Fish turned pale and breathing fast

P

Plague

O.o
Aug 4, 2010
718
0
0
Miami, Fl
My farlowella gracilis turned pale over a few hours. I noticed he has been breathing hard in my tank but thought he was stressed out. My ammonia is at .5ppm thinking it was from high ammonia I tested it. Everything else is at zero and ph at 7.4

I moved him to my quarantine tank in case it was something in the water and added an air stone to help aerate the water. Any ideas on what it can be? I almost lost him as I went out buying Aquaclear Ammonia remover chemical filtration.

I initially took my water to get tested at a LFS and they said my ammonia was through the roof. Being skeptical I bought my own test kit and had different results. I have two farlowella gracilis and only one of them is like this. All the other fish in my 55 gallon are fine, even the delicate kuhli loaches I have.
 
It is a possibility that the test kit might not be working the same thing happened to me when I first set up my tank. One of my older Gouramis turned pale and was gasping a few months ago due to me cycling the tank with fish in it. I'm glad he got better but it can definetly have something to do with your Ammo levels.
 
The only reason I doubted the lady at the LFS is because initially she told me my ammonia and ph levels were fine. I asked for the nitrite and nitrate levels and she said she had to go get them. After she got them she came back and said my ammonia was through the roof. Mind you, initially I waited a good ten minutes before she came back and told me my ammonia and ph were fine. How is it only one fish is affected yet all my other 41 fish aren't?
 
I don't know if KH can harm fish but my levels are over 300ppm. This is the typical tap water we have in south florida. GH is at 75ppm. I've had the male farlowella gracilis for about a month. The female I've had for 2 months but she is perfectly fine right now.
 
One of my kuhli loaches was having difficulty breathing so I moved him to the 10g with the airstone. The thing is I knew one of the loaches I bought had something wrong with it since I first put it in the tank. I wonder if w/e it had was transferred to my farlowella? Or it could also be they ate the poo from my gourami who has an internal parasite and is being treated. But I'm unsure if this causes them to have difficulty breathing.

Edit: the kuhli loach has it's normal coloration, it would lay on its side and breath very fast. Its a banded kuhli too.
 
I'll be doing one tomorrow, really I don't feel I have to since all the other fish are fine. I'm just updating to see if other members won't help you don't need to feel responsible or obligated to help me, I know you don't know what it could be =P
 
Well hopefully someone helps. For now they are both recovering in the 10g with the air stone. My only worry is that the farlowella is still pale, almost albino now. But he is breathing normal.
 
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