My RBPs are gasping for air =(
- Thread starter Syxx676
- Start date
3 questions -
Have you tested your tap water for Chlorimine? Water companies are adding this to their treatment processes and it contains high doses of Nitra. Dechlorinator will not remove chlorimine.
What exactly is your water temp? The hotter water temps carry less amounts of oxygen. Also filling your tank with cooler water can crash the biocycle creating unhealthy levels of Nitra.
At what rate are you adding salt? 1 Tablespoon per 5 gal's for a Piranha is too much should be 1 tablespoon per 10 gal of NEW water not the entire volume of the tank.
P's really don't need salt additives unless they are sick. And even then the salt is used to kill the bacteria in the water not cure the fish - Salt Burns.
Have you tested your tap water for Chlorimine? Water companies are adding this to their treatment processes and it contains high doses of Nitra. Dechlorinator will not remove chlorimine.
What exactly is your water temp? The hotter water temps carry less amounts of oxygen. Also filling your tank with cooler water can crash the biocycle creating unhealthy levels of Nitra.
At what rate are you adding salt? 1 Tablespoon per 5 gal's for a Piranha is too much should be 1 tablespoon per 10 gal of NEW water not the entire volume of the tank.
P's really don't need salt additives unless they are sick. And even then the salt is used to kill the bacteria in the water not cure the fish - Salt Burns.
Did you ever check the water temps? Mine sat low like that when my heater malfunctioned and temps shot into the high 90s. i did a massive water change to lower temps and by the next day they were back to their normal self
gasping for air is usually a sign of low oxygen content in the water or high levels of ammonia or nitrite.... i would check the temps and then test your water for ammonia and nitrite. the large volume water change could have thrown your tank into a mini-cycle or it could have raised the temp significantly, although i would think you would have been able to notice the temp change.
This all started the day after the party? Is it possible some moron at the party poured alcohol into your tank? or ciggerette ashes with nicotine? Dod someone use your water change bucket to clean something up and now it has chemical residue in it?
I would think alcohol first if it happened after a party. Somone poured a mixed drink in a cichlid tank of mine a few years back and they all died 3 days later. similar symptoms, gasping for a while then really lethargic, then dead.
I would think alcohol first if it happened after a party. Somone poured a mixed drink in a cichlid tank of mine a few years back and they all died 3 days later. similar symptoms, gasping for a while then really lethargic, then dead.
thank you guys for all the input. no, i made sure to look after my tank during the party. they were pretty scared of my tank for some reason, lol. i did another water change, and made sure to get the temp down. after that, they seem perfectly fine now. not sure why the sudden gasping for air, but i think i'm gonna buy a new test kit. just not sure what happened, weird. my 3 RBPs shall live in peace still....
it could have been possible that some dumb*** did something though. it's done with now. they seem happy... just think the temp was way to high at the time though.
it could have been possible that some dumb*** did something though. it's done with now. they seem happy... just think the temp was way to high at the time though.
It sounds like what you said you forgot to plug the powerhead in and low oxygen in the water.
when you have hob filters surfuce agitation allows for oxygen to oxyginate the water. If you just did a water change and filled the tank passed the input of the canister with no surfuce agitation or powerhead going then there will be little oxygen in the water.
Sounds like you solved it once you plugged the powerhead back in.
happened to me once, I took out a hob filter and all I had was an fx5 in the tank with no surfuce agitation and rbs were gasping for air, added an airstone and they were fine.
when you have hob filters surfuce agitation allows for oxygen to oxyginate the water. If you just did a water change and filled the tank passed the input of the canister with no surfuce agitation or powerhead going then there will be little oxygen in the water.
Sounds like you solved it once you plugged the powerhead back in.
happened to me once, I took out a hob filter and all I had was an fx5 in the tank with no surfuce agitation and rbs were gasping for air, added an airstone and they were fine.
id still take a water sample to LFS ... jack's does them for free in columbus ... wouldnt hurt to have it checked
I hope your piranha are ok. I would have really done a large water change at that point. Check your levels. Good luck.
Your lucky they are still alive , I made the mistake I had a pacu that did that right after a water change after I checked the pumps filtration power heads they was all working so I thought they are still a bit hungry fed them they ate so I thought nothing more of it and woke up the next day and he died .... took a sample to the lfs and everything was out of whack guy at the lfs asked me if the tank was even cycled and it had been up for 2 yrs a friend of mine come to find out thought my water level was low and added a gallon of tap water( granted it was well water) but he used nothing but cold water so something simple like that is all it takes and they are gone
