Scratching!

[andyw823]

My fish have been in the new tank now for just over 2 weeks, some of the fish now seem to be flicking/scratching on the surface. I have done 3 20% water changes in 2 weeks due to slightly cloudy water caused by the gravel. The water is fine apart from the ammonia which is up at 0.25 ppm. There are no signs of white spot on the fish ether. Could it be the ammonia or something else?

 

[Misfits204]

your fish might have ich my clown loach had it and they get little white bumps on it and you need to rise the temp and get the med. do this if the bumps get on him or her and put the med in the tank with the other fish to get the diesese out of them to hope it helps

 

[Fate2006]

hmm... sounds a bit like white spot, however I've noticed some of my fish doing the same before and they never got any diseases...

 

[WILDER]

It will be the ammonia making them flick, try and get it down with a water change.

What are your other water stats.

 

[andyw823]

It will be the ammonia making them flick, try and get it down with a water change.

What are your other water stats.

Thats what i thought as there are no white spots or any other visable signs.

PH7 - Amm 0.25 - Nitrite 0 ppm - Nitrate 0.5

 

[WILDER]

Did you seed the tank.
What size is the tank in gallons or litres.
How many fish and which type.

Looked at your profile which tank is it.
So you added all them fish in two weeks.

 

[andyw823]

Some info in my sig. Transfered 90% of the water from my old tank which was a 140L also added the filter media which was well astablished.

 

[WILDER]

Got to look why you have an ammonia reading.
Tap nitrate reading would help.
What filter are you using as there alot of fish in there.

Alot of plecs there and they are massive waste producers.
How often do you maintain the tank.

 

[andyw823]

The filter is a Rena XP3 rated at 1350 litres per hour. Will test the tap water in the morning.

Full gravel vac every week!

 

[WILDER]

The nitrate reading will help to see if the tank still cycling.
Something not right otherwise to have ammonia reading.
Usually mean filter not up to the job.
Overstocking.
lack of maintance.
Debris building up.
Check your ammonia reading from the tap as well.

If don't get that ammonia reading down the fish will break out in whitespot though stress.

 

[andyw823]

Thinking about it now, what might have happened is when i tranfered the old water to the new tank i added fresh water to quickly which might have flushed a good part of the bacteria out of the filter system.

To get the ammonia down to 0 ppm whats best? Will more water changes kill of the good bacteria i have in the filter? I do have some ammo chips nocking about not sure if there any good though!

Thanks for your info

 

[WILDER]

Your tap nitrate will help alot then it tell us where your nitrate reading should be.
If the tank was in a mini cycle I would of expected a nitrite reading.
Not making sense to me.

Water changes for ammonia, never used chips ammonia things so I couldn't say.

 

[andyw823]

I know what you mean about the nitrite! When i first started out 2 years ago i had a high reading of ammonia and nitrite. Like you said if it was in a mini cycle there would be a reading of both again. Also iirc the teast kit im using measures 2 types of ammonia, something like AH*/AH*.

 

[WILDER]

What type of test kit is it.
How big are the clown loaches and plecs.

 

[WILDER]

I would do a water change.
Tomorrow get back with your ammonia and nitrate tap readings.
Have you added any meds just to rule it out.