16 replies to this topic

[Dale]

Hi guys i have a 300l tank with a 300w heater.I have a external filter which is new.Basically all my gear is new and yet i cant seem to keep my fish for long.My tempreture is set at 31degrees the ph level is perfect, i treat the fish tank for white spot etc but i still seem to be losing fish.I have a pair of red jewels which look like they are dying because all of a sudden they are not very active and are hanging around the top of the tank.I really want to find a solution to this pproblem asap so any help would be very much appreciated.Regards Dale

[dazzabozza]

Hi Dale

I take it the reason for your 30+ degree temps it to treat the whitespot?

Are u aerating the water or agitating the water surface? o2 levels will be lower at higher temps.


Dazza

[Dale]

[yeah it was to treat white spot.i have got a huge airstone so they should be getting enough o2.what temp would u suggest i drop to after white spot is clear

[Scat]

Hi Dale,

Do your fish have white spot ?

31c is way too high for most fish and the higher tempreture results in less dissolved oxygen in the tank which is why your fish are at the top ( they are gasping for air ) Bring temp down to 25c straight away.

Also how many fish are in your tank and how long has it been running ? What type of filtration are you using ? How often are you doing water changes and how much water are you changing at one time ?

Please give us much more detailed info so when can help you.

Craig

[TATTOO]

hi dale, how long has your tank been running? has it matured before adding to many fish? what is your pH? your temp at 31 is far too high, i would say 26 is fine. this may be the cause of the fish gasping at the top of the tank

[Dale]

[quote name='Scat' date='Jul 15 2008, 09:46 PM' post='97365']
Hi Dale,


Hi thanks for that craig

the fish dont have any signs of white spot any more

there is about 15 medium to small fish in the tank

the tank has been runnig for three months, i did a water change 4 days ago and changed one third of the water.i use a external cannister filter
hope that helps u a bit cheers

[Dale]

Cool thanks for that guys iv just dropped temp to around 25/26 degrees so il see how it goes

[Scat]

Exactly what type of canister is it your running ?

How often do you change your water ? weekly/fortnightly ect ?

If you have no sign of whitespot then i think that the tempreture of the tank was your problem.

What type of fish are in your tank and what is the ph sitting on ?

Cheers
Craig

[Mr_docfish]

mmmmm
White spot, gasping, high temp, newish tank, 15 med/sml fish already in tank...

My guess is there is possibly some level of nitrite (often a precursor to white spot)- worth a trip to your local to have it tested if you don't have a good range of test kits at this point in time (worth the money when you compare it to the cost of the fish).

31C in my opinion is OK for the majority of tropical species but it will be stressful to some of these fish none the less. It is an ideal temp for helping in the control of white spot.
BUT, when you couple this with a possible nitrite level and white spot in the tank....

1. Increased temp will increase the metabolism, therefore increase the amount of waste they produce, therefore increase the ammonia/nitrite levels further.
2. Nitrite will affect the fish's ability to uptake oxygen, and with the increased temp, there is a decrease in dissolved oxygen to start with (as already mentioned) so this complicates the issue.
3. White spot often infects the gills (where you cannot see it) and this will cause the gills to sometimes become infected (particularly if the water quality is not the best, such as containing ammonia or nitrite) and this is worsened even further with the increased temp as the infection could get worse, faster in such conditions.

Best bet is to use a salt based white spot control (1g per 1-2litres approx) and keep the levels up there by adding the same dose rate of salt to any new water going in during water changes. keep this up for at least 2 weeks. Keep the temp at about 24-26C and consider a mild product like melafix/pimafix to assist in the healing of the fish after the white spot. Avoid using strong dye based medications (Malachite green and Methylene blue) and sulpha drugs (tri/triple sulpha) while the filter is settling in.
Get your water tested ASAP!!
Don't feed your fish very much (if at all, if they still look stressed).

If you are still having problems, let us know

Oliver

[Boof86]

hehe mr docfish rocks:P im learning toooooo heheh but thankfully alll my little fishies are healthy at the moment

[Dale]

mmmmm
White spot, gasping, high temp, newish tank, 15 med/sml fish already in tank...

My guess is there is possibly some level of nitrite (often a precursor to white spot)- worth a trip to your local to have it tested if you don't have a good range of test kits at this point in time (worth the money when you compare it to the cost of the fish).

31C in my opinion is OK for the majority of tropical species but it will be stressful to some of these fish none the less. It is an ideal temp for helping in the control of white spot.
BUT, when you couple this with a possible nitrite level and white spot in the tank....

1. Increased temp will increase the metabolism, therefore increase the amount of waste they produce, therefore increase the ammonia/nitrite levels further.
2. Nitrite will affect the fish's ability to uptake oxygen, and with the increased temp, there is a decrease in dissolved oxygen to start with (as already mentioned) so this complicates the issue.
3. White spot often infects the gills (where you cannot see it) and this will cause the gills to sometimes become infected (particularly if the water quality is not the best, such as containing ammonia or nitrite) and this is worsened even further with the increased temp as the infection could get worse, faster in such conditions.

Best bet is to use a salt based white spot control (1g per 1-2litres approx) and keep the levels up there by adding the same dose rate of salt to any new water going in during water changes. keep this up for at least 2 weeks. Keep the temp at about 24-26C and consider a mild product like melafix/pimafix to assist in the healing of the fish after the white spot. Avoid using strong dye based medications (Malachite green and Methylene blue) and sulpha drugs (tri/triple sulpha) while the filter is settling in.
Get your water tested ASAP!!
Don't feed your fish very much (if at all, if they still look stressed).

If you are still having problems, let us know

Oliver

thanks alot for that

[Dale]

I am running a eheim 2217 which i purchased from one of the sponser (morley aquar) which is a big coincedence as im from albany.anyway back to the subbject it is 1 month old and i only change one third of the water since a month ago.How often do u think i should do water changes.I have also checked my ph and the test came back with a very high reading towards alkaline (it was blue).I have red jewels,convicts,1 peacock,1 golden sevrum,1 tiger oscar,1 jack dempsey and that it.The red jewels seem to be the problem all the other fish seem ok.Hope this info helps cheers

[Scat]

Hi Dale,

I have 7 2217 eheim canisters and you will be happy with it.

Your tank isnt established yet having only run one month where it takes a canister 4 months to become fully seeded or established.

Your ph indicates that blue mean alkaliney so will be high and as your fish are american they like a neutral ph so you may need to adjust this also.

I would do weekly water changes of 25% myself.

Cheers
Craig

[Mr_docfish]

I am running a eheim 2217 which i purchased from one of the sponser (morley aquar) which is a big coincedence as im from albany.anyway back to the subbject it is 1 month old and i only change one third of the water since a month ago.How often do u think i should do water changes.I have also checked my ph and the test came back with a very high reading towards alkaline (it was blue).I have red jewels,convicts,1 peacock,1 golden sevrum,1 tiger oscar,1 jack dempsey and that it.The red jewels seem to be the problem all the other fish seem ok.Hope this info helps cheers

Are the jewels the biggest fish in the tank??

The bigger the fish, the higher the oxygen demand....

[Dale]

I was just wondering how often would you do a water change with approx 15-20 fish in a 300l tank with a very good filter system in place.Have you any idea???

[Scat]

Ive found that i do weekly 25% water changes on all my tanks and this has worked very well for me.

Cheers
Craig

[Mr_docfish]

A good guide is following the Nitrate test. If it is over 40ppm, then change 25%. If it takes a week to get to this level, then do it weekly. It is good to keep this sort of routine so you know where you are at with water changes.