Angel just hovering at the top

[janky]

I don't know why, but one of my angelfish in QT is just hanging out at the top. He just started this today. There is a slight current from the agitation caused by the air pump, and it's like he doesn't even try to fight it, he just lets it push him around at the top.
He will float right by food and not even glance at it.

Pretty sure he's really sick... what can I do???

The tank is a 12 gal hexagonal. He's with 2 other small angels and one small cockatoo cichlid. ammonia is at 0.25 nitrate/trite are at 0. pH I don't know, but I could test a little later. I have a topfin 10 filter, temp at about 81.

All the other fish are eating food and stay typically around the bottom or middle. I got the angels on Saturday, and this is the first day he's started doing this. No other fish appear sick, no ich that i've seen, and no other weird behavior in the tank.

 

[janky]

pH is 6.8

 

[HN1]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Firstly, you are overstocked and mis-stocked which is most likely contributing to your angel's troubles. How often do you change water? How did you establish the tank? Your best bet will be to do a large (~75%) temp matched and treated water change. Clean water will be your best hope for recovery IMO. Good luck!

 

[janky]

Well, it's just a QT tank. They're not going to stay in here long.

I change the water probably twice a day with treated water and maybe 1/4 changes with a small bucket.

The tank may not be fully cycled? but ammonia has been pretty low.

I'm not sure what you mean by "mis-stocked" ? the dwarf apisto cichlid seem to get along fine with the other angels. They're not nipping at each other or anything.
I assume they're stressed, but outside of that I can't think of anything

 

[HN1]

Sorry about that. I totally missed the QT part. I meant mis-stocked for a small tank, but now that I see it is a temp tank, nevermind. Clean water is your best bet unless and until you can accurately diagnose something to treat for. Hopefully it recovers but if not, great job of QTing fish. This is exactly why it's a good idea.

 

[janky]

Sorry about that. I totally missed the QT part. I meant mis-stocked for a small tank, but now that I see it is a temp tank, nevermind. Clean water is your best bet unless and until you can accurately diagnose something to treat for. Hopefully it recovers but if not, great job of QTing fish. This is exactly why it's a good idea.

Thanks. I'm bumping it up on the WC. Just changed 50% with filter/heater off and some "aged" (ok, a couple hours) water treated with prime.
He's actually putting in effort to swim a little now, instead of just letting the water push his lifeless body around.

Yeah, they'll all be going in a 55 gal after they chill in the small QT for a couple weeks and I see that they're doing well/no ich/not killing each other.

I'll do another 50% change either tonight or tomorrow when I get out of class. Got a 5 gal of treated water sitting.

Thank you for the advice.

The only thing I can think of is that I added silica sand yesterday because the tank was bare bottom. But the sand wasn't used prior, and I rinsed/churned it pretty well before adding it, then did a WC after.
May not have been enough...

 

[janky]

He didn't make it.

Was the saddest thing ever, his little buddy that we got him with swam over and nudged him to get up..

I'm gunna keep a close watch on the water and keep changing it heavily.

 

[HN1]

Sorry to hear that.