Jardini Gasping

[asder112]

Hi all -

I have a 6 inch jar that seems to be gasping. He is opening and closing his mouth approximately once every second or so - something that I did not notice prior(or maybe I am just noticing it now because I'm nervous). I've tested the water for ammonia and nitrates and both read as 0 (I've tested multiple times over the span of the last day). What seems to have triggered this is a wc done yesterday where I also cleaned one of the filters (I have 3 for the tank - I only cleaned one), giving it a thorough rinsing before reinstalling it. I've searched the posts and it seems as if the way to treat this is adding salt, bumping temp up and doing a wc, all of which I have done except the last. My question is this - should I do a wc or should I wait a day or two and how much salt should I add?

 

[asder112]

i also forgot to add that he recently ate a very large earthworm and that he is swimming very slowly along the surface of the water with his head slightly tilted towards the surface. Prior to this he was very active and begging for food - now he is listless.

 

[WHITECJ2OW]

Jar's do this frequently after they eat. Two others things that cause it are Oxygen levels are low and Ammonia(which arnt a problem for you)

oh and whats the temp at right now? bumping it up will further reduce oxygen levels so may wana check if that is the problem first.

 

[asder112]

so should I lower them? I just found him attached/stuck to one of the inlets for one of the filters

 

[asder112]

ok - now he's doing a headstand. I've done a 20% wc, is there anything else I can do? Also is it possible (since my pH is 6.0) that it takes up the ammonia to a degree and then slowly releases it? And that my cleaning of one of the filters has caused the bb in it to die off and thus not be able to handle this gradual release of ammonia? I really don't know what to do / what I did to cause this besides the cleaning of a filter.

 

[Hao]

i think its da oxygen,youll needa add a powerhead and whats ur temperature?

 

[asder112]

my thermo says its at 76 Farenheit but I think it's quite off. I've turned the heaters down a bit already and I added some bubblers - is it really just the oxygen though? I have a sun cat in there with him and the cat seems to be doing just fine.

 

[haynboy8]

damn it sounds like u might lose him.

 

[classic-chassis]

I wouldn't put a power head in there, if the fish is listless and doing head stands (which isn't good) the power head will knock him all over the tank.
Did you treat the water before the water change?
Was the water change before or after the feed? if it was after was the fish OK until you did the WC?
What did you clean your filter with?
Tank water or tap water? If your BB has died in the cleaning process it will have turned toxic.

Where did you get the earth worm from?
Did you dig it out of the ground or did you find it on the surface hidden under something?
If you didn't dig it out of the ground it could be bad for your fish. I've killed Gater snakes before from feeding them worms that live on the surface hidden under trash.

 

[asder112]

damn it sounds like u might lose him.

well that is what I am trying to avoid. Anyone have any suggestions as to what to do besides what I've already done or as to what may have caused this?