Breathing rapidly??

[n-e-w-land]

Thanks so much for the help

NC Nutcase, I will definetly get started with a few water changed over the next few days. What you've said makes total sense, as for the aggression, my small texas does get chased occasionally and firemouth is often after the larger GT, however their is rarely any damage done or stress steming from this behaviour, considering that my largest fish the oscar is the most stressed and he is definetly not being bullied I think that it may be down to the water, or possibly something leaching into the tank? I do have a poly back ground that has been painted, but I don't know the details of what paint was used as I bought the tank second hand and the guy had it running with that background.

 

[Toby_H]

I agree it sounds like water quality... I'm just trying to think "outside the box"...

Just because your Oscar is the biggest, don't assume he is the toughest. "Dynamite comes in small packages"... and not all Cichlid's are created equal

Paint leaching would explain this behavior... but you've had the background in use for 5 months right? and it was used when you got it... so I doubt it would "all of a sudden" start leaching... although it's possible some sort of sealer was used that just now became worn down or was otherwise dammaged allowing something to leach...

It's unlikely, but a possibility...

 

[n-e-w-land]

Thats what I thought but didn't want to rule out a possible danger. Having observed the brute, he really is triple the weight of his tank mates and they just keep out of his way so I don't think its aggression, could be happening at night for all I know.

 

[n-e-w-land]

Hi, I have 2 sulphur nitrate filters like this and was wondering whether I could use these to help with the issue, and if so how do I connect them, to the external filter?

 

[synrgst]

i jus recently got a new tank. but bfore i got this new tank i had a 60 gal long show tank. i wud do water changes every 2-3 months. i had a rena xp3 filter on it that's all. but everytime i wud test my water, its perfect so i wud take a sample to my lfs so he cud test it. it came out perfect. it was a pbass tank. tha one time my water went bad n i mean extremely bad. i did 1/4 water changes every 2 days for 1 1/2 weeks. then i wud test water again. i was still adding my normal amount of chem. and a lil salt. i use tha amquil water con. and tha amquil for tha nitrates n stuff. but man my water is always gud. never had a problem wit water. that time that i did was because i changed frm sand to gravel and muk got stirred up in tha water. if ur in socal than personal message me and u shud talk to my lfs guy.

 

[synrgst]

never mind tha socal thing i jus seen that u are from uk

 

[n-e-w-land]

Thanks but whats your point about the nitrates, that the muck stirred up in the substrate is causing nitrates?

 

[Toby_H]

i jus recently got a new tank. but bfore i got this new tank i had a 60 gal long show tank. i wud do water changes every 2-3 months. i had a rena xp3 filter on it that's all. but everytime i wud test my water, its perfect so i wud take a sample to my lfs so he cud test it. it came out perfect. it was a pbass tank. tha one time my water went bad n i mean extremely bad. i did 1/4 water changes every 2 days for 1 1/2 weeks. then i wud test water again. i was still adding my normal amount of chem. and a lil salt. i use tha amquil water con. and tha amquil for tha nitrates n stuff. but man my water is always gud. never had a problem wit water. that time that i did was because i changed frm sand to gravel and muk got stirred up in tha water. if ur in socal than personal message me and u shud talk to my lfs guy.

This is horrible advice and is obviously based on some misunderstandings of water chemistry... I can't suggest exactly what the mistake is without a lot more info... and I have no desire to debate that conclusion... but everyone that understand water chemistry can verify that as explained, this is not how things work...