IMMEDIATE ADVICE SOUGHT

[Doktor Shakalu]

Hey guys, what's going on? Been checking out the site for a few weeks now and this is my first post, and I need some advice, and QUICK!

I just today introduced two beautiful new peacock bass between 2 and 3 inches into my 55-gallon aquarium where I already have a blue channel catfish and a small albino oscar. The catfish has been in the tank for several months so I assumed it had cycled appropriately. The peacock bass appear to be breathing pretty heavily. I immediately did a water test to check the toxin levels. Here are the results:

Water temperature: Approx. 80-81
pH: 7.3
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 0.0
Nitrate: 40

My question is, given these test results, I am wondering if I should do a water change tonight, or if the peacocks are simply adjusting to their new environment and should I give them a few days to see if that gasping symptom is gone? The catfish's and the oscar's breathing both appear VERY comfortable.

Any immediate advice is GREATLY appreciated. THANKS!!!

 

[Camshaft Ramrod]

You're nitrates were 40 and your Ammonia was .25 AFTER the water change?..

How did you acclimate?

What's the filtration/airation like?

How much water did you change?

Whats the size of the other fish?

 

[Doktor Shakalu]

You're nitrates were 40 and your Ammonia was .25 AFTER the water change?..

How did you acclimate?

What's the filtration/airation like?

How much water did you change?

Whats the size of the other fish?

No, the water was changed about a week ago before the oscar was added to the tank, but I did not change the water again today before adding the peacocks. The other fish are very similar to the size of the peacocks. I've never been given a real good method of acclimating fish... I have always left the the bag the fish were purchased in in the tank with a small hole in it so that the water slowly mixes for about 30 minutes before releasing the fish.

 

[Mike fail]

with that stock you need to do 2 waterchanges a week to keep nitrates down.

 

[troutking]

No, the water was changed about a week ago before the oscar was added to the tank, but I did not change the water again today before adding the peacocks. The other fish are very similar to the size of the peacocks. I've never been given a real good method of acclimating fish... I have always left the the bag the fish were purchased in in the tank with a small hole in it so that the water slowly mixes for about 30 minutes before releasing the fish.

thats a really bad way of acclimating. never put water from the bag into your tank. it may have parasites

 

[The True Guapote]

You definitely would want to step up your water changes. An airstone would also be helpful. I'm sure you know about ammonia should be 0, nitrite 0, and nitrates should be minimal. I'd probably do a water change to get rid of that ammonia.

 

[rallysman]

You definitely would want to step up your water changes. An airstone would also be helpful. I'm sure you know about ammonia should be 0, nitrite 0, and nitrates should be minimal. I'd probably do a water change to get rid of that ammonia.

That ammonia will keep coming back until the bacteria are established in the filter to keep up with it.

Water changes will slow the development of the bacteria but will lower the level of ammonia. It's a double edged sword.

If you have established media in another tank rinse it in the tank with ammonia to speed up the process. Otherwise, lots of small daily water changes until the bacteria catch up.

 

[cichniss]

What type of filter are you running? Try to get something with a large biological media capacity if you dont already. Like rally said keep up the water changes until the bacteria catch up with the increased bio load.

 

[channarox]

try getting filter media thats already been used before.
are you sure theres enough water exchange in the hole?
next time try manually adding the water in as there may not be much water entering the bag with a small hole....

 

[tourdeforce1]

You should get those Nitrates down for sure, but also get way more aeration going. These are river fish that live in moving water and they need lots of oxygen. Also, you're gonna wanna bump your temp most likely. I keep most of my tanks with bass around 86-88.