Urgent: Hyperventilating Kuhlis

DGalt

DGalt

AC Members
Jun 1, 2008
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Connecticut
I'm at a loss in terms of what I can do.

Currently my 15 gallon does not have a real filter running on it. I'm waiting on a part from Eheim (which was supposed to be here today but wasn't shipped until this morning...don't get me started about that).

Two days ago I got 2 kuhli loaches for my 15 gallon. At first when I put them in the tank they seemed to be breathing heavily, and I had guessed it was b/c of my pressurized CO2 on the tank (less water movement, meaning the CO2 didn't gas off as quickly, meaning higher CO2 levels than typical). Did a water change, turned off CO2 and they seemed fine.

My gf got me another 4 kuhlis (I've been looking for 6 in total and she found me some for my birthday) last night. Put them in the tank, everything seemed fine.

Did a WC (~50%) this morning (b/c of the whole not having a filter thing) and the 4 new kuhlis started heading towards the surface on a regular basis (they weren't doing this before the WC) and I noticed they were breathing rather heavily. I thought maybe I put too much prime in the water, so about an hr ago I did another WC (again ~50%), but that didn't seem to help. And somewhere in the last 30 minutes I lost one of the new 4.

I've moved the other 3 into a bucket of just treated water, but their breathing hasn't returned to normal.

Checking the water params I'm at 0.5ppm ammonia, which again is explained by the lack of a working filter. But I've already done what amounts to ~75% water change.


Any ideas? The fish look healthy otherwise (i.e. don't see anything that looks like disease)
 
Does your tap water have ammonia in it? Cause if you're doing frequent large WC's I would think you would be able to get your ammonia levels pretty low...

If you're concerned about the CO2 injection you could turn that off until you get your proper filter running...Maybe add an airstone or power jet for now (if you have one) for better oxygenation...?

Hope things work out.
 
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I've check the tap before and I don't remember it having any. Part of the issue is that my substrate is aquasoil, and I just had to add some more in there when I rescaped (it wasn't a lot, and wouldn't have been an issue had my filter not broken)

I have a powerhead in there right now, but I don't have an airstone.
 
Sounds like you've got NH3 and O2 covered then -- hopefully you'll be good until you get the filter part....keep us posted.
 
I don't know if it's the lack of circulation or the ammonia or if it's something else. I'm pissed at Eheim b/c I have to go away this weekend and it's very unlikely the piece will arrive tomorrow. Do I leave the 3 kuhlis in what's basically a bucket of water? Put them back into the tank? Do I leave the other fish in the tank?

I know any ammonia is a bad sign. How bad, though, is 0.5ppm? I'll do a water change tomorrow before I leave but I won't be able to do another one until Tuesday.

:help:
 
Would it do any good to put the filter media that is in my filter (b/c I do have a cycled filter) into the tank? There is circulation in the tank (not as much as usual but still).

I found a second powerhead with an airhose so now that's in there too
 
What other fish do you have in the 15g? Any of the others having issues?

You may want to consider running out and picking up something like an AquaClear 30 to run in your tank till you get back. 4 days without filtration is too much. Once you get the eheim up you could then keep the AC30 as additional / backup.

Ammonia is more toxic at higher pH, but I think 0.5 ppm is pretty high regardless.
 
I have a HOB filter, but (a) it's not cycled and (b) I had to get the eheim b/c the HOB wasn't getting along with the aquasoil, so I am extremely hesitant to put it back on the tank.

There isn't much else in the tank. A couple of neon tetras and a bunch of shrimp, neither of which look particularly stressed
 
I think without a working filter for that many days, especially with the addition of new bioload your fish are all going to be in trouble. The loaches may already have had their gills burned by the ammonia. While an airstone would oxygenate the water, the ammonia is going to continue to climb on you day after day with no filter. Is there any way you can purchase a cheap HOB from an LFS before you go, fill it with some media from your exisitng filter and run it while you're gone?

Also, did you check your nitrite? A spike in nitrite can be more harmful than the ammonia.
 
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