FX5 depleting o2?

dzhokar

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 7, 2010
17
0
0
TX
I'm a little stumped here. I have an established 55 gallon tank with a single Flowerhorn in it who is about 6". Originally I had a rena xp2 and a eheim 2026 for filtration. I moved the eheim to another tank and the rena was the only filtration for a month or so. Repaired an FX5 and put it on the 55.... First 2 days the FH is fine. Then starts breathing hard and it gets progressively worse until he's heaving. At this point I'm worried so I do a 50% water change and unplug the FX5 since it was the last change that was made.... and he's fine again. Next day I turn the FX5 back on and he starts breathing hard again. It has new filter floss in two baskets, cocoa puffs in the last one. Sponges are used but clean. It has a diy spray bar placed vertically in a corner and has cross tank flow which is pretty hefty.

Ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 20ish
ph 7.6
temp 82F (*edit*)

So why is this filter causing my FH problems? Could the high water flow be wearing him out? or could it somehow be depleting o2?

Thinking about putting the FX5 on a 120g and putting the old eheim back on this 55... but I don't want to do it if the FX5 is bad somehow.... water flow is probably just tiring him, eh?

What do you guys think?
 
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