Probs after w/c

[robby d]

I am new to discus. I purchased my first 6 a week ago. After the first w/c all fish were at the top gasping for air. I provided more circulation, added some additional dechlor and they were fine by the next morning. After some consideration I thought I must have let the temp drop since I did not turn off the cannister pump during the w/c and water splashed in to the tank for probably 20 minutes. Maybe the temp dropped 4-5 degrees. Otherwise I had no explanation. Tonight, I took precautions on temp during w/c and temp was held constant but had similar problem, although less severe. Fish are spending extended periods at top gasping for air. They ate some but not all food after w/c.

Water change process is simple - tap water in to trash can, combination of hot and cold to equal 86 F. Dechlorinate. Syphon water from tank out in to flower bed. Pump new water in to tank. Tank is 58 gallon and w/c is about 40%. Tank and tap water have the same PH - 7.6.

Any help is appreciated.

[tcyiu]

Can you post more details about your dechlorination process? i.e. what products, how much are you adding .... etc.?

Have you tested your tap water for chlorine?

[dishpanhands]

you will probly need to age your water a day before your wc. you will need to add an air stone or make a water fall into the water.

[Darren's Discus]

Are you ageing your water ? sounds like a chlorine problem causing the fish to gasp.


cheers

[Eddie]

Do you have Chlorine or chloramine in your water? What dechlor are you using?

If your tank water PH never changes an its stays the same as your tap, no reason to age your water.

Eddie

[robby d]

I am using API tap water conditioner. Instructions say 1 ml for each 5 gallons. I am using about 20 ml. I have not tested tap for chlorine.

I was trying to avoid aging the water because then I would need to heat and aerate it, which seemed like more trouble. Is there a way to avoid aging, heating, etc.

Thanks for the help.

[Eddie]

I am using API tap water conditioner. Instructions say 1 ml for each 5 gallons. I am using about 20 ml. I have not tested tap for chlorine.

I was trying to avoid aging the water because then I would need to heat and aerate it, which seemed like more trouble. Is there a way to avoid aging, heating, etc.

Thanks for the help.


If your PH is the same, you don't need to age it. API tap water conditoner does not remove chloramines, bet that is your problem. You will need something like Seachem Prime.

Also, test for Ammonia and nitrite.

HTH
Eddie

[Roxanne]

...my API does..I'll quote what's written on the bottle"...removes chlorine and breaks the chloramine bond,,," on the front

on the back it says: "to remove chlorine & detoxify heavy metals or detoxify chloramines..."

can you test all parameters in your tank before a water change and in your barrell water before a water change?

mine breathe heavy after water changes if I don't aerate for a while after dechloring...hth

[Eddie]

...my API does..I'll quote what's written on the bottle"...removes chlorine and breaks the chloramine bond,,," on the front

on the back it says: "to remove chlorine & detoxify heavy metals or detoxify chloramines..."

can you test all parameters in your tank before a water change and in your barrell water before a water change?

mine breathe heavy after water changes if I don't aerate for a while after dechloring...hth


Yeah, if it does just break the bond and there is no cycled filter on the tank, it would load the tank with ammonia. Thats whay I asked to check ammonia. Same as Aquasafe, it says on the back, for established aquariums. Breaking the bond will leave the ammonia to be dealt with by either the filter or another chemical like Prime. Prime detoxifies ammonia also. ;)

What are the chemicals in API dechlor?

My fish don't ever breath hard ever, even when doing 100% WCs.

[Don Trinko]

I think Basshead may have found your problem. There are chemicals that will bind the amonia making it harmless to the fish. Amaquel+ is one of them.
I would test for ammonia, beter yey find out if you have cloramines. Don T.

[Roxanne]

I have chlorinated water...after I dechlor, the readings for ammonia are .25ppm...I used to use it anyway and let the filter break it down which it does rather quickly...now I grab an intake off a canister and stick it into the dechlored aeration tank to suck it all through the filter and into the fish tank...ta da:) If your ph is under 7(table here http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/month.9507/msg00139.html) it isn't toxic ammonia anyway, but at 7.6 which is what you say yours is, it's going to irritate..can you suck it thru a biofilter after dechloring or use prime like Eddie says...test your tap water too...

[Hattawi]

Thats a smart thing to do Roxanne (to have the canister filter pump the water for you in to the main tank).

[robby d]

Ok. I have been working on this for a week since my last post. Two water changes in this time frame. 50% each. Used double dose Prime (2 capfuls) on the first - same problem, fish gasping at the top. Better after 24 hours. Then, yesterday, used quadruple dose Prime (4 caps) and aged about 1/2 day. Same problem, fish gasping. At present they are breathing heavily at tank bottom. Over the past few days, I have tested ph of tap and tank several times with API low range test kit - results have been similar, but inconclusive, very similar blues to each test. Just went out and got some API test strips. There now seems to be a clear difference. The tap looks like it is about 8 and the tank about 7.5. I am now thinking it is a ph issue and will age the water properly. I shouldn't be so impatient. Any comments are much appreciated. Do you think I have harmed the fish?

[moik]

I have switched to Prime recently and starting not to like it. Use to use Novaqua by Kordon. I do not know ,just something in my mind telling me to go back to what I was using in the first place.

[Eddie]

Ok. I have been working on this for a week since my last post. Two water changes in this time frame. 50% each. Used double dose Prime (2 capfuls) on the first - same problem, fish gasping at the top. Better after 24 hours. Then, yesterday, used quadruple dose Prime (4 caps) and aged about 1/2 day. Same problem, fish gasping. At present they are breathing heavily at tank bottom. Over the past few days, I have tested ph of tap and tank several times with API low range test kit - results have been similar, but inconclusive, very similar blues to each test. Just went out and got some API test strips. There now seems to be a clear difference. The tap looks like it is about 8 and the tank about 7.5. I am now thinking it is a ph issue and will age the water properly. I shouldn't be so impatient. Any comments are much appreciated. Do you think I have harmed the fish?


Robby, there is no need to double or quadruple the dose unless there is a nitrite emergency as stated on the bottle.

[Eddie]

I have switched to Prime recently and starting not to like it. Use to use Novaqua by Kordon. I do not know ,just something in my mind telling me to go back to what I was using in the first place.

Hi Moik, I'd change back if you like Novaqua. I only like Prime because it's what I started with and have always used. There could be something better.

Eddie