rapid breathing

Hi all, I am relatively new to aquariums. I have a 21g tank that has: lots of real plants (still lots of space to swim), drift wood, filtration for a max of 50g, water is "perfect" : ammonia nitrate and nitrite at zero, pH is 7.7, general hardness is about 140, carbonate harness at 80. Fishne sailfin molly, two albino cories, one small white moutain minow, one red eye tetra, two rasboras(store creatively called them purple mountain trout), one indian flasher barb. The barb is the one with fast breating and in the tank almost vertical. He eats fine and seems healthy in all ways. Perhaps I am to heavily planted? After the lights went out the issue SEEMED to happen, perhaps the plants are releasing too much carbon dioxide?? temperature is 25.3 C. any ideas?

UPDATE: The flasher barb is still listless, swims areound a little bit and does so upright and looks good but, when he rests and he rests allot, he is a bit off balance and breaths rapidly. I have even seen him upside-down once. I now see very small white patche underneath his dorsal fin. It looks like fuzzy white stuff and is very small. All other fish are fine. I will attach a picture. I do now about the bacterial and fungal causes of this type of disease...I just dont have exper in how to diagnose in general. I have a medication called kanaplex(kanamycin based), whould this be recommeded?

Sounds like a parasite if water stats are fine, look at the gills on the fish are they red and inflamed, any salt like grains of spots, or a yellowish gold dusting to the fish.

How long has the tank been running? You should have nitrates.
Test the nitrate level from the tap in a glass and tell us what that reads.

there is no such thing as a "perfect" water quality. Their is ideal and adiquit. The "perfect" water would be from their natural homes.

claire

black angel said:

How long has the tank been running? You should have nitrates.
Test the nitrate level from the tap in a glass and tell us what that reads.

[snapback]910125[/snapback]​

Click to expand...

The store tested my water and said the same things: zero amm,nitrite,nitrate. I have made a recent water change of 35%(store employee told me to ald aquarium salt, I have many live plants so I made a large water change, I usually change 10% every 5-6 days). The tank ran for 6 weeks with one red eye tetra and one white cloud minow in it. Recently added the other fish a few every few days.

There is not much nitrate in my tap water, I even checked their online lab results. 0.06 mg/L in the city tap water here in Edmonton Canada. The water here is as good as can be for freash water tanks.