Fish gasping for air

[Aries]

I post this in Cichlids and Plants because it is relevant to both.

I found my fish gasping for air this morning. They include Blue Zebra (Metriaclima callainos), Yellow Lab (Labidochromis caeruleus) and SAE (Crossocheilus siamensis). I also found one particlar Yellow Lab having difficulty keeping level - floating sideways.

This is a planted tank and I just added more plants yesterday.

I changed my fertilization regiment as well by changing the ingredients. I dose KNO3 (Nitrates), K2SO4 (Potassium), KH2SO4 (Phosphate), MgSO4*7H2O (Magnesium) and Tropica Master Grow.

There is very little surface (if any) agitation. THe plants pearl well which I thought added O2 to the tank for the fish.

Test results from this morning:
NH3/4 = 0ppm
NO2 = 0ppm
NO3 = 10ppm
P = .5ppm
K = unknown - no test

PH = 7.6
KH = 16 dkh
GH = 23 dkh
CO2 = 12 ppm

Question to Plant people: Do plants give off O2 enough to last the night if they pearl a little bit??

Question to CIchlid people: What could be wrong with my Yellow Lab - is he permanently hurt??

Question to All: What can I do to correct my problems and make sure my babies are not harmed more??

Thanks!!!

Aries

 

[djlen]

How sure are you of the CO2ppm? This sounds like a case of too much gas.
I would suggest that you do an immediate 50% water change.

Len

 

[Aries]

Update

I am positive on PH and KH. I even used two different tests (companies) to verify. I used Chuck Gadds calculator to get CO2 which results in 12ppm CO2. I also have an aquamedic bubble counter - puts out about 35 bubbles per minute that are ~3mm in diameter - if that helps.

Oddity is I did a 40% water change yesterday. I only increased the CO2 maybe 6 bubbles per minute and that was ~1 week ago. This is the first time I notice them gasping for air. I look at them in the morning every morning before I go to work because it is in the dining room.

Update - the fish are acting perfectly fine - even the yellow lab mentioned above.

What gives???

Thanks

Aries

 

[phanmc]

Perhaps you didn't put enough dechlorinator when you changed the water? I did that a couple of times before and their behavior was similar.

 

[Aries]

Interesting...

Perhaps you didn't put enough dechlorinator when you changed the water? I did that a couple of times before and their behavior was similar.

That is an interesting thought. I have really been "skimping" on the dechlorinator lately - well for a long time anyway (use Prime) because it is low and dont want to pay for another one .

THe schedule was change water ~3.3PM, add plants 3.45PM, CO2 is on until 11.30PM, Lites off at 11.30PM. Noticed them gasping for air at 10AM next day.

If it was the dechlorinator - should I not have noticed it that night???? Possibly????

Thanks for thoughts

Aries

 

[midiamin]

Plants do reverse osmosis at night. They take in oxygen and give off CO2. Do yourself a big favor and get an air pump before you start losing your fish!

thePlantMan cometh......................

 

[phanmc]

My fishes didn't exhibit any stress behavior until the lights were out when I didn't use enough dechlor. I was about to purchase an additional airpump as well, but increased the dechlor dosage and haven't had the problem since.

My guess is that the lower oxygen levels at night combined with some chlorine toxicity is causing the delayed stress.

 

[RTR]

The 12 ppm is too low CO2 to be causing a problem, but low O2 toward the end of the dark cycle is always possible. High CO2 with no O2 lack should result in lethargy (mild to moderate sedation) from the fish, not surface gasping.

Whether or not late light cycle pearling produces sufficent O2 supersaturataion to carry through the night is totaly individual tank dependent - surface current, plant mass, fish and bacterial mass, etc. - too many variables to compute.

I have no experience with insufficient dechlorinator, so cannot address that possibility. But it is easy to address. If not that, try a timed air pump.