Panting fish

[njparton]

My fish seem to be always doing a lot of panting.

I've just tested my water and here are the results:

pH 6.8
NH3: 0
NO2: <0.1 mg/l
NH3: 5 mg/l
temp: 26C

I've got a powerhead which pumps air into the water via a venturi tube and my LFS was out of dissolved 02 testing kits this morning.

Is it likely to be low 02 levels or something else I'm not considering?

I'm wondering if I need to introduce air into the tank at a lower level than the powerhead does - I have a long air stone, I just need an air pump but have always found them too noisy...

 

[smb]

Sounds like it might be ammonia poisoning. I would do a large water change/gravel clean and see if it gets better.

 

[njparton]

Sounds like it might be ammonia poisoning. I would do a large water change/gravel clean and see if it gets better.

But my ammonia levels don't even register on 2 different types of test kit, as indicated by my first post.

Surely I'd lose fish is ammonia poisoning was to blame?

 

[gadazobe]

Is this a planted tank and if so do you use CO2 ?

 

[smb]

Sounds like it might be ammonia poisoning.  I would do a large water change/gravel clean and see if it gets better.

But my ammonia levels don't even register on 2 different types of test kit, as indicated by my first post.

Surely I'd lose fish is ammonia poisoning was to blame?

You said:

NH3: 0
NH3: 5 mg/l

So with the symptoms you were having I assumed the first reading was a typo.

Sorry if I misunderstood you.

 

[njparton]

Sounds like it might be ammonia poisoning.  I would do a large water change/gravel clean and see if it gets better.

But my ammonia levels don't even register on 2 different types of test kit, as indicated by my first post.

Surely I'd lose fish is ammonia poisoning was to blame?

You said:

NH3: 0
NH3: 5 mg/l

So with the symptoms you were having I assumed the first reading was a typo.

Sorry if I misunderstood you.

Appologies it was a typo I meant to say nitrate <5mg/l.

i.e. all my usual levels are good, possibly appart from 02 but I can't measure them yet and they may be OK anyway...

 

[njparton]

Is this a planted tank and if so do you use CO2 ?

It is a planted tank i have 5 plabts in there.

What do you mean by "...if so do you use CO2"?

 

[njparton]

Is this a planted tank and if so do you use CO2 ?

It is a planted tank i have 5 plabts in there.

What do you mean by "...if so do you use CO2"?

OK, done some research - no I don't introduce any CO2 into my tank for the benefit of my plants - they are happily growing away...

 

[gadazobe]

I've just read your signature. 140Litres is approx 35 gallons. You have way too many fish for that size tank. Silver (bala) sharks grow to over 12", clowns to 5-6" (although Graeme has some that are 8-10" ) Silver dollars are shoaling fish that grow to about 6", just to mention a few. Even with your extra filtration, IMO, you are still overstocked. Higher the filter outlet so that the water cascades from above the surface. This wil allow more oxygen into the water and might help. Also, think about getting a much larger tank - at least double the size of what you have.

 

[njparton]

I've just read your signature. 140Litres is approx 35 gallons. You have way too many fish for that size tank. Silver (bala) sharks grow to over 12", clowns to 5-6" (although Graeme has some that are 8-10" ) Silver dollars are shoaling fish that grow to about 6", just to mention a few. Even with your extra filtration, IMO, you are still overstocked. Higher the filter outlet so that the water cascades from above the surface. This wil allow more oxygen into the water and might help. Also, think about getting a much larger tank - at least double the size of what you have.

Yeah, I was starting to think that - couldn't help myself when in my LFS!

My clown loaches haven't really grown all that much and the fastest growing fish seem to be one of my silver dollars and my network catfish.

If the latter gets to 15cm as quickly as I think it will then I'll have to sell him.

I'm going to try to find an 02 test kit today, that way I can determine if I need more surface agitation. Apparently >=7mg/l 02 is what is required?

 

[njparton]

Right, bought a test kit and at 9 in the morning (before my lights came on) I tested and got 2 mg/l 02

This is way way too low and I've been advised >7 mg/l but during the summer my tanks temp gets into the 28-30C range and according to the guide that came with the kit it's impossible for water at that temp to hold that much 02.

At 25/26C which is my normal tank temp I should be able to acheive 8-10mg/l though.

I think the low 02 levels (now that the really hot days have passed) is down to 2 things:

1. a lot of fish; and
2. a green algea I'm currently battling (fine algea suspended throughout the tank).

I've been advised to reduce the lighting time of my tank down to ~10 hours/day, the downside of this is that my plants will produce more CO2 and less 02.

To combat this I've rigged up an 18cm air stone and old air pump (that makes too much noise ) and I'll have it on overnight and during the day when I'm not around (which during the week will be a total of 18 hours/day or so).

Is this combination the right way to go?

My clown loaches are suffering with white spot (currently treating) so hopefully more 02 will help them recover?

Will more 02 in the water help inhibit the growth of more green algea?

 

[YngUrbanCMH]

Be careful when you treat your loaches for white spot, they're pretty sensitive to medications... most recomend that you only use half the normal dosage for scaleless fish. My father killed a couple of beautiful 9+" clown loaches that were in his 125 gal when he treated the tank for ich.

 

[njparton]

Be careful when you treat your loaches for white spot, they're pretty sensitive to medications... most recomend that you only use half the normal dosage for scaleless fish. My father killed a couple of beautiful 9+" clown loaches that were in his 125 gal when he treated the tank for ich.

Thanks for that, I'm using a new treatment from Interpet that's supposed to be safe for scaleless fish. Better safe than sorry though I guess

 

[airborn]

My clown loaches are suffering with white spot (currently treating) so hopefully more 02 will help them recover..................Once the "white spot" drops off the fish and hatches the then,free swimming parasites will attach themselves to the gill membranes of your fish......HMMMM cause for laboured breathing?.....Air

 

[njparton]

My clown loaches are suffering with white spot (currently treating) so hopefully more 02 will help them recover..................Once the "white spot" drops off the fish and hatches the then,free swimming parasites will attach themselves to the gill membranes of your fish......HMMMM cause for laboured breathing?.....Air

You're agreeing with me?

Nice part of the world you live in, I was in Naples a couple of years ago - some nice fishing in the Everglades around there....