Constant mouth movement and fast swimming

[Splreece]

Hey all...

A newbee question really...I put brand new fish in a brand new tank 3 days ago(made sure the tank was settled and stable first) ... Ive got 2 gourami and a few tetra and gupys.. They seem vehery active and looking closely they are all constantly moving their mouths... Ive heard they shouldn't really be doing this and is likely temps or oxygen or both. Worth mentioning they aren't banging init glass or trying to nip each other.

The tanks 30l, between 24 and 26 deg, and the test indicators are all in range pH 6.8, no3 15, no2 1..
The filter out up is half out the water to create surface breaks and oxygen.

Just wondering is there anything I should be looking for... Or are they just acclimatising...

 

[Colin_T]

Breathing heavily or rapidly is a sign something is wrong with the water. It can be poor water quality (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate), chemicals in the water or low oxygen levels.

Increase aeration/ surface turbulence and test the water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. If the water is good and has lots of oxygen and it continues, then do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Make sure your hands are free of chemicals, creams, disinfectant residue, or anything else that can poison fish. The same applies to any buckets or hoses you use on the tank. Make sure they are specifically for the fish and are not used for anything except the fish tank. Get a permanent marker and write "FISH ONLY" on the fish buckets.

 

[Essjay]

no2 1..

This needs to be zero, as does ammonia, though you don't mention the level of that.

Putting fish into a brand new tank means you are doing a fish-in cycle. You need to test for ammonia and nitrite every day and do a water change whenever either has a reading above zero. The water change should be as big as necessary to get the level down to zero.
The first part of this link explains what cycling is; ignore the second part, that's for doing a fishless cycle before fish are put in the tank.

Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!

Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...

www.fishforums.net

There are a few things you can do to help.
Feed the fish once every two or even three days. They won't starve and less food = less ammonia.
Get some live plants - fast growing plants such as floating plants or elodea. Plants take up ammonia and they turn it into protein instead of nitrite and nitrate. Fast growing plants take up more ammonia than slow growing plants.
Add some Tetra Safe Start. This won't cycle the tank instantly but it will speed it up.
Use Seachem Prime as your water conditioner. This detoxifies ammonia and nitrite for around 24 hours and will help keep the fish safe between daily water changes.

 

[Essjay]

The tanks 30l,

I have just noticed this - your tank is on the small side and is probably overstocked. Can you tell us what species the gouramis and tetras are. Some gouramis grow big and most tetras need a tank at least 60 cm long.

 

[Splreece]

I have just noticed this - your tank is on the small side and is probably overstocked. Can you tell us what species the gouramis and tetras are. Some gouramis grow big and most tetras need a tank at least 60 cm long.

Thanks essjay..

Yes thanks for the question... I bought a 30l and the fish from same shop and subsequently found they over sold me the fish so am actually looking right now at a 215l cabinet tank... Likely 91cm x 61cm x 45cm. Also the other breeder am buying th big tank from said that the mechanics of a larger stank are the same and its better as the more water the easier to Control spikes are.. So hoping to get that in Jan...

 

[Splreece]

This needs to be zero, as does ammonia, though you don't mention the level of that.

Putting fish into a brand new tank means you are doing a fish-in cycle. You need to test for ammonia and nitrite every day and do a water change whenever either has a reading above zero. The water change should be as big as necessary to get the level down to zero.
The first part of this link explains what cycling is; ignore the second part, that's for doing a fishless cycle before fish are put in the tank.

Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!

Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...

www.fishforums.net

There are a few things you can do to help.
Feed the fish once every two or even three days. They won't starve and less food = less ammonia.
Get some live plants - fast growing plants such as floating plants or elodea. Plants take up ammonia and they turn it into protein instead of nitrite and nitrate. Fast growing plants take up more ammonia than slow growing plants.
Add some Tetra Safe Start. This won't cycle the tank instantly but it will speed it up.
Use Seachem Prime as your water conditioner. This detoxifies ammonia and nitrite for around 24 hours and will help keep the fish safe between water changes.

Thanks for the quick reply.. Currently ammonia is at less than 0.05ppm (it's a colour chart rather than a digital reader so it's not as dark as the 0.05indicator.

I am planning on buying a 210l cabinet aquarium so will definitely be cycling that before putting fish in... I didn't know at the shop but realised they probably oversold fish allowance and undersold the tank.

 

[Essjay]

It's a problem so many of have faced - poor shop advice. So much so that the first lesson in fish keeping is 'never believe anything a shop tells you'. Most shop workers know nothing about fish and are trained only in how to make a sale.

I don't know which shops you have been to, but looking at your location, Fish Alive in Durham is supposed to be a good shop, but again take what they say with a huge pinch of salt. Chilton Aquatics isn't too far away either.


30 litres would make a good quarantine tank. Or a tank for a betta, or shrimps

 

[Splreece]

Thanks.. Yeah I

It's a problem so many of have faced - poor shop advice. So much so that the first lesson in fish keeping is 'never believe anything a shop tells you'. Most shop workers know nothing about fish and are trained only in how to make a sale.

I don't know which shops you have been to, but looking at your location, Fish Alive in Durham is supposed to be a good shop, but again take what they say with a huge pinch of salt. Chilton Aquatics isn't too far away either.


30 litres would make a good quarantine tank. Or a tank for a betta, or shrimps

Have also been to blayden exotics... They seem really sharp (where am getting the cabinet from).

Silly thing is I got the tank originally just for shrimp and shop initially said I need fish too.. So yeah I think now get a bigger one to accommodate the fish I have and then see in 6 months once all is settled and growing nicely...

With the bigger tank though I think I'll research plants and scenery more as the types of plants am. Sure will make a big difference

 

[Essjay]

Silly thing is I got the tank originally just for shrimp and shop initially said I need fish too..

Good example of a shop worker who has no idea