Heavy breathing

[wingate2581]

I have a 4.5" royal in a 29 growout. I noticed him breathing slightly heavy a few days ago. I treated the tank with Aquari-sol. My wife did a 50% water change last night. I came in this morning to see him breathing even heavier than before. There is a EBJD that is about 1.75" that was fine through the whole thing until this morning. now he's breathing heavy too. Colors are a little washed out. To be honest I dont know what my PH before the water change. I have an AC70 for filtration and do one to two 30% water changes a week in this tank. I have been noticing a white film collecting on the glass after WC's that I have been cleaning with the mag float. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[2004exrider]

How long has the tank been running? Sounds like an ammonia/nitrite problem.

Jimmy

 

[wingate2581]

The tank has been up forseveral months, but you gave me a thought. I have sand as a substrate. I wonder if we have kicked up a pocket of crap from the sand when the water change was done. This is the only thing I can think of. should I do small water changes daily? I have a kit to test nitrates but not nitrite or ammonia

 

[NSKIRK559]

Depending on pump put a carbon pad in there that will help remove ammonia, also keep doing water changes

 

[Loubard]

Nice royal.

Huh?

Anyway, more oxigen is your first step! Put an airstone in there or make the surface of the water move more by putting your filter out above the waterline.

Check your water, if everything is fine then you where just low on oxigen. I notice it to with my royal, they need/like loads of it.

 

[2004exrider]

Depending on pump put a carbon pad in there that will help remove ammonia, also keep doing water changes

Carbon only removes meds and heavy metals (copper etc). You may have released a pocket of gas from the sand if it isn't stirred up/ vac'ed much.

Jimmy

 

[wingate2581]

Nice royal.

Yeah that is enough to piss me off right now. Go raise your post count somewhere else.

Thank you to everyone else who has shown half a brain. I am going to put an airstone in,small wc, and put carbon in.

 

[2004exrider]

Hope something works out for ya!

 

[wingate2581]

Hope something works out for ya!

I appreciate it man. I did a 10% wc, added an airstone, and added carbon just for the hell of it. Then I remembered I have carbon with ammonia nuetralizing chips so I switched regular carbon out for that. I Just threw the new carbon into a Whisper filter bag and put on top of the rest of filter material in the AC70. I took a few pics of the white film so you can see it. Dont mind the sideways photos!

 

[wingate2581]

Morning update: The royal was on the glass this morning and his breathing looks to be back to normal. All the colors of the fish have come back also. I did another 10% wc this morning incase it was a nitrite/ammonia issue. As soon as things look like they have stabilized for a while the sand is coming out! I was'nt to fond of the royal on the sand from day one and I should have followed my instincts. With that said I cannot say that was the issue 100% because after I put the airstone in the EBJD started to color back up within minutes. So sand goes, airstone stays.