Lack of oxygen doesn't always mean gasping fish. It means fish hiding, being very static, lack of energy, lack of appetite, final stage, dropping dead like flies or gasping. Some fish are more sensitive tthan others to different things. Whatever is causing it, the ones that can tolerate it the least, die first, or show signs first.
Death And A Fishy Smell
- Thread starter r.w.girard
- Start date
OP
OP
r.w.girard
Fish Crazy
And that would be resolved by a) less fish, b) more surface agitation and c) a slightly reduced temperature? I can't well add an airstone to a planted tank can I?
As an update: I lost another GNT late that first evening, followed by one in the morning and a single otocinclus. Since another water change, no deaths although the smell is still off. Which makes me quite uncomfortable. I've been checking the ammonia levels regularly since purchasing the kit and they still always read zero. Even when I found the other dead fish.
Further I sectioned off the Dwarf Gourami as I would suspect him, and NOT the Bolivian Rams, of predation. Don't know if that is warranted. Or for how long I should let the experiment run...
As an update: I lost another GNT late that first evening, followed by one in the morning and a single otocinclus. Since another water change, no deaths although the smell is still off. Which makes me quite uncomfortable. I've been checking the ammonia levels regularly since purchasing the kit and they still always read zero. Even when I found the other dead fish.
Further I sectioned off the Dwarf Gourami as I would suspect him, and NOT the Bolivian Rams, of predation. Don't know if that is warranted. Or for how long I should let the experiment run...
This Old Spouse
TOTM Winner May 2013
This just occurred to me because it happened to me a couple years ago. Maybe you have already checked, but did you smell the wood that you have in the tank? I changed out a tank and when I pulled out the driftwood I almost passed out it smelled so bad.
You can try all of the above, or whatever is suitable. Air stone temporary until the tank stabalizes, or you provide another way of oxygen, will work easily too. I've added numerous times airstone to a planted tank for a while when I think it's needed, with no adverse effects to the plants, no algae either from lack of CO2 as some think. Even plants need oxygen and when there's lack of it the entire system will be suffering.
This Old Spouse
TOTM Winner May 2013
This is a 20 gallon long.char la said:
OP
OP
r.w.girard
Fish Crazy
Thank you for that, TOS. I guess it just comes with the territory.
I checked the wood, it seemed fine. But there is still all of the rocks, which could be accumulating organic matter under anaerobic conditions leading to a buildup of hydrosulfide, which, when released into water, makes sulfuric acid. Hence the smell and the dead fish. But that would require a significant amount of "descaping" to find out. Shouldn't the MTS take care of that, sifting the gravel as they travel underground. That is, after all, why I keep them ... unless, of course, the whole system has been lacking oxygen - but why? - creating a greater incidence of anaerobic pockets.
Can anyone confirm that adding an airstone to an Excel only densely planted tank would not cause serious algae growth? But shouldn't the plants, which have been growing be producing enough oxygen to support the system? I mean, that is what they do, even at lower lighting. Higher light levels would help with that, I am sure. I guess I could go back to my dual T5HO setup. Maybe I will need to repost in planted to get an answer.
I checked the wood, it seemed fine. But there is still all of the rocks, which could be accumulating organic matter under anaerobic conditions leading to a buildup of hydrosulfide, which, when released into water, makes sulfuric acid. Hence the smell and the dead fish. But that would require a significant amount of "descaping" to find out. Shouldn't the MTS take care of that, sifting the gravel as they travel underground. That is, after all, why I keep them ... unless, of course, the whole system has been lacking oxygen - but why? - creating a greater incidence of anaerobic pockets.
Can anyone confirm that adding an airstone to an Excel only densely planted tank would not cause serious algae growth? But shouldn't the plants, which have been growing be producing enough oxygen to support the system? I mean, that is what they do, even at lower lighting. Higher light levels would help with that, I am sure. I guess I could go back to my dual T5HO setup. Maybe I will need to repost in planted to get an answer.
OP
OP
r.w.girard
Fish Crazy
So now, a week latter, my rams have spawned. Is that normal if there had been an ammonia spike? or high levels of contaminants? or low levels of oxygen? or other such thing?
I've had corys spawn when there was an ammonia spike(green and off the scale) after I thoroughly cleaned the filters in my old tank and then couldn't restart one of them for hours. Someone once mentioned fish spawn in a pre-dying stage like a last chance of multiplying. But it's not like my corys died then or since then(thankfully). They are still kicking after a year and a half after that ridiculous spike. The point is, fish spawning is not a sign of the water conditions being great, at least not always.
I can't guarantee, every system is different but excel is not like injected carbon, won't go out from the water via turbulence and I have added air stones when I thought it's needed to planted tanks with or without liquid carbon without any algae outbreak at all, or any negative effects.
If you've got the smell from hydrogen sulfide, you need to possibly direct more flow towards the substrate and have better surface movement. Not sure if one airstone will have much effect on that, but it will certainly improve the oxygen levels that are needed when tank reaches conditions when hydrogen sulfide is realeased. I wouldn't disturb the substrate at this stage if I were you. Maybe try reducing the level of the substrate carefully while siphoning if that's possible in your case.
They may not be able to lift the rocks
If you substrate is too deep, the snails also may not be going at the bottom layer at all.
I can't guarantee, every system is different but excel is not like injected carbon, won't go out from the water via turbulence and I have added air stones when I thought it's needed to planted tanks with or without liquid carbon without any algae outbreak at all, or any negative effects.
If you've got the smell from hydrogen sulfide, you need to possibly direct more flow towards the substrate and have better surface movement. Not sure if one airstone will have much effect on that, but it will certainly improve the oxygen levels that are needed when tank reaches conditions when hydrogen sulfide is realeased. I wouldn't disturb the substrate at this stage if I were you. Maybe try reducing the level of the substrate carefully while siphoning if that's possible in your case.
They may not be able to lift the rocks
If you substrate is too deep, the snails also may not be going at the bottom layer at all.
OP
OP
r.w.girard
Fish Crazy
I think I found the problem...
I was cleaning the tank and decided to clear back a bunch of overgrowth to aid in water circulation - for fear of low oxygen. And having done so, I pulled out all of the hardscape, none of which smelled of sulphur. But then, cleaning all of the unplanted areas, i.e. under the hardscape, where the substrate is seldom upset, I came a cross a dead and rotting bulb. The bulb, which was planted in a heavily planted area, had gone unnoticed. But it also happened to be in the area where the GNT tended to school, explaining why they were hit so hard, as opposed to the other fish that tended to occupy the rest of the tank. So, now that I know that was the source, at least of the intermittent and lingering smell, I will be returning to that area over the next couple of days to make sure it reestablishes itself as an aerobic pocket of substrate.
Only wish I had pulled the bulb out when the plant had died [missed that] and been able to forego the mass-death of my fish.
I was cleaning the tank and decided to clear back a bunch of overgrowth to aid in water circulation - for fear of low oxygen. And having done so, I pulled out all of the hardscape, none of which smelled of sulphur. But then, cleaning all of the unplanted areas, i.e. under the hardscape, where the substrate is seldom upset, I came a cross a dead and rotting bulb. The bulb, which was planted in a heavily planted area, had gone unnoticed. But it also happened to be in the area where the GNT tended to school, explaining why they were hit so hard, as opposed to the other fish that tended to occupy the rest of the tank. So, now that I know that was the source, at least of the intermittent and lingering smell, I will be returning to that area over the next couple of days to make sure it reestablishes itself as an aerobic pocket of substrate.
Only wish I had pulled the bulb out when the plant had died [missed that] and been able to forego the mass-death of my fish.
This Old Spouse
TOTM Winner May 2013
Thank goodness you found it. It's so unnerving to have fish die for no apparent reason.
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