges ran by two different airpumps and my ehiem is pointed up to the point it comes out and falls back in after the first day of evaporation.
