# Fish gasping at surface.



## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

Almost all of my top dwelling fish in my 38 gallon are at the surface gasping for air. My sae and my red eye tetras are at the surface gasping for air. The sae is almost vertical while he is gasping. I don't understand, I have a marineland canister c 360 and another HOB smaller filter on it. Could it be that I just put new gravel in the tank? The tank used to be bare bottomed but I put some gravel in about a week ago. They weren't acting like this last week I think, I don't remember looking over at them for the week at all. But I know that they have NEVER acted like this before. I will post a pic in a minute or 2.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

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What do you think?


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## BBradbury (Apr 22, 2011)

Hello big...

This is nothing that a bit larger than normal water change won't fix. A flush of pure, treated tap water will get the tank back on track.

If you're not doing so already, it would be good to start a more aggressive water change routine. Work up to the point you're removing and replacing at least half the tank water weekly. More is always better when it comes to water changes.

B


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

I am doing a 20 gallon water change as I type, I have just stopped because someone was in the bathroom so I couldn't dump the water out. I think that after I do this 20 gallon water change I will do another 20 w/c. I will do my 20 gallon water changes as usual tomorrow and sunday.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

I only did 1 water change.....


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

I don't know why but I took a pic of the tank with 20 gallons taken out. 







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## kalyke (Nov 19, 2014)

are they okay?


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## LizStreithorst (Jul 16, 2015)

It looked in the first pics that the surface of the water was very still. It's necessary to have agitation of the water on the surface for oxygen transfer.


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## clumsycarp (Jul 28, 2015)

put a diffuser in the tank..make sure it is set at the bottom....


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## Marshall (Jul 8, 2013)

I agree that there seems to be very little surface agitation, try aiming your filter output at the surface a little


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

Yeah my water is still, the driftwood that is still floating is causing a lot of the water movement to be stopped to that side of the tank. I was thinking about putting a bubbler over there to have some more surface agitation. I was waiting for my parents to go to town so i could buy another power strip so I could plug in a air pump to power the bubbler. I will post pics about tomorrow. Possibly today, but I have homework, gotta do a water change I missed yesterday, so many things so little time.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

With many tanks, comes great responsibility!

*laugh out loud


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## LizStreithorst (Jul 16, 2015)

big b said:


> Yeah my water is still, the driftwood that is still floating is causing a lot of the water movement to be stopped to that side of the tank. I was thinking about putting a bubbler over there to have some more surface agitation. I was waiting for my parents to go to town so i could buy another power strip so I could plug in a air pump to power the bubbler. I will post pics about tomorrow. Possibly today, but I have homework, gotta do a water change I missed yesterday, so many things so little time.


You have a hang on back filter in that tank, right? just lower your water level. It's a no brainer.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

The HOB quit on my after my last water change for no reason, I have no intention of replacing it.


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## LizStreithorst (Jul 16, 2015)

OK. If you cant find a way to filter the water and agitate the surface I will no longer bother giving you advice. You have an empty outlet where the HOB was plugged in. You just bought sponges. Fix the problem or let the fish suffer.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Like I don't have another filter. If I didn't have another filter, I would be putting all of the fish and plants into other tanks while I rush to get another filter. I have a marineland canister c360. It filters the water 9 times an hour. I am about to post a pic of the tank with my solution to the still water.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

[/url][/IMG] If you look closely, you can see some bubbles in the reflection of the glass behind the flat piece of driftwood standing up. I put a bubble wand behind it . What do you think of the driftwood?


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## ilaughatfilters (Apr 30, 2015)

Hello B. I guess this is my first post. I assume your fish are doing better now? Your tank looks fairly sterile how old is this tank? 

I also enjoy keeping tetras in a 12 gallon aquarium and have been doing so for years. I have never used filters of any kind nor do I have any kind of bubbler in any of my tanks.

Do you feed any live insects or do you use flake or disk food?

Thanks for sharing.

Jason


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## TimH (Feb 25, 2016)

BBradbury said:


> Hello big...
> 
> This is nothing that a bit larger than normal water change won't fix. A flush of pure, treated tap water will get the tank back on track.
> 
> ...


I agree


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

I use flake and disk food.
the problem was solved a while back, but thanks for your answer. it proves that his answer was right even more.


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