New Fish gulping at top of tank

[AndyN]

Hello,
I have bought a load of new fish recently.
I tested my water:
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
Ammonia 0
PH 7.6

My New fish:

bought 36 hours ago:
2 male guppies - fine
2 Butterfly cichlids - both were gulping at the top of the tank on the first 24 hour, and not eating, now just one has begun to behave normally. the other one has been in the same place at the top for 36 hours!
2 Corydoras. One can't stop floating to the top. Is still alive, but upside down at the top. Seems to be breathing normally

Bought today:
6 glowlight tetra - fine
4 hatchet fish gulping at the top (although I hear they spend a lot of time at the top anyway!)
1 Red tailed black shark - gulping at the top. Doesn't look well at all.

I have performed a 25% water change, which initially made one of the cichilds better, and the corydoras went to the bottom of the tank as normally for a few hours!

Any ideas? I can't work out what is in my water. De-Chlorinisation performed on the tap water going in at the water change.....

Any advice would be great!

 

[Talisman]

do you have an air stone in your tank, sounds like you need to oxygenate your water better.

Do you have a filter that pumps out into the tank? if so aim the jet upwards so that it Ripples (agitates) the surface that way it will be adding oxygen intot he water. If nothing else get an air pump quick, and stick it in with an airstone attached so that you add oxygen to the tank asap.

 

[The-Wolf]

I aggree, it sound like Hypoxia.
Add an airstone or do 20% water changes every 2 hrs.

 

[Ben]

what size tank is it?

yeh agreed with others, bend over and look at the water from the fish point of veiw and if you see like dust or like a pattern you must airate your surface

 

[dothedew]

gah, don't add so many fish

 

[AndyN]

thanks guys. Added an air pump via two airstones and now everybody is happy. Just to check that I don't have too many fish:

Tank size: 26 UK Gallons

2 Pink gourami
1 Blue Gourami
3 Large Plecostomus
1 tiny pleco!
1 Corydoras (the other one didn't make it (
2 Butterfly Cichlid
1 Red Tailed Black Shark
4 Ruby Barbs
9 Black neon Tetra
6 Neon Tetra
6 Glowlight Tetra
6 Harlequin (tetra?)
6 Zebra Danios
1 Balloon Molly
4 hatchet fish
About 20 guppies (mostly babies)

 

[Nidge]

Sorry mate but you are way over stocked. Either you reduce the amount of fish you have or do lots of water changes and increase your filtration or your going to have more problems with your tank.

 

[AndyN]

Cheers for letting me know.
I have a strong water filter and air pump now, and a second little tank just in case, so I will keep an eye out on ammonia and nitrate levels, and act before anything bad happens. Or should I be looking out for something else?

 

[WILDER]

Yes I agree you re well overtsocked for a 26 gal, keep an eye on your test results, maybe have to think of letting some go, as overstocking causes desease.

 

[Nidge]

I would get a bigger tank, Your fish will do so much better in a bigger tank.

 

[WILDER]

If you are overstocked I would invest in another filter as it better to over filter a tank then under filter.

 

[dothedew]

You're looking at a tank somewhere around 50g if you want to house those fish correctly.

 

[Dwarfs]

I'd say a 55g us would be good, the "pink" gouramis )AKA kissing gouramis) can get about a foot in length

 

[nomaddan]

I don't know if this is the same type problem or not. I have 3 plecos in my tank and one of them keeps rushing to the surface and then going back to the bottom. it appears to be eating and otherwise acting normally. Any Ideas?

 

[trevo878]

Sorry, but you are way overstocked. I would agree with the others and say a 50 gallon tank- minimum