# glowlight tetra staying at top



## jeff5347 (Aug 15, 2011)

Ok some i know this isnt normal. My current as of yesterday tank setup was a guppy and 2 swords. Yesterday i added some fish... another male guppy (man is he nice looking) with a leopard print on his tail, and 2 glowlight tetras. 

I drip acclimated the fish and i had done a PWC before i added them to the tank. Last night everyone was swimming and having a ball getting to know each other. This morning i find one of the tetras about an inch from the surface and he is in the path of the current the filters make. Was watching him and looks like he is rapidly breathing. The other tetra is fine as well as the other fish. So i figure he is looking for oxygen. I have a penguin 330 filter and added a bigger air stone. Looked to see what i could do for him and was on another site and an article stated raise the temp from the current 75-77 to max 82 degrees (assuming to get more ox in the water). Also i did a ph test this morning and the ph is around 7.6 when it had been previously arounf 6.8-7. So i added ph down (API test and adjuster kit), about 10 drops in my 10 gal. Also added a little less than a TBLsp of aq. salt. Anything else i can do or is it a waiting game. 
I know what you gonna ask but the one thing i have not invested in yet is a amm.,nitrite, nitrate kit yet..i know, i know i must have one to see what those stats are but...*tnpe


Ok as of now watching them the other glowlight is up wit hthe other one. Only one though is rapidly breathing. The normal one i guess zips around the tank everyonce in a while and goes back... is it just a mate thing, sticking with your group? 
Also since i have the Penguin 33 filter in a 10 galthe current is kinda high. NOt real bad but sure if i could adjust the flow down it would make everyone happy. Is there a way to do that with my current Penguin?


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Raising the temp doesnt allow more oxygen to dissolve,it has the opposite effect.

PH up,down are not good products to use.You want a stable environment for the fish,and the PH products,while lowering or raising it,will not have lasting effects and this will do much more damage than just leaving the PH be.
Glolight tetras are schoolers and with just two,they will not act right.You need at least five.

Is the tank cycled?


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Can't say for sure but with glolights and other territorial fish you should add either 1 or more than 4. So that each fish in the pecking order are closely matched to the one above and the one below. Adding two almost always means the weaker one will not last long.


my .02


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## jeff5347 (Aug 15, 2011)

So why would they both now be breathing heavy should i just get 2 more? Also why from a water change would ph go up almost 1 pt. It stayed the same pretty much with other pwc's. Since i did the ph down all the other fish are still ok.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

jeff5347 said:


> So why would they both now be breathing heavy should i just get 2 more? Also why from a water change would ph go up almost 1 pt. It stayed the same pretty much with other pwc's. Since i did the ph down all the other fish are still ok.


If the pH rose after a water change it could be because the replacement water has less carbon dioxide which means the tank has high carbon dioxide and hence the heavy breathing. Tetras are more sensitive to that also.

I had problem with neon tetras until I added some peat moss in the substrate which kept kh and gh constant (4 and 9 degrees respectfully). With just sand neons did not do well and kh/gh both rose (over months) to high levels.

Possibly some cycle still going on and the reason I don't add food for a week with new tank with new fish.

finally I also use live plants which seem to help with all these things plus keep things balanced long term as well.

I think at this point you're best bet is to remove the weaker glowlight and see what happens. adding more could make any cycle type problems worse.


my .02


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## jeff5347 (Aug 15, 2011)

i working on growing some plants for the tank. Also i dont have an extra tank to house the weaker tetra in... Actually on that note both tetras are in the same boat now. Both hovering near the surface, staying near the current and in the same place. tHe one that i first reported still has the rapid breathing, the other does to it seems just not to the same extent..


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

jeff5347 said:


> i working on ging some plants for the tank. Also i dont have an extra tank to house the weaker tetra in... Actually on that note both tetras are in the same boat now. Both hovering near the surface, staying near the current and in the same place. tHe one that i first reported still has the rapid breathing, the other does to it seems just not to the same extent..


Try adding several bunches of anacharis. It will rapidily suck out the carbon dioxide.


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## jeff5347 (Aug 15, 2011)

ok so this is weird. Last night once night rolled around and it got dark in the room, the tetra's started to act "normal". They started t ocome down from the the surface and swim around. Still looked lik they had somewhat rapid breathing but they were swimming fine. I see no other major negaive signs of stres or illness. NOw this morning they are near the top again. This has got me confused on what is going on. I checked the ph this morning also and it is around the same spot. Maybe 7.4 now.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

that is interesting.

any chance other fish are harassing them during the day but not at night?


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## jeff5347 (Aug 15, 2011)

well i guess the game is over. The weaker one died this morning. As i stated last night they looked normal. Then this morning somewhat normal but still near the top. Then i checked on them again around1030 and couldnt find one of them. Searched and searched and found him sucked against the filter. I figure he was still weak and the filter sucked him and he died there. The other as i look now looks in good health. He seems to be swimming and pecking at stuff on the floor. 

Bob, no as far as my observations yesterday everyone was getting along like a nice community. The glowlight was just near the top and no one went near him even in the night now problems. The 2 guppies have seemed to taken to each other and hang out alot as well as the male and femal swords. 
Kinda wondering if i should just let there be one glowlighht in the tank and look at some other fish instead. Still have my thoughts on 1 or 2 RCS.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

jeff5347 said:


> well i guess the game is over. The weaker one died this morning. As i stated last night they looked normal. Then this morning somewhat normal but still near the top. Then i checked on them again around1030 and couldnt find one of them. Searched and searched and found him sucked against the filter. I figure he was still weak and the filter sucked him and he died there. The other as i look now looks in good health. He seems to be swimming and pecking at stuff on the floor.
> 
> Bob, no as far as my observations yesterday everyone was getting along like a nice community. The glowlight was just near the top and no one went near him even in the night now problems. The 2 guppies have seemed to taken to each other and hang out alot as well as the male and femal swords.
> Kinda wondering if i should just let there be one glowlighht in the tank and look at some other fish instead. Still have my thoughts on 1 or 2 RCS.


I would leave the one glowlight in there and see if it survives. then decide on other fish later.

If it survives for a couple of weeks you could try at least 4 more glowlights or something else. Just no less than 4 more.

my .03


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## Future Marine Biologist (Aug 24, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> I would leave the one glowlight in there and see if it survives. then decide on other fish later.
> 
> If it survives for a couple of weeks you could try at least 4 more glowlights or something else. Just no less than 4 more.
> 
> my .03


I agree wait about 4 days. Glowlights are schooling fish and you need at least 5. I have 6 nad they are fine. It could be aggression my glowlights are bullyed by my harlequin rasboras. Once they started schooling they were fine so that should help. Sorry bout the 2 that died.


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