HELP! Fish Gasping for air

[bschuhart]

I don't know what's going on. In my show tank all the fish are at the surface gasping for air. did a 50% water change and add some salt. No change in 24 hours, seems to be getting worse.

So far only lost 1 rainbow fish.


I don't get it:

• no new fish added in over 2 years
• 25% water changes every 2 weeks
• never added any meds to this tank in over 10 years except Metafix.

If you can help me let me know.

 

[jonclark96]

I would throw an air stone in the tank to help. Did you check your water parameters?

 

[bschuhart]

I added an air stone too. My wife just mentioned that about 2 weeks ago she put an electric air freshioner in the powder room that was ony about 5 ft for the tank. So I pulled that and added carbon to the canister filter.


I guess we'll see what happen tomorrow.

I would throw an air stone in the tank to help. Did you check your water parameters?

 

[hollyfish2000]

Check your nitrites. This happened to me a few years ago and I lost an entire peacock/hap tank. I still have no explanation for the bacterial crash, but gasping for air is the first symptom.

 

[F8LBITE]

Oh no! What about temp? Heater working ok?

 

[bschuhart]

Just checked,

Nitites are = 0
Nitrates are a high =60 and I did a 50% water change 2 days ago.

Check your nitrites. This happened to me a few years ago and I lost an entire peacock/hap tank. I still have no explanation for the bacterial crash, but gasping for air is the first symptom.

 

[dogofwar]

Hit it with an extra dose of Prime or Amquel or the like...and add an extra airstone or 2 like Jon mentioned...

Matt

 

[SubMariner]

Sometimes good bacteria beds just crash and it sure seems like yours evidently did.

The nitrates are high because there is a lot of poop and uneaten food is in your gravel and in the water. Plus a 25% water change is not enough every 2 weeks, you need a 50% water change instead. So I recommend vacuuming your substrate and doing a 50% water change religiously every 2 weeks.

Now, here is my question, did you or did you not wash your filter bed on your last water change? Do me a favor and smell your filter media and if it smells like good ole dirt then it's fine, but if it smells like a sewer then your good bacteria is dead my friend.

Nevertheless, you're going to have to locate a sponge filter from another established tank and run it inside your tank with an air stone. Otherwise, pull out an established sponge from another tank and squeeze good bacteria into your tank for the time being. This happens to the best of us by the way.

Don't give up,


RM

 

[fischfan13]

If it's one of the air fresheners that gives a little spray every once in a while, then I would think that is the culprit...especially with all of your details listed. Those air fresheners can linger in the air for upwards of an hour.
I don't mean to disagree with anyone, but I have let tanks go really long without water changes and the only thing that happened was more fry.:lol:..and bacteria beds just don't crash.
Airstones should help. Lots of agitation could help. Carbon would help, but I would remove it after about 24 hours so that IF there is any residual from the air freshener, and it's caught by the carbon, you remove it as well.
Have you checked the temps?
No huge change in temp?
My tap has been coming out at about 78 recently, which is warmer than some of my tanks and I had two recent bouts with fish gasping because of water changes that were too warm.

What type of filtration are you running?

 

[crazyclowntang]

I would check the heater, that happened to my tank and I lost 8 fish! My heater did not regulate,and it literally was cooking my fish.

 

[bschuhart]

Tuesday Update, It was probably the air freshner. The fish are breathing nomally today and don't seem in distress.

I do need to do bigger water changes to get those nitrates down to under 40, 20 would be better.

 

[rsretep]

good news ben sounds like you may be on the right track....great having people to help when you need help the most

 

[fischfan13]

Tuesday Update, It was probably the air freshner. The fish are breathing nomally today and don't seem in distress.

I do need to do bigger water changes to get those nitrates down to under 40, 20 would be better.

Great news Ben.
How about adding some plants to the tank as well?

 

[dogofwar]

What kinda air freshner?

Matt

 

[jonclark96]

Glad things are getting better!

 

[SubMariner]

If it's one of the air fresheners that gives a little spray every once in a while, then I would think that is the culprit...especially with all of your details listed. Those air fresheners can linger in the air for upwards of an hour.
I don't mean to disagree with anyone, but I have let tanks go really long without water changes and the only thing that happened was more fry.:lol:..and bacteria beds just don't crash.
Airstones should help. Lots of agitation could help. Carbon would help, but I would remove it after about 24 hours so that IF there is any residual from the air freshener, and it's caught by the carbon, you remove it as well.
Have you checked the temps?
No huge change in temp?
My tap has been coming out at about 78 recently, which is warmer than some of my tanks and I had two recent bouts with fish gasping because of water changes that were too warm.

What type of filtration are you running?

Bill I beg to differ, but Bacteria Beds do Crash. I've seen it and experienced it.

Ben, I'm really happy things are getting better.


RM

 

[fischfan13]

Bill I beg to differ, but Bacteria Beds do Crash. I've seen it and experienced it.

Ben, I'm really happy things are getting better.


RM

Richard, we will just have to agree to disagree.
I have always thought as that as an "excuse" for something else going on.
When there is a tank that has substrate and filtration and even ornaments and plants you are talking about trillions of microscopic organisms that are feeding off of that tank. As a matter of fact beneficial bacteria also lives on the fish that we keep.
For all of these organisms to "crash", or die off, is impossible.
These organisms are deep down into the sand beds and filters. They are feeding and multiplying all of the time.
If you were to drop boiling water or even battery acid into the tank you will STILL have bacteria that is living in these sand beds.

 

[SubMariner]

Not impossible...nothing is impossible my New Jersey Shore Friend.

 

[thefishproject]

You can still have a bacterial crash if the bacteria utilize all of the bicarbonate that is in the water, but that only happens when there is no renewel of Bicarbonate (i.e. from physically adding Sodium Bicarbonate or from new water from water changes). When I read your post though I immediately thought " detergeants" because something similar happened to me, so I think it was the air freshener that stuff is super toxic to fish. If that ever happened again it'd be best to scoop out all the fish and place in a 10 gallon or something with new water and then do a 100% water change.

 

[Tony]

Good stuff, Ben. Glad they're doing better.