# Fish are gulping (pleco died)



## woody019 (Oct 4, 2012)

Please help I woke up this morning my pleco was dead and my others are gulping pretty bad. I just a couple days ago switched the tank to sand but havent noticed any changes in my levels other than nitrates. My levels are ammonia=0 nitrites=0 and nitrates= 60 which im not happy about. Before I switched to sand nitrates were a constant 30ppm with an oscar. The only other thing that is weird is my tap pH is 8.0 (which I know is to high for an oscar) and my tank is 7.4 (which isnt bad) so there is something softening it. 

notes: I did a 20% water change last night and another 20% this morning after I saw my pleco dead. Also these readings are after I did the water changes.

Other then my nitrates and high PH difference from tap to tank what could be the issue or are these my issues? Im going to do another water change in the next few minutes.

Thanks


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

What size is the tank?Change at least 50% in one shot or you're just diluting nutrients(20%x2 = 30-35% reduction not 40% since you remove some of the clean water again,which diluted nitrates).An oscar and pleco in same tank are large waste creators,what is your water change schedule?


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## woody019 (Oct 4, 2012)

Its a 55G the levels have been good until I changed the substrate two days ago (which im surprised it didnt go through a mini cycle). I do 20% water changes twice a week. But I guess I dont have the problem of the pleco anymore not that im happy that I lost a fish. 

I currently in the process of doing a water change that ive done before that worked with no ill effects that I totally forgot about because I havent had any issues in close to a year. Im draining the tank to 50% then filling it to 70% then back to 50% doing this 3 times ending by filling the tank back to full from 50%. I have done this once and the fish are already starting to stop gulping. Im using seachem prime to treat the water and getting the temp of the water <1 degree of the tank water. 

Thanks for your help! I freaked and was just making sure it wasnt something other than nitrates.

I have to get another 75G for this oscar I have no problems with my other oscar in my 75G.


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

Try putting an air stone in it. Fish gulping can be a sign of insuficient o2 levels. Or a possibility in this case given the fish, there can be excess of toxic gasses in the water due to excessive waste. Airstone and heavy, multiple changes.


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## woody019 (Oct 4, 2012)

thanks how often do you think I should do water changes? Except for this case doing 20% twice a week my nitrates stay consistant at 20ppm. I read a couple places that nitrates make oxygen absorbtion into the fishes body difficult. The only reason I think there is plenty of O2 in the water column is because my canister has a 250gph and have a 700gph powerhead so there is plenty of surface movement for gas exchange. I also airate the new water going into the tank before I put it in.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Your waterchange schedule seems to work so keep with that once everything is straightened out.Possibly just the physical removal of your previous substrate stirred up a bunch of crap(and a anerobic pocket or two).


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

Well that certainly sounds like it should be enough. And your right about the fish having a harder time absorbing water. The way I have my canister set up in my 55 cichlid tank is, I have the inlet on the back on one side, and the output right at the top of the water on the other side pointing at the intake. Kinda like if you had a river tank. This makes a ton of aggitation on the top. How closed off is the top of the water from fresh air. You can have all the movement on the surface you want, but if isn't getting fresh air than it does no good.


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## woody019 (Oct 4, 2012)

Thats what it has to be coralbandit I had larger rock before and im not going to lie there was a lot of "mulm" that got kicked up which is why im in the process of changing all of my tanks to sand/smaller particle substrate. hotwingz that how I have my 75 setup with two large HOB (I always like to have at least a 5X turnover rate on my tanks). This tanks the input and output are right next to each other so the output is flowing away from the intake but I have the powerhead pointing in the opposite direction so the tank flows in a circle back to the intake. The tank is pretty open to fresh air it has the standard plastic canopy so its pretty open to the air not like my other other tanks with the glass tops.


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

I think bandot right with the pocket idea.


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

I was reading this again. What filter(s) are you using?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Filter looks like bio wheel HOB and the oscars are still pretty small.They will outgrow this tank fairly quickly though.

Possibly keeping the water level down an inch or two will also introduce more oxygen from the hob breaking the surface.


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

Ya try lowering your water level. I like that idea. But I would try adding another filter too. Before I switched to a canister I had two penguin 350s on my 55. That will help with the bacterial consumption of poisonous matter in the water.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Two filters are always better than one and I too think there would be better, easier to maintain filteration with two HOBs instead of canister(I am not real big on canisters,although I know they to are good filters).


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

Ya I guess it all depends on how you like to schedule the maintenance on your tank and filters. I recently switched over to canisters and have been very happy. They are quieter and you don't have to have clean them as often. My tanks also seem to be cleaner. But everyone has there preferences. They both work. HOB filters do offer a better o2 exchange and you can get biowheels which are super nice.


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