Automatic feeder fell into tank! Please help need info from the pros

[Discusseth]

Woke up this morning to find my automatic feeder inside the tank!!! It’s the “havergo” 230 ML fish feeder. It takes 4 triple A batteries and can operate from a plug in usb which the batteries were in it and it was still connected to USB power inside the tank!!! I removed the feeder immediately and inspected the tank. All of my fish, the discus, the dozens of tetras, the rams, gouramis, they were all at the top of the tank trying to breathe!! Even my plecos and Cory’s were shooting up towards the surface erratically. Even my bamboo shrimp had crawled out of the water holding onto the edge of the tank, the water was like 1/2 down from the top of tank. I immediately started a water change. I did a 50% water change. After I got the water out and started slowly filling the water back in ( I was using the aqueon faucet siphon) I carefully watched my fish and they seemed to be doing better. Not at the top of tank anymore, things seeemd fine, They even ate. I did notice some blood coming from under one of my plecos pectoral fins… I eventually had to go into work, I had a long day. Left the house at 9:30am and didnt get home until like 8pm. All my fish are still alive except for the pleco… (I think he may have hurt himself on some driftwood flying up and down the tank) but again. The fish were at the top of the water again! Not all of them like before but the discus and rams for sure. I do have carbon in my canister filter, I just refilled the media bags with carbon like 2 weeks ago. I just added $300 worth of discus and $100 worth of plants last Wednesday! And I’ve got another $200 worth of discus coming in tmrw!!! The feeder was straddling my light fixture and it was solid, no way it just fell in. The only thing I can think of was the stupid cat that I’m watching for a friend knocked it in!!! I need every trick in the book to help! Thank you to anyone who can help me, I’ve been keeping fish for 20+ years, I’ve successfully bred discus this is new to me!!

[fljones3]

Others will chime in, but I would do a WC both before and after work for a couple of days to see if things settle down.
Add some salt and Prime. Maybe the oils from the feeder or corrupted batteries ... don't know.

[jwcarlson]

This isn't a primary concern, but do look into quarantine procedures for your fish. You're likely to run into issues adding discus periodically without properly quarantining.

You say that the water was 1/2 down from the top of the tank. Do you mean that the tank was only half full? If that's the case, why? Maybe you just mean it was down a 1/2 inch from the top, in that case, disregard. What kind of filter do you have on the tank? And how big is the tank?

I'd personally do as big of a water change as you can every day for a week and see what happens after that. The feeder (if it was full of food) might have caused an ammonia spike. Would probably also not feed the fish for a few days.

[Discus Fever]

I agree about a possible ammonia spike from all the food in the feeder, I would do a 50% water change every day for the next 3 to 4 days and monitor your water with a test kit.

[Iminit]

Ok the batteries getting wet probably grounded out and caused some sort of reaction. Also oils or lubricants in the feeder are now in the water. I’d get another tank.Actually 2 tanks. Set it up bare bottom new everything. Get it to temp and put the fish in there. Now this new tank because it’s new will need daily water changes to build up the cycle. Everything in the old tank may now be ruined. All media and substrate need to be removed. Tank and filter cleaned with a bleach mixture. Was the usb cord plugged in when it went into the water?

Next that second tank you’re going to fill up to house your next group of discus.last thing you want to do is put them with these other fish. But any new discus or fish going with discus should be quarantined for at least a month and observed before adding to main tank. Next and this is huge! Please read up and ask questions here. So much help at your finger tips here !