Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fish Health => Topic started by: mazzamoo on May 26, 2016, 09:39:37 PM
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:wave: hi all.
Ok I was wondering if anyone could help with rapid Gill and mouth movements.
All my fish now to be breathing very fast. Not gasping at the top at all. Swimming around normally and eating normally.
Temp is about 78 or just above. Ph 7.5, nitrites and ammonia 0. Nitrate quite low.
Their gills don't look swollen or sore. No cuts or damaged fins. Brown poo.
I've not long put my poly filter back in as did have to treat for fungus for my dwarf rainbows which was very stubborn. My rainbows have always breathed fast and are very scatty but I do think their breathing faster and I've now noticed my t bar cichlid breathing faster and apistogramma 🙁.
I don't know what to do. Has anyone experiences this before? Does anyone know what treatment I should try. Could it be Gill parasites or internal. I'm stuck. Any advice would be appreciated please.
I've added a video of how fast the breathing to see if anyone agrees it is fast.
Thanks
Maria
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I've tried posting a video but it won't let me as it's to large.
Would of liked you to see how fast their breathing is.
Never mind.
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I'm afraid that I don't have any experience with those fish, but perhaps it would be worth putting an airstone in for a while to provide your fish with more oxygen. Perhaps if your filter was taken out of the tank for a while some of the oxygen may have been depleted. usually I would expect the fish to be at the top of the tank if it was an oxygen problem though.
Hopefully one of the more experienced keepers will be able to answer your question.
Sorry I can't be of more help.
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Ahh no worries I appreciate your help though. I have an external eheim filter which the spray bar is quite strong. Even sometimes turn the flow down a bit.
Thanks again.
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I think Sue and Simon are on line, so you will get better advice from them.
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Yeah they are both good thank you x
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Sorry to read about the rapid breathing. I have experienced this with goldfish but only when they haven't been well and aren't eating or swimming normally, which yours are. Your water quality also seems fine.
The only suggestion I can give is that sometimes a water change, with the water slightly cooler than the current temperature when you pour it in, can help give a "rejuvenating" effect.
Hopefully all will have settled by the morning but, if not, do let us know if you notice anything else untoward.
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Try a water change first and during the change, angle the spray bar up at the surface so that it ripples. This will help with gas exchange. As Donna says if you have a pump and airstone this will increase the oxygen levels unless you're already using one?
Please keep us updated, hope you can get to the bottom of it soon
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Sorry for the late reply, new job = less time spent online for now.
It doesn't sound like lack of oxygenated water is the issue, if your spray bar is creating plenty of surface movement.
You've eliminated water quality.
The temperature of your tank, whilst slightly high, isn't at a dangerous level. I would consider turning that down a few degrees, if only to save your electricity bill. ;)
When you first noticed this, was it shortly after you'd done something to the tank or after something changed?
General stress, caused by a sudden environmental change (such as a big water change) or if we spend time rearranging the tank furniture, can affect our fishes' behaviour.
Just keep an eye on them, and as they seem to be behaving normally otherwise, try not to worry too much.
Keep us posted. :)
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Thanks for your replies everyone. I've not done a massive water change. I have been in to clean up some plants and take dead bits off etc. Like you say it could be that. I might try an air stone though as my tank is quite a deep one. I do like air stones. I love to watch the bubbles in the back of the tank. However I think what has stopped me getting one is the noise of the pump plus don't they have to go higher than the tank if so I don't know where to put it. But I might look into it.
Thanks again all.
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My pump is in the cabinet the tank sits on so is under the level of the bottom of the tank. No problems. It is sitting on a folded up dishcloth and is barely audible with the cabinet closed.
Keep us posted Mazza :)
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If the air pump is lower than the tank then you'll need a non-return valve in the line somewhere. It will stop any back-siphoning that might happen when the pump's switched off.
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:wave: :wave: happy happy.
An update. Well I was having a good look at the tank last night and a think. I did notice that half the tank was still and a white film on the top. Then I realised that the intake and out source is on the same side due to not enough tubing. So I've been out this morning and purchased an air pump. I've put a couple of airstones in and it's made a massive difference. All the fish are breathing normally so there obviously wasn't enough oxygen. They do seem bit happier too. I'm very happy now. I hope this thread can help someone else in the same situation. Thanks everyone and I'm sure I'll be back asking something else soon lol..
Maria x
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Fantastic news. So glad to hear that the fish seem more comfortable, and thanks for the update.
Your tank looks lovely.
:)
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Good news, indeed.....and a good lookin' tank, too.
Which air-pump and how is it for noise?
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thank you all. The pump is jbl prosilent 400. The pump is very quiet the bubbles and pressure in stones is louder but bearable. I personally think I could of got away with the pump below but I was told this one.
It also comes with check valves incase there is a power cut plus cause it's same level as the tank.
But I'm so pleased I did it. I thought my spray bar was enough but obviously not. I'm so happy my fish arnt rapid breathing.
I've been reading alot about airstones and they do help a lot and do have benefits not just looking nice.
X
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Great to hear this news.
JBL products are good too.
Hopefully this is the issue now resolved for good, and indeed it's useful/interesting for others in a similar situation. [For anyone else reading this thread, another point is that, if fish have been chasing one another for a long time such as when new in a tank and establishing their hierarchy or during mating for several hours, some fish do tend to become out of breath and take "time out" to recuperate. However, this situation seemed to be entirely different.]
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Hello thank you. Yes they were all rapid breathing. The dwarf rainbows gills were a bit more erratic and that's because their scatty little fish they dash around everywhere. But they are very different now and can hardly see their mouths moving. I can't belive some air stones have solved the problem with all their breathing. Very happy.
I'm getting some rainbow tetras tom and really excited. They are the last fish to complete my tank. :cheers:
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You could buy a pipe so output and input are on opposite sides of the tank.